Hersch
2017 Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Fred Hersch brought his trio to the Logan Center last night. For me, the standout was drummer Eric McPherson, who was the master of the subtlety, as exemplified by his use of brushes and the gentle tap here and there. Bassist John Hebert was not far behind. These three have played together for many years, which is obvious as they work their way through tunes by Hersch (Serpentine, and Leaves of Grass), Rodgers and Hammerstein (A Cockeyed Optimist), Wayne Shorter (Black Nile), Jimmy Rowles (The Peacocks), and Lennon-McCartney (For No One off Revolver). My favorite was a song entitled "Skipping," which seemed to be more about a vinyl album skipping rather than skipping rope. The trio closed with a Thelonious Monk composition, as they always do. Tonight it was We See.
One cannot help but marvel at the technical skill on display, but for my taste, the effort was a little bit mannered. Hersch came back for a brief solo encore, which I could have done without. Somebody should give Hersch a couple of blues piano albums.
Despite my reservations tonight, the Logan Center continues to deliver top quality jazz as part of its series and in one-off events.
