Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Fred Hersch Trio: Sunday Night At The Vanguard

Fred Hersch Trio: Sunday Night At The Vanguard

By Mark Corroto
July 18, 2016
View read count

Fred Hersch Trio: Sunday Night At The Vanguard

The thing about a

Fred Hersch

piano
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Fred Hersch Trio recording, is that it's like a family meal at your favorite restaurant. While the kids want to start with dessert first, you may want them to enjoy the appetizers and settle in for a delicious meal before the sweets. With Hersch's trio, the last course is almost always a

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk composition. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

The favorite restaurant here is New York's Village Vanguard, the incomparable club venue. Hersch's piano has been heard there since the 1970s, and beginning in 1996 as a leader and solo performer. It is, perhaps, his trio work that will be his legacy to the jazz pantheon. He has had some impressive trios, including

Marc Johnson

bass
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Marc Johnson &

Joey Baron

drums
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Joey Baron and

Drew Gress

bass
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Drew Gress &

Nasheet Waits

drums
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Nasheet Waits. His current trio of bassist

John Hébert

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">John H��bert and

Eric McPherson

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric McPherson has had an exceptional partnership for the past seven years. They have produced the critically acclaimed Palmetto Records studio albums Whirl (2010) and Floating (2014), and the two disc Alive At the Vanguard (2012).

The natural link for listeners is to

Bill Evans

piano
1929 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans' trio recordings at the Vanguard. But as the Monk music Hersch performs will never be mistaken for that of Thelonious, he will never be characterized as an Evans impersonator. He is Hersch. A combination of fearless determination and sensitive interpretation.

This Sunday evening in March 2016, the trio opened with the Rodgers and Hammerstein song from South Pacific, "A Cockeyed Optimist." Hersch, H��bert, and McPherson make the melody flow with an effortless simplicity that belies the complexity of what they execute. Such virtuosity is a credit to the three-way conversation this trio possesses. McPherson's cymbal work on "Serpentine" is that of a colorist, tinting the background for Hersch and setting up H��bert for his most eloquent solo. Only a special trio could so deftly deal out the time-shifting bebop of "The Optimum Thing," the hesitant blues of "Calligram," and a re-imagining of the Lennon and McCartney tune "For No One," that brings home the meaning of the lyrics.

Before dessert, the highlight of the night might be

Jimmy Rowles

piano
1918 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Rowles classic "The Peacocks." Hersch draws out the melancholy of the song to a greater extent than

Dexter Gordon

saxophone, tenor
1923 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Dexter Gordon did in the film Round Midnight. Like a great vocalist, Hersch magnifies a composition with his approach, parsing the pieces with a tenacious restraint.

The trio finishes with Thelonious' "Wee See." The three play with the time signature, freeing the piece from the obvious Monk references without blemishing the composition. Hersch returns to play a brief solo encore "Valentine," his own invention. The lingering notes give you pause, as when the tables are cleared from your favorite eatery, and you know you've just experienced something special.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

A Cockeyed Optimist; Serpentine; The Optimum Thing; Calligram; Blackwing Palomino; For No One; Everybody��s Song But My Own; The Peacocks; We See; Solo Encore: Valentine.

Personnel

Fred Hersch

piano

Fred Hersch: piano; John H��bert: bass; Eric McPherson: drums.

Album information

Title: Sunday Night at the Vanguard | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Palmetto Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Josh At Midnight
< Previous

Sunday Night At The Vanguard
Next >

Fred Hersch Concerts

Oct 21 Tue

Fred Hersch

Village Vanguard
New York, NY

Oct 21 Tue

Fred Hersch

Village Vanguard
New York, NY

Oct 22 Wed

Fred Hersch

Village Vanguard
New York, NY

Oct 22 Wed

Fred Hersch

Village Vanguard
New York, NY

Oct 23 Thu

Fred Hersch

Village Vanguard
New York, NY

Oct 23 Thu

Fred Hersch

Village Vanguard
New York, NY

Oct 24 Fri

Fred Hersch

Village Vanguard
New York, NY

Oct 24 Fri

Fred Hersch

Village Vanguard
New York, NY

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.