“Holds you in his arm chair you can feel his disease”
John Lennon
I finally caught Fred Hersch in concert this past year, and while his trio albums are superb, I’m glad I took him in during a solo performance, similar to the one here recorded August 14, 2014 at the Windham Civic Center Concert Hall in New York. The reason for that thought is that Hersch has such a splendid mix of intuition and technical prowess, there is no filtering of this gift by bass and drums. The seven pieces here each clock in from 6-9 minutes, and his pensiveness over the timing, touch and solo excursions are palpable. His dark ruminations on “Olha Maria” sway into a luscious “O Grande Amor” with perfect Jobimian sensitivity, while the exoticism of “Caravan” perfectly balances earthy percussion with melodicism.
His hold on bop is bonafide as he gives a celebrative read of “ In Walked Bud” whereas his own “Pastorale” and ”Whirl” are not only clever and creative, but also viscerally receptive. His closure of the evening with a reflective and thoughtful read of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” reveal an artist that meditates deeply on the inner core and reason of each song. He takes nothing lightly here, and yet makes it presentable on a myriad of levels.
Palmetto Records