The Fred Hersch Trio at Healdsburg Jazz Festival at Jackson Theater

Any honest accounting of the Fred Hersch Trio must arrive at the stark fact that it is the finest piano threesome since Bill Evans took the form into new dimensions in the late ’50s. But the resemblance stops right there. Though they both are undoubtable geniuses of the piano, Fred sounds nothing like Evans. In fact, Fred doesn’t sound like anyone. In the jazz world, he stands alone.

There are ways to describe his style: sprightly, spare, deeply romantic, elegant, classically infused, precise. But it is what it is for one basic reason: Fred has worked tirelessly, for decades, to eradicate any trace of cliché from his playing. And yes, jazz musicians, even the greatest ones, fall into clichés – it would be almost impossible not do, considering that the art of improvising requires inventing on the spot. What pianist can do this without relying on well-known supports like, for example, contrasting block chords or arpeggios with upper-register cherries on top or bluesy growls or a little salsa rumble? Listen to Fred Hersch and, amazingly, you will find someone who comes very close....

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Any honest accounting of the Fred Hersch Trio must arrive at the stark fact that it is the finest piano threesome since Bill Evans took the form into new dimensions in the late ’50s. But the resemblance stops right there. Though they both are undoubtable geniuses of the piano, Fred sounds nothing like Evans. In fact, Fred doesn’t sound like anyone. In the jazz world, he stands alone.

There are ways to describe his style: sprightly, spare, deeply romantic, elegant, classically infused, precise. But it is what it is for one basic reason: Fred has worked tirelessly, for decades, to eradicate any trace of cliché from his playing. And yes, jazz musicians, even the greatest ones, fall into clichés – it would be almost impossible not do, considering that the art of improvising requires inventing on the spot. What pianist can do this without relying on well-known supports like, for example, contrasting block chords or arpeggios with upper-register cherries on top or bluesy growls or a little salsa rumble? Listen to Fred Hersch and, amazingly, you will find someone who comes very close.

The major signposts of Fred’s legend are well known: Child prodigy who was transposing songs into different keys at age 6. Studied piano with Jackie Byard. Convinced jazz elders like Art Farmer, Joe Henderson, Lee Konitz, and Chet Baker to give him the piano seat in their bands. Came out as gay in the hyper-masculine world of jazz in the ’90s. HIV positive, contracted AIDS, fell into a coma for two months, recovered, wrote a jazz operetta, My Coma Dreams, about it. Set Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass to music. Instructed Brad Mehldau, Ethan Iverson, Jason Moran, others. Recorded over 50 albums in multiple band configurations since his debut in 1985.

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