While waiting for the next “new” release by jazz’s most important pianist of this generation, we get to hear a bit of retrospection with this release of Fred Hersh’s trio from 1997. Caught at the famous Village Vanguard, Fred Hersch and his then-current trio of Drew Gress/b and Tom Rainy/dr deliver a richly intuitive and swinging set of standards an originals. Hersch, fresh off of albums Rogers and Hammerstein and Thelonious, shows slight hints of influences of Bill Evans and Monk as on the fun and funky “Swamp Thang” and the lyrical and reflective “Andrew John.” The team creates intricate lines on the clever “Easy to Love” and bounces with aplomb for “Three Little Words,” with Hersch jabbing like a featherweight to Gress’ bass work on “Evanessence.” A read of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” has Hersch at his most dramatic, creating a Verdian aria of the tune, while his solo intro to “My Funny Valentine” is Chopinesque in its romanticism. Not as mature as today’s Hersch (who is) but still light years ahead of everyone standing today.