Fred Hersch: “Silent, listening” | Concertist

Jazz Piano on Saturday June 22 at 8:00 p.m. CET presents Fred Hersch.
“When it comes to the art of solo piano in jazz, there are two classes of performers: Fred Hersch and everyone else.” (All about jazz).
Fred Hersch has produced over ten high quality solo albums, recorded live and in the studio and few jazz pianists can match that. ECM Records recently released “Silent, Listening,” an album produced by the legendary Manfred Eicher. The pianist, the instrument, the producer and the acoustics of the RSI Auditorium in Lugano combine to create an intense listening experience. Reread the title, note the comma! Space…
Designer Andreas Kocks is responsible for the cover art, which perfectly matches the musical content.

This program falls under the generic term “jazz”, but a certain number of pieces go well beyond the boundaries of jazz. If you find yourself in the middle of a room with no information, you might think: Schoenberg? Debussy? This does not apply to the standard Slowly, as in the morning sunrise (with comma). Hersch’s inspiration here is Sonny Rollins’ version on his album Live at Vanguard Village. Hersch: “…the gold standard for me.” He starts the melody in unison – concentration! -, then follows with a second contrapuntal voice towards the end.

The album is a mixture of existing compositions and free improvisations. There is no virtuosity or fast tempi. The dynamic evolves between pianississimo and mezzoforte. A familiar texture: the melody of the right hand, the chords of the left hand are rare. The keyboard is used to its full extent, the lower register sometimes also assuming a melodic function. Touch and use of the pedal reveal nuances that we associate with classical pianists.

Hersch: “I still believe in the idea of ​​an album as a complete musical statement from start to finish (…) It’s a perspective that gets lost in an impatient age.”

It is music that should be listened to in a closed and silent space.

Click here for the playlist.

Piano Jazz – a program by Robert Vermeulen