Фред Херш: Американский джазовый пианист и композитор

American jazz pianist

Fred Hersch (born October 21, 1955) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and a 17 time Grammy nominée. He was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. He has recorded more than 75 of his jazz compositions.

Hersch was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Jewish parents. He began playing the piano at age four, under the tutelage of Jeanne Kirstein. He began composing music at eight, and won national piano competitions starting at the age of ten. Hersch first became interested in jazz while at Grinnell College in Iowa. He dropped out of school and started playing jazz in Cincinnati. He continued his studies at the New England Conservatory under Jaki Byard, attracting attention from the press ("a fine showcase for Fred Hersch") in a college recital. On graduation, he became a jazz piano instructor at the college. In his 2017 autobiography, Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz, Hersch talks about seeing Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra at Gilly's, a now closed jazz club in Dayton, Ohio. He recalls being in the audience when bandleader Art Pepper kicked the pianist hired for the occasion off the stand and asked if there was anyone in the audience who could sit in—an offer Hirsch took up, which essentially launched his career.

In 1977, Hersch moved to New York. One of his earliest professional engagements was with Art Farmer in Los Angeles in 1978. Jazz critic Leonard Feather wrote that Hirsch "showed his ability as an accompanist and soloist at the out of tune piano". He played with Farmer again in 1981. In 1982, the album A Work of Art (Art Farmer Quartet, Concord Jazz CJ 179), was released, with Hersch on piano, including two of Hirsch's own compositions; Leonard Feather gave it 3½ stars. In 1980, the Fred Hersch Trio played at B. Dalton Bookseller, one of many fringe events that were an offshoot of the Newport Jazz Festival. The next year, his trio played for singer Chris Connor, who was making a comeback after completing a recovery program for alcoholism. Hirsch also played at the Kool Jazz Festival that year, and with Joe Henderson in the New Jazz at the Public series. In 1983, Hersch played a duo session with bassist Ratzo Harris at the Knickerbocker Saloon, New York. The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Hersch is a romantic. He is openly involved in what he is playing and projects this involvement with body English and facial expressions that subtly underline the sense of his music. His lines often become gently billowing waves of sound, and he rises and falls, tenses and relaxes along with them." In 1983–84, Hersch played many sessions with Jane Ira Bloom in several venues, and with whom he recorded the album, Mighty Lights. In 1985, he played with the Jamie Baum Quartet. In 1986, he played with Toots Thielemans at the Great Woods jazz festival. He played with him in several sessions the following year, and again in 1987, receiving special attention for his solos. In 1986, he taught at Berklee College of Music. He was the pianist for the Eddie Daniels quartet in 1987 and appeared on his album, To Bird with Love. In 1988, Hersch played in Somerville, Massachusetts with his quintet at the Willow Jazz Club. The Boston Globe described him as "an elegant, highly melodic player." In 1989, Hersch played with Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer and they recorded together in a studio set up in his home. His first solo piano recording came in 1993: Fred Hersch at Maybeck. In 2006, Palmetto Records released the solo CD Fred Hersch in Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis, and released his eighth solo disc, Fred Hersch Plays Jobim, in 2009.

Hersch's own compositions feature prominently in nearly all of his concerts and recordings. He has received commissions from the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, the Doris Duke Foundation, the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, the Gramercy Trio and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. A disc of his through composed works, Fred Hersch: Concert Music 2001 2006, was released by Naxos Records. Many of Hersch's compositions have been transcribed by music publisher Edition Peters, including Valentine, Three Character Studies, Saloon Songs, and 24 Variations on a Bach Chorale. Hersch was awarded a 2003 Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for composition. In the same year, he created Leaves of Grass (Palmetto Records), a large scale setting of Walt Whitman's poetry for two voices (Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry) and an instrumental octet; it was presented in March 2005 at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall as part of a six city U. S. tour.

Hersch has worked with instrumentalists and vocalists in the worlds of jazz (Joe Henderson, Charlie Haden, Art Farmer, Stan Getz and Bill Frisell), classical music (Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Joshua Bell, Christopher O'Riley, Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg), and Broadway (Audra McDonald). He has accompanied jazz vocalists such as Nancy King, Norma Winstone and Kurt Elling. Hersch has taught at The New School and Manhattan School of Music, and conducted a Professional Training Workshop for Young Musicians at The Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall in 2008.

In 1993, Hersch came out as gay and that he had been treated for HIV since 1984. He fell into a coma in 2008 for two months. When he regained consciousness, he had lost muscular function as a result of his long inactivity and could not play the piano. After rehabilitation, he was able to play again.

Hersch has been a spokesman and fund raiser for AIDS services and education agencies since 1993. He has produced and performed on four benefit recordings and in numerous concerts for charities including Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which had raised over $250,000 as of June 2013. In April 2016, he played a benefit concert for Buddhist Global Relief. He has also been a keynote speaker and performer at international medical conferences.

(Artists and labels are linked only once, at first appearance. Lineup can be sorted by "solo", "duo", "trio" All trios are classic piano trios with (grand) piano, upright bass and drum kit, except for the trio Thirteen Ways, with saxophonist Michael Moore.) Recording date Title Label Year released Personnel / Notes 1984 09 As One JMT 1985 Duo with Jane Ira Bloom. live. 1984 10 Horizons Concord Jazz 1985 Trio with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron 1986 12 Sarabande Sunnyside 1987 Trio with Charlie Haden and Joey Baron 1988 05 E. T. C. Red 1990 Trio E. T. C. with Steve LaSpina and Jeff Hirshfield 1989 12 Heartsongs Sunnyside 1990 Trio with Michael Formanek and Jeff Hirshfield 1989? The French Collection (Jazz Impressions of French Classics) EMI Angel 1989 Trio with Steve LaSpina, Joey Baron and guests: James Newton, Kevin Eubanks, Toots Thielemans, Eddie Daniels 1989? Short Stories Atlantic 1989 Quartet co led by Janis Siegel plus Harvie Swartz (bass) and Kris Yenny (cello); Siegel was a Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Performance 2021 08 Breath By Breath Palmetto 2022 with Crosby Street String Quartet, Drew Gress and Jochen Rückert 2021 11 The Song Is You ECM 2022 Duo with Enrico Rava2023Silent, Listening ECM2024Solo piano

Date Artist Album title Label Notes 1979 Art Farmer Yama CTI with Joe Henderson 1979 Billy Harper Billy Harper Quintet in Europe Soul Note 1979 Billy Harper The Awakening Marge 1979 Sam Jones Something New Interplay 1981 Art Farmer A Work of Art Concord Jazz Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group1990Judy NiemackLong As You're LivingFreelance Records 1991 Jeri Brown Mirage Justin Time 1992 Matt Kendrick Other Aspects Suitcase 1992 Michael Moore quintet Home Game Ramboy 1992 Harumi Kaneko Try To Remember Philips 1992 Jack Jones The Gershwin Album Columbia/Legacy 1992 Various artists (Ana Caram, Paquito D'Rivera, Tom Harrell, and Phil Woods) JVC Jazz Festival Presents a Night of Chesky Jazz Live Chesky 1993 Jeanfrançois Prins & Judy Niemack Beauty and the Prince AMC (new release 2003 GAM) 1993 Roseanna Vitro Softly Concord Jazz 1993The Matt Kendrick UnitCompositeIchiban Records1993Garrison FewellA Blue Deeper Than The BlueAccurate Records 1994 Leny Andrade Maiden Voyage Chesky 1994 Various artists The AIDS Quilt Songbook Nightengale/Harmonia Mundi featured with an original composition accompanying baritone William Sharp1994Various artistsMemento BittersweetCatalystfeatured on "Tango Bittersweet"1994Michael MooreChicotoumiRamboy1994Byron OlsonSketches of ColtraneAngel Recordsfeatured on tracks 6 111994Various artistsLast Night When We Were Young: The Ballad AlbumClassical Actionfeatured on tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 131995Royce Campbell With StringsWaltz for DebbyPaddle Wheel1995Paul SundforNascencyNine Winds Records 1995 Chris Connor Lover Come Back to Me: Live at Sweet Basil Evidence 1995Dick SistoAmerican Love SongJazzen Records 1996 Jane Ira Bloom The Nearness Arabesque 1996 Michael Callen Legacy Significant Other featured on three tracks 1996 Dawn Upshaw Sings Rodgers and Hart Nonesuch 1996The Rich Perry QuartetWhat is This?SteepleChase1996Bonnie LowdermilkThis Heart Of MineAxolOtl Jazzwith Drew Gress and Tom Rainey1996Michael CallenLegacySignificant Other Recordsfeatured on three tracks1997Dominique EadeWhen The Wind Was CoolRCA Victorfeatured on tracks 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11 1997 Gary Burton Departure Concord Jazz with John Scofield, John Patitucci and Peter Erskine 1997 Various artists George Delerue: Music from the Films of François Truffaut Nonesuch featured on two tracks1997Various artistsSeptember Songs: The Music Of Kurt Weillfeatured on "Speak Low"1998Michael Moore TrioBeringRamboy1998Kelley JohnsonMake Someone HappyPipe DreamChartmakerfeatured on tracks 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 131998Steve LaSpinaDistant DreamStepplechase 1999 Jane Ira Bloom The Red Quartets Arabesque 1999Barbara SfragaOh, What A ThrillNaxos Jazzfeatured on tracks 3, 8, 12 1999 Dawn Upshaw Sings Vernon Duke Nonesuch featured on four tracks 1999 Roseanna Vitro The Time of My Life: Roseanna Vitro Sings the Songs of Steve Allen See Breeze recorded 19861999Janis SiegelThe Tender TrapMonarch Records2000Mary PearsonYou And IArkadia Jazz 2001 Roseanna Vitro Conviction: Thoughts of Bill Evans A Records featured on tracks 2, 3, 82001Various artistsThe Richard Rodgers Centennial Jazz Piano AlbumBroadway Caresfeatured on tracks 5, 6 2003 Jane Ira Bloom Chasing Paint Arabesque 2003 Harvey Mason Trios: With All My Heart VideoArts featured on one track 2003 Luciana Souza Norte e Sul North and South Biscoito Fino/Sunnyside featured on tracks 4, 5; Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Album2003Andrew StermanBlue Canvas with SpiralBreath River Music 2005 Renée Fleming Haunted Heart Deccawith Bill Frisell2005Kate McGarryMercy StreetsPalmettofeatured on tracks 6, 92006Audra McDonaldBuild A BridgeNonesuchfeatured on track 6 2013 3 Cohens Tightrope Anzic with Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen and Yuval Cohen2014Jill SobuleCharmsPink Recordsfeatured on "Lonely Eighty Eight"2014Amy LondonBridgesFiveCut Recordingsfeatured on tracks 1 82014Scott MorganSongs Of lifeMiranda Music2018Lorraine FeatherMath CampRelarion Inc. featured on tracks 2, 3, 5, 92019Adrian CunninghamAdrian Cunningham & His Friends Play Lerner & LoeweArbors Records2020Brian LandrusFor NowBlueLand Records2020Will VinsonFour Forty OneWhirlwind Recordingsfeatured on "Work"