Fred Hersch Trio + 2

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
When some pianists venture outside the trio mold, they're content with unison heads and the open field of the blowing session. Not so Fred Hersch, who here uses the quintet format for some demanding compositions and highly developed interaction. Adding trumpeter Ralph Alessi and tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby to his usual trio with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Nasheet Waits, Hersch has picked players with strong personalities as well as musical resourcefulness. The resultant chemistry is evident from the opening "A Riddle Song," where there's rapture in the collective improvisation among the horns. It's there, too, in the swinging playfulness of "Down Home," dedicated to Bill Frisell, and the glorious melodic sweep of "A Lark," dedicated to Kenny Wheeler and an apt showcase for Alessi's flugelhorn. The only cover, Lennon-McCartney's "And I Love Her," is another lyrical highlight, with Hersch's understated left hand and horn arrangements creating the illusion of an orchestra. The distinguished Malaby shows rare grit and romance in his solo on the ethereal "Rain Waltz," while "Lee's Dream," a duet for Malaby and Hersch, effectively invokes the fluid invention of Lee Konitz. Trio + 2 is always musically arresting, and often simply beautiful. --Stuart Broomer

Fred Hersch Trio + 2, Music, Fred Hersch, Jazz, Pop, Post-Bop

Average customer rating:

Fred Hersch Trio + 2

Very good stuff

And he's my cousin.

Hersch's strongest playing yet.

Palmetto's on a roll . . .

Fred Hersch Trio + 2
Fred Hersch
Manufacturer: Palmetto Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
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Fred Hersch Trio Plays...

ASIN: B0001IN0SU
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

A Riddle Song
And I Love Her
Miss B.
Black Dog Pays A Visit
A Lark
Down Home
Rain Waltz
Marshall's Plan
Lee's Dream
The Chase

Amazon.com

When some pianists venture outside the trio mold, they're content with unison heads and the open field of the blowing session. Not so Fred Hersch, who here uses the quintet format for some demanding compositions and highly developed interaction. Adding trumpeter Ralph Alessi and tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby to his usual trio with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Nasheet Waits, Hersch has picked players with strong personalities as well as musical resourcefulness. The resultant chemistry is evident from the opening "A Riddle Song," where there's rapture in the collective improvisation among the horns. It's there, too, in the swinging playfulness of "Down Home," dedicated to Bill Frisell, and the glorious melodic sweep of "A Lark," dedicated to Kenny Wheeler and an apt showcase for Alessi's flugelhorn. The only cover, Lennon-McCartney's "And I Love Her," is another lyrical highlight, with Hersch's understated left hand and horn arrangements creating the illusion of an orchestra. The distinguished Malaby shows rare grit and romance in his solo on the ethereal "Rain Waltz," while "Lee's Dream," a duet for Malaby and Hersch, effectively invokes the fluid invention of Lee Konitz. Trio + 2 is always musically arresting, and often simply beautiful. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Fred Hersch Trio + 2.......2005-10-03

Good CD, but not as melodic as I was looking for.

Very good stuff.......2004-07-18

Read very good comment by Troy Collins(below). I just wanted to add two things :
1) sometimes this album makes me think of Bill Evans' Quintessence (with Harold Land on tenor saxophone). Bill Evans was such a looming force as a trio pianist that people tended to overlook his achievements in a quintet context...
2)If you like the version "And I Love Her"(by the Beatles), listen to the very good jazz version by great female singer Shirley Horn : in her 1965 Travelin' Light she sings "And I Love Him". Wonderful.

And he's my cousin........2004-06-23

Some of the best quintet writing i've heard in years.

Hersch's strongest playing yet........2004-06-14

Pianist Fred Hersch is mostly known for his sensitive piano trio work. Duets with guitarist Bill Frisell and numerous albums of standards are the backbone of his available catalog. This album finds the keyboardist expanding his ensemble to a quintet and raising the energy level quite a bit as a result.

Adding tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby and trumpeter Ralph Alessi to the trio raises the stakes on this recording session. Their presence pushes Hersch into a more energetic role and the group benefits. Where other Hersch recordings have seemed tame and perhaps overly safe in comparison, Trio + 2 is a fine example of the sort of swinging straight ahead modern jazz Hersch is capable of. It's the underlying subtlety and nuance that these five musicians have together that establishes this variation on Hersch's basic trio as his strongest and most diverse ensemble yet.

Palmetto's on a roll . . ........2004-03-21

. . . that doesn't look like it's going to stop any time soon. This is the indie jazz label's third great release this year, following the wonderful Don't Explain Mehldau/Frahm duo and the fine David Berkman Quartet release, Start Here, Finish There--and it's only March.

There are many things that distinguish this disc. First is perhaps the near-miracle of getting five such strong musical personalities to mesh so seamlessly. Leader Hersch (piano), Drew Gress (double-bass), and Nasheet Waits (drums)--who seems to be getting around a lot lately--form Hersch's regular trio, and have been playing together for several years now. They are certainly among the first echelon of regularly performing jazz groups on the scene today, and each possesses a unique voice and conceptual approach to his instrument. They're joined here by two very strong--though quite different--musical personalities, Tony Malaby (tenor sax) and Ralph Alessi (trumpet and Flugelhorn). Both Malaby and Alessi regularly participate in some of the edgier new jazz, have a couple of remarkable "out" discs under their belts as leaders, and find themselves at home in a wide range of modern jazz idioms. As far as I know neither has played with the other before (nor with any other of the band members), although you couldn't tell it from their highly sophisticated and very satisfying playing, be it fluid fugal passages, rich ensemble voicings, or masterful solos. Both make a strong impression, with (surprising for me, as I don't generally favor trumpet) Alessi just edging out Malaby on the strength of his solos on "A Riddle Song" and "A Lark" (although Malaby takes a lovely and inspired solo on "Rain Waltz, interestingly utilizing mainly the middle-to-bottom range of his horn).

The songs range quite freely across the modern jazz soundscape, with several of them having interesting formal considerations as part of their musical makeup (according to Hersch, in his liner notes). For example, "Black Dog Pays a Visit," a meditation on depression, is made up entirely of minor chords, and "A Riddle Song" comprises only intervals of perfect fifths. Many also are dedicated to various and sundry musical friends and associates and consequently echo their dedacatees' particular sound or instrumental approach. Among these are "A Lark," dedicated to English trumpeter Kenny Wheeler; "Down Home," in honor of Bill Frisell; "Marshall's Plan," dedicated to another trumpeter, John Marshall (oddly a piano trio-only number--and they really cook!); "Lee's Dream," a duo with Malaby inspired by the great Lee Konitz; and "The Chase," for the fine alto sax player, Allan Chase. This "tribute" approach makes for quite a variety of musical endeavor, which becomes an attractive showcase both for Hersch's writing talents and the band's dexterity.

They way the leader has conceptualized this disc results in continually interesting, sometimes mesmerizing, and typically quite lovely music. I applaud Hersch for taking the risk to augment his already very accomplished and successful trio with the high-powered horn duo of Malaby and Alessi. And I applaud eveyone involved for putting aside egos and coming together to produce music of the very highest accomplishment.

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