Fred Hersch - Solo (2015)

As an improviser of unsurpassed lyricism and technique Fred Hersch is at his most intimate and revealing in a solo setting. With 'Solo', the pianist kicks off a creatively fecund yearlong celebration of his 60th birthday with a definitive statement of his solo artistry.

In many ways, 'Solo' distills the essence of Hersch's pianistic expression. Recorded in a jewel-like Catskills church at the 2014 Windham Chamber Music Festival, the set evolves with a compelling internal emotional logic all its own, flowing through Hersch's familiar solo touchstones (Jobim, Ellingtonia, Monk, originals) that turn into vessels for his supremely graceful invention. His 10th solo recording, 'Solo' joins an illustrious collection of albums that started with his riveting 1994 addition to Concord Jazz's Live at Maybeck series.

"A master who plays it his way." - The New York Times

"Specializes in high lyricism and high danger." - The New Yorker