(1955–)
Cincinnati, OH, United States·New England Conservatory
Fred Hersch (b. 1955) — Piano, Synthesizer. Led Evanessence: A Tribute To Bill Evans, Red Square Blue (Jazz Impressions Of Tchaikovsky Rachmaninoff Scriabin Rimsky-Korsakoff Gliere Liadov Mussorgsky), Memento Bittersweet. Worked with Drew Gress, Tom Rainey, John Hebert.
Hersch studied with Jaki Byard at the New England Conservatory and spent his early years in other people's bands - Art Farmer from 1978, then Joe Henderson and Billy Harper. He was also the first pianist to play a week alone at the Village Vanguard. His left hand never quite settles into accompaniment; two lines move as equals. The long run of co-led records with Toots Thielemans and Norma Winstone may not be unrelated to where he started.
Fred Hersch's leader album
By 1979 Fred Hersch had no records under his own name. On Yama that year he turns up as a mid-twenties unknown in the small print of a date led by two established horn players — years before anyone bought a record for his name.
