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Fred Hersch on Tour
Among the short list of living jazz legends, pianist, composer, educator, and activist Fred Hersch is a near mythical figure of prodigious talents. Virtuosic in his interpretation of jazz standards, and prolific in his approach to original composition, Hersch began playing piano at the age of 4 and composed his very first original arrangements by the time he was 8. Now a mainstay of the classical jazz scene for more than three decades, Hersch is hitting the road with Esperanza Spalding and Crosby Street String Quartet, performing original music from 2022's Breath by Breath, among other compositions, live on tour in 2023. Fans can expect to be astonished by Hersch's utter mastery of jazz piano forms, and regaled by the revelatory creativity of his original compositions. Hersch's performances draw from his immense body of work -- a catalog that has amassed the prestige of multiple Grammy nominations, the Doris Duke Artist Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003. As an educator, Hersch has had a hand in shaping the careers of accomplished, contemporary pianists like Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson. In the role of pianist, Hersch has been compared to jazz legends like Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson. As a composer, Hersch contributes a style that is intricate yet intuitive, accessible yet all his own. Throughout his long and storied career, Hersch, one of the first jazz musicians to come out as both gay and HIV positive, has used his celebrity to bring awareness to gay rights issues and HIV/AIDS research.
Fred Hersch Live in Concert
Fred Hersch began composing and performing on the piano at a very young age, winning his first national competition at 10 years old. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hersch moved to Iowa to study jazz piano at Grinnell College. His tenure at Grinnell was short-lived, however, as Hersch would drop out of school in favor of playing in jazz clubs in Cincinnati and throughout Ohio. Eventually, Hersch found his way back into academia as a student at the New England Conservatory under Jaki Byard, where he would eventually graduate with honors in 1977 and go on to teach jazz piano as an instructor in the 1980s. Hersch moved to New York City in the years between graduation and professorship to cut his teeth as an accompanying pianist in the city's legendary jazz clubs and music halls. This approach paid off, leading to Hersch's first recording credits, playing on albums by Art Farmer and Billy Harper. Back at the New England Conservatory, through the 1980s, Hersch spent his free time playing sideman to legendary artists like Chris Conner and Joe Henderson, while composing and recording personal projects like the 1986 album Sarabande with bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Joey Baron. The '90s were a windfall decade for Hersch. He recorded 20 albums of original and standard jazz arrangements during that time. In 2003, Hersch was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship, with which he composed Leaves of Grass, a Walt Whitman-inspired, eight-piece conceptual project. In 2022, Hersch recorded Breath by Breath with Crosby Street String Quartet, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Jochen Rueckert, and The Song is You with trumpeter Enrico Rava.
Fred Hersch FAQ
Who is Fred Hersch and what is his background?
Fred Hersch is a jazz pianist, composer, educator, and activist who began playing piano at the age of 4 and composed his first original arrangements by the time he was 8. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to Iowa to study jazz piano at Grinnell College. He dropped out of school and began playing in jazz clubs in Cincinnati and throughout Ohio before eventually returning to academia as a student at the New England Conservatory.
Who is Fred Hersch touring with in 2023 and what music will they perform?
Fred Hersch is hitting the road with Esperanza Spalding and Crosby Street String Quartet, performing original music from 2022's Breath by Breath, among other compositions, live on tour in 2023.
What can fans expect from Fred Hersch's performances?
Fans can expect to be astonished by Hersch's utter mastery of jazz piano forms and regaled by the revelatory creativity of his original compositions.
Who are some of the contemporary pianists that Fred Hersch has influenced?
Fred Hersch has had a hand in shaping the careers of accomplished, contemporary pianists like Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson.
What is the Leaves of Grass project?
Leaves of Grass is a Walt Whitman-inspired, eight-piece conceptual project that Fred Hersch composed with the Guggenheim Fellowship he was granted in 2003.
Like a woman possessed, Esperanza stole the show, unleashing a wave of awesomeness on her audience. Despite an apparent cold, she never missed a note, never stopped smiling, and never stopped amazing the audience. Fred was fantastic too and the duo are not to be missed.
I thought Fred's playing was a work of art! Pure Genius! And Esperanza Spalding!!!!!!!! What can I say. She is a gift from God! I truly enjoyed myself.
Fred Hersch is a fine musician. For me this was an opportunity to hear Esperanza Spalding live. Her choice to perform a list of songs that were underwhelming was very poor. She has such a powerful and gorgeous voice. Just the encore song was satisfying, barely.
