Fred Hersch - ETC (Red, 1988)

This post is by Dan

Fred Hersch (p); Steve LaSpina (b); Jeff Hirschfield (d)

Recorded May 19, 1988

Born in 1955, Fred Hersch emerged onto the jazz scene in the late 1970s, not the most benevolent of times for a budding pianist. He established his reputation through steady work with the likes of Art Farmer, Joe Henderson, Billy Harper, and Jane Ira Bloom. His most obvious influence is Bill Evans, which should come as no surprise given Evans' pervasive influence on almost every pianist to emerge in his wake.

Hersch's early work does not prepare one for the impact of ETC, his third trio recording. His previous trio records, Sarabande with Charlie Haden and Joey Baron, and Horizons with Marc Johnson and Baron, struck me as "pretty" but not very substantial outings despite the first-class sidemen. By contrast, ETC exudes a much fresher and distinctive approach to a set of standards and jazz classics. Gone are the flirtations with French impressionism and gone are the original compositions, although both would surface in Hersch's numerous later recordings.

ETC offers an exceptional set of interpretations in which Hersch adopts Evans' more aggressive style displayed on up-tempo tunes. While most Evans disciples emphasize the ballads, Hersch adopts the chording and touch so important to playing fast while preserving the elegance of phrasing associated with Evans. Only on "Every Time We Say Goodbye" does the balladry surface on ETC. Everything else is delightfully adventurous and original in conception.

Key tracks illustrate Hersch's approach. "All Blues" by Miles Davis is given a whole new treatment in the absence of horns or vocals. It actually brings out the body of the tune, which is normally heard as merely a modal exercise. "Black Nile" by Wayner Shorter is also given a fresh coat of paint- peppier than the original. 

Production credit for the album is designated as "ETC," suggesting that bassist Steve La Spina and drummer Jeff Hirschfield contributed along with Hersch. It's consistent with Red Records' "hands off" approach to letting the musicians play what they want. This approach works to perfection here, as it did on Bobby Watson's Love Remains album, reviewed earlier.

Both CD and LP were issued at the same time. The CD contains two additional tracks that fit perfectly with the rest of the program. I've not heard the vinyl.

Nowadays, Hersch is regarded as a senior master of piano jazz with extensive recording and performance opportunities. His discography is enormous, with close to 200 performance credits to his name, according to Discogs. ETC gives us a portrait of the 33-year-old Hersch in a formative period of his long and successful career.