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 written and recorded more than 75 original compositions.
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."the third stream" (January 20, 1977) Bay State Banner, Boston On graduation, he became a jazz piano instructor at the college."Jazzman on Classic Path To Wider Audience: Pianist Fred Hersch" (July 9, 1989) San Francisco Chronicle p. 42
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 Hersch took up, which essentially launched his career.
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."Going Out Guide" (June 30, 1980) The New York Times p. C.17 The next year, his trio played for singer Chris Connor, who was making a comeback after completing a recovery program for alcoholism."Chris Connor's Comeback" (January 16, 1981) The New York Times p. C1 Hersch also played at the Kool Jazz Festival that year,"10th Jazz Festival Goes Singing and Drumming In" (June 26, 1981) The New York Times p. C1 and with Joe Henderson in the New Jazz at the Public series."Joe Henderson in Sextet In Jazz at Public Series" (November 1, 1981) The New York Times p. A70
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.""Jazz Fred Hersch, Pianist" (March 26, 1983) The New York Times p. 1.19
In 1983–84, Hersch played many sessions with Jane Ira Bloom in several venues, and with whom he recorded the album, Mighty Lights."The Pop Life" (April 13, 1983) The New York Times"Jane Ira Bloom Plays in Fast Company" (April 15, 1983) Philadelphia Daily News"Here and There" (January 20, 1984) Philadelphia Daily News p. 43 In 1985, he played with the Jamie Baum Quartet."Regattabar to Launch 7-Nights-a-Week Jazz" (March 1, 1985) The Boston Globe
In 1986, he played with Toots Thielemans at the Great Woods jazz festival."Thielemans Whistles for Fun, Profit" (July 11, 1986) The Boston Globe He played with him in several sessions the following year,"AROUND TOWN Bridging the Seasons" (September 9, 1987) Newsday p.14Leonard Feather (September 21, 1987) "JAZZ REVIEWS THIELEMANS ON TOP", Los Angeles Times p. 5 and again in 1987, receiving special attention for his solos."Toots Thielemans Plays a Hot Jazz Harmonica" (February 5, 1987) The Boston Globe In 1986, he taught at Berklee College of Music."Schools Offer the Mechanical While Fostering the Spiritual" (July 13, 1986) Chicago Tribune p.8
He was the pianist for the Eddie Daniels quartet in 1987 and appeared on his album, To Bird with Love."Critic's Choice: Jazz" (May 17, 1987) The New York Times
In 1988, Hersch played in Somerville, Massachusetts with his quintet at the Ball Square. The Boston Globe described him as "an elegant, highly melodic player.""Fred Hersh Quintet at Willow Jazz Club" (September 16, 1988) The Boston Globe
In 1989, Hersch played with Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer and they recorded together in a studio set up in his home."A Solo Detour On this route, Manhattan Transfer's Janis Siegel's only harmony is with a piano" (June 4, 1989) Newsday 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,Fred Hersch (2005) Fred Hersch in Amsterdam : Live at the Bimhuis, Palmetto Records () and released his eighth solo disc, Fred Hersch Plays Jobim, in 2009.Fred Hersch (2009) Fred Hersch Plays Jobim, Sunnyside Communications ()
In 2024, Hersch played with Drew Gress and Joey Baron at the Teatro Mario Del Monaco, in Treviso, in North East of Italy. The concert was part of the festival Treviso Suona Jazz Festival.
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.Dariusz Terefenko (2012) "JAZZ PIANO", Notes ( New England Conservatory Notes) Vol. 68, No. 3
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."Songs of Whitman; Jazz pianist Fred Hersch crowns a lifetime of achievement with Leaves of Grass" (April 1, 2003) The Advocate Vol. 886, p. 50
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.
| 1984-09 | JMT Records | 1985 | Duo with Jane Ira Bloom. live. | |
| 1984-10 | Concord Jazz | 1985 | Trio with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron | |
| 1986-12 | Sunnyside | 1987 | Trio with Charlie Haden and Joey Baron | |
| 1988-05 | Red Records | 1990 | Trio E.T.C. with Steve LaSpina and Jeff Hirshfield | |
| 1989-12 | Sunnyside | 1990 | Trio with Michael Formanek and Jeff Hirshfield | |
| 1989? | EMI Angel | 1989 | Trio with Steve LaSpina, Joey Baron and guests: James Newton, Kevin Eubanks, Toots Thielemans, Eddie Daniels | |
| 1989? | Atlantic Records | 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 | |
| 1990-08 | Evidence Music | 1991 | Trio with Michael Formanek or Marc Johnson, Jeff Hirshfield and guests: Gary Burton, Toots Thielemans | |
| 1991-03 | Red Records | 1993 | Quartet, trio E.T.C. with Steve LaSpina and Jeff Hirshfield plus Jerry Bergonzi (tenor saxophone). live. | |
| 1991-07 | Chesky Records | 1991 | with The Fred Hersch Group featuring Rich Perry (tenor sax), Erik Friedlander (cello), Scott Colley (bass) and Tom Rainey (drums) | |
| 1992-09, 1992-10 | EMI Angel | 1993 | Trio with Steve LaSpina, Jeff Hirshfield and guests: James Newton, Toots Thielemans, Phil Woods, Erik Friedlander | |
| 1992-12 | Chesky | 1993 | Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey; Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group | |
| 1993-07 | Concerto Pour Harmonica | TCB | 1994 | with Toots Thielemans, Christian Gavillet, Big Band de Lausanne, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Roby Seidel |
| 1993-10 | Concord Jazz | 1994 | Solo piano, in concert | |
| 1994-02 | Chesky | 1994 | Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey | |
| 1994-05 | Sunnyside | 1995 | Duo with Jay Clayton (vocals) | |
| 1994-09 | Varèse Sarabande | 1996 | Solo piano; Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group | |
| 1995-03 | Enja | 1995 | Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey, and quintet adding Dave Douglas (trumpet), Rich Perry (tenor saxophone) on half of the tracks | |
| 1995? | Varèse Sarabande | 1995 | Duo with Janis Siegel, and quartet with Tony Dumas and Ralph Penland added | |
| 1995-06 | GM | 1997 | Trio Thirteen Ways with Michael Moore and Gerry Hemingway | |
| 1995-06, 1995-08 | Nonesuch Records | 1996 | Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey plus string orchestra conducted by Eric Stern; one track is a duo with Nurit Tilles (piano); Andy Bey (vocals) added for one track | |
| 1996-01 | Nonesuch | 1996 | Solo piano | |
| 1997-02 | Nonesuch | 1998 | Solo piano | |
| 1997-07 | Palmetto Records | 2018 | Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey in concert | |
| 1997-07 | Classical Action | 1997 | Duos with Gary Burton, Joe Lovano, Diana Krall, Tommy Flanagan, Andy Bey, Tom Rainey, Lee Konitz, Jim Hall, Drew Gress, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, Janis Siegel | |
| 1998? | Nonesuch | 1998 | Duo with Bill Frisell (guitar) | |
| 1998-10 | Let Yourself Go: Live at Jordan Hall | Nonesuch | 1999 | Solo piano, in concert |
| 1999? | Palmetto | 1999 | Trio Thirteen Ways with Michael Moore and Gerry Hemingway | |
| 1999-10 | Village Life | 2000 | Quartet with Norma Winstone (vocals), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet) and Paul Clarvis (percussion) | |
| 2001 | Nonesuch | 2001 | Solo, with few duo, trio and quintet tracks. 3CD Vol. 1 with originals, 2nd with standards and 3rd tributed to Cole Porter. | |
| 2002-05 | Palmetto | 2002 | Trio with Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits in concert | |
| 2002-07 | Sunnyside | 2003 | Duo with Norma Winstone; three tracks with Gary Burton added | |
| 2003-05 | Palmetto | 2005 | Solo piano, in concert; Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition for "Valentine" | |
| 2003-09 | Palmetto | 2004 | Quintet with Drew Gress, Nasheet Waits plus Ralph Alessi (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Tony Malaby (tenor sax) | |
| 2003-10 | This We Know | Palmetto | 2008 | Duo with Michael Moore |
| 2003? | Sensory Resources | 2003 | Solo piano | |
| 2004-10 | Maxjazz | 2006 | Duo with Nancy King; Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album | |
| 2005? | Palmetto | 2005 | Octet with four horns featuring vocalists Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry; lyrics by Walt Whitman | |
| 2006-12 | Palmetto | 2007 | Trio with Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits | |
| 2007-06 | Naxos Records | 2007 | Solo, duo and trio interpretations of compositions by Hersch with pianists Natasha Paremski, Blair McMillen, the Gramercy Trio, and Hersch himself with cellist Dorothy Lawson on one track | |
| 2009? | Sunnyside | 2009 | with the Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra featuring Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Richie Barshay (percussion) and Jo Lawry (vocals) | |
| 2009? | Sunnyside | 2009 | Solo piano | |
| 2010-01 | Palmetto | 2010 | Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson | |
| 2010-05 | Everybody's Song but My Own | Venus Records | 2011 | Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson |
| 2010-11, 2010-12 | Palmetto | 2011 | Solo piano; Grammy Award nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Work"; DownBeat named it one of the Best CDs of 2012 | |
| 2012? | Bee Jazz | 2012 | Duo with Nico Gori | |
| 2012 | Palmetto | 2012 | Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson. 2CD | |
| 2012? | Two Hands/Ten Voices | Broadway Cares | 2012 | Duos with Karrin Allyson, Judy Blazer, Ann Hampton Callaway, Kate McGarry, Jessica Molaskey, Jane Monheit, Janis Siegel, Carol Sloane, Luciana Souza, Norma Winstone |
| 2012-05 | Fun House | Songlines | 2013 | with Benoît Delbecq and Fred Hersch Double Trio |
| 2011-06, 2012-05 | CAM Jazz | 2013 | Duo with Ralph Alessi | |
| 2013-02 | Palmetto | 2013 | Duo with Julian Lage (guitar), in concert; Grammy Award nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Song Without Words #4: Duet" | |
| 2014? | Palmetto | 2014 | Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson; Two Grammy Award nominees for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "You and the Night and the Music" | |
| 2014-08 | Palmetto | 2015 | Solo piano, in concert "Windham Chamber Music Festivals 2014" | |
| 2016-03 | Sunday Night at the Vanguard | Palmetto | 2016 | Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson; Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "We See" |
| 2016-03 | Palmetto | 2017 | Solo piano | |
| 2016-06 | Live in Healdsburg | Anzic | 2018 | Duo with Anat Cohen, in concert "Healdsburg Jazz Festival" |
| 2017-11 | Palmetto | 2018 | Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson; Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "We See" (again) | |
| 2018-10 | Alive at the Village Vanguard | Palmetto | 2023 | Duo with Esperanza Spalding |
| 2019? | Begin Again | Palmetto | 2019 | with WDR Big Band, arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza |
| 2020-08 | Palmetto | 2020 | Solo piano | |
| 2021-08 | Breath By Breath | Palmetto | 2022 | with Crosby Street String Quartet, Drew Gress, and Jochen Rückert |
| 2021-11 | The Song Is You | ECM Records | 2022-09 | Duo with Enrico Rava |
| 2023-04 | Silent, Listening | ECM | 2024-05 | Solo piano |
| 2024-05 | The Surrounding Green | ECM | 2025-06 | Trio with Drew Gress and Joey Baron |
| with Joe Henderson | ||||
| Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group | ||||
| with Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell | ||||
| with The London Philharmonia; Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist | ||||
| Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group | ||||
| with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron | ||||
| 1987 | Jimmy McGary | Palindrome | Mopro | with Michael Moore and Joey Baron |
| 1988 | Meredith D'Ambrosio | The Cove | Sunnyside | |
| 1988 | Lee Konitz | Round & Round | Musicmasters | |
| 1988 | Jon Metzger | Into The Light | V.S.O.P. Records | |
| 1989 | Michael Bocian | Go Groove | GM Recordings | |
| 1990 | Johnny Mathis | Columbia Records | Grammy Nominee for Best Traditional Pop Performance | |
| 1990 | Judy Niemack | Long As You're Living | Freelance Records | |
| 1992 | Suitcase | |||
| 1992 | Ramboy | |||
| 1992 | Harumi Kaneko | Philips Records | ||
| 1993 | The Matt Kendrick Unit | Composite | Ichiban Records | |
| 1993 | Garrison Fewell | A Blue Deeper Than The Blue | Accurate Records | |
| featured with an original composition accompanying baritone William Sharp | ||||
| 1994 | Various artists | Memento Bittersweet | Catalyst | featured on "Tango Bittersweet" |
| 1994 | Michael Moore | Chicotoumi | Ramboy | |
| 1994 | Byron Olson | Sketches of Coltrane | Angel Records | featured on tracks 6-11 |
| 1994 | Various artists | Last Night When We Were Young: The Ballad Album | Classical Action | featured on tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13 |
| 1995 | Royce Campbell With Strings | Waltz for Debby | Paddle Wheel | |
| 1995 | Paul Sundfor | Nascency | Nine Winds Records | |
| recorded on September 25, 1981 | ||||
| 1995 | Dick Sisto | American Love Song | Jazzen Records | |
| featured on three tracks | ||||
| 1996 | The Rich Perry Quartet | What is This? | SteepleChase | |
| 1996 | Bonnie Lowdermilk | This Heart Of Mine | AxolOtl Jazz | with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey |
| 1996 | Michael Callen | Legacy | Significant Other Records | featured on three tracks |
| 1997 | Dominique Eade | When The Wind Was Cool | RCA Victor | featured on tracks 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11 |
| with John Scofield, John Patitucci and Peter Erskine | ||||
| featured on two tracks | ||||
| 1997 | Various artists | September Songs: The Music Of Kurt Weill | featured on "Speak Low" | |
| 1998 | Michael Moore Trio | Bering | Ramboy | |
| 1998 | Kelley Johnson | Make Someone Happy | Pipe DreamChartmaker | featured on tracks 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13 |
| 1998 | Steve LaSpina | Distant Dream | Stepplechase | |
| 1999 | Barbara Sfraga | Oh, What A Thrill | Naxos Jazz | featured on tracks 3, 8, 12 |
| featured on four tracks | ||||
| recorded 1986 | ||||
| 1999 | Janis Siegel | The Tender Trap | Monarch Records | |
| 2000 | Mary Pearson | You And I | Arkadia Jazz | |
| featured on tracks 2, 3, 8 | ||||
| 2001 | Various artists | The Richard Rodgers Centennial Jazz Piano Album | Broadway Cares | featured on tracks 5, 6 |
| featured on one track | ||||
| featured on tracks 4, 5; Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Album | ||||
| 2003 | Andrew Sterman | Blue Canvas with Spiral | Breath River Music | |
| with Bill Frisell | ||||
| 2005 | Kate McGarry | Mercy Streets | Palmetto Records | featured on tracks 6, 9 |
| 2006 | Audra McDonald | Build A Bridge | Nonesuch Records | featured on track 6 |
| with Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen and Yuval Cohen | ||||
| 2014 | Jill Sobule | C harms | Pink Records | featured on "Lonely Eighty-Eight" |
| 2014 | Amy London | Bridges | FiveCut Recordings | featured on tracks 1-8 |
| 2014 | Scott Morgan | Songs Of life | Miranda Music | |
| 2018 | Lorraine Feather | Math Camp | Relarion Inc. | featured on tracks 2, 3, 5, 9 |
| 2019 | Adrian Cunningham | Adrian Cunningham & His Friends Play Lerner & Loewe | Arbors Records | |
| 2020 | Brian Landrus | For Now | BlueLand Records | |
| 2020 | Will Vinson | Four Forty One | Whirlwind Recordings | featured on "Work" |
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