Fred Hersch
©Photography / Mark Niskanen
piano
USA
American virtuoso jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch spent the first part of his career as a sideman for such luminaries as Joe Henderson, Art Farmer, Toots Thielemans, Leni Andrade and Judy Niemack.
Then, roughly coinciding with his coming out as the first openly gay, HIV-positive jazz musician, he concentrated more on his projects as a leader of his own trios, as well as performing solo, duos with selected artists, and as a soloist with classical orchestras.
He has been proclaimed “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade” by Vanity Fair, “an elegant force of musical invention” by The L.A. Times, and “a living legend” by The New Yorker.
Hersch’s influence has been widely felt on a new generation of jazz pianists, from former students Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson to his colleague Jason Moran, who has said, “Fred at the piano is like LeBron James on the basketball court. He’s perfection.”
Artist on GAM Records
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Guitarist Jeanfrançois Prins has once again created a rich, multi-textured musical tapestry with a collection of grooving jazz standards, originals, and fusion tunes. The interaction between Prins and his band, each a world-renowned player in his own right, shows the intense listening and mutual inspiration felt by all.