| "…a trio that swings easily from the robust to the romantic…without ever losing its collective sense of balance…there's usually an all-for-one, one-for-all quality to the very best piano trios, and so there is here." Toronto Globe and Mail
Indeed, Hersch has the rare ability to be both “robust and romantic” at the same time. His knack for mining the recesses of any song he plays is becoming legendary; he makes listeners feel as if he’s unlocked a door to the music, giving them entrée to a secret world as he experiences it. In recent years, Hersch has re-fashioned many time-tested classics, interpreting them with keen insight, fresh ideas and extraordinary technique. He’s won numerous awards for this reinvention of the standard jazz repertoire and for his compelling compositions, most recently receiving the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship.
He showcases his tremendous skills as pianist, composer and arranger on his second Palmetto Records release, The Fred Hersch Trio + 2, which continues the evolution of Hersch’s GRAMMY®-nominated trio. Created in 1986, the Trio now includes longtime bassist Drew Gress and the extraordinary drummer Nasheet Waits. This new CD adds two of the hottest young horn players on the New York scene to the mix: trumpeter Ralph Alessi and tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby. Together they join the trio in renditions of nine Hersch originals that show a startling diversity and variety of timbres, moods and compositional approaches. |