Fred Hersh Trio- Night And Music

Few piano trios in jazz can match the subtle interaction of Fred Hersch's group with long-time bassist Drew Gress and drummer Nasheet Waits. It's the ideal context for Hersch's free-flowing invention and welling, impassioned lyricism, with Gress adding an empathetic counter-line or Waits a quiet explosion of snare and cymbal that will feed or celebrate Hersch’s line of thought. While Hersch is frequently compared to the late Bill Evans, he's sublimated the influence to craft a distinctly personal style, apparent here on the luminous depths of "How Deep Is the Ocean" or the sparkling runs of his own "Rhythm Spirit." Whatever the tempo, each piece develops interactive layers of meaning with a feeling that's almost like dance. Hersch has also found a distinctly original approach to Thelonious Monk, reinventing "Boo Boo's Birthday" and "Misterioso" in ways that reflect Monk’s genius while finding new possibilities in familiar tunes. --Stuart Broomer