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Fred Hersch
Fred Hersch And The Art Of Introspection
Frank Stewart/Jazz At Lincoln Center

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Fred Hersch And The Art Of Introspection

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

We join the pianist at his loft in SoHo to talk about his upbringing in Cincinnati, late-night gigs in New York, his recovery from a coma in 2008, and his adaptation of Walt Whitman's poetry.

Fred Hersch And The Art Of Introspection

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Fred Hersch Floats On, With A Dynamic Trio In Tow

Jazz pianist Fred Hersch released his latest album, a trio recording called Floating, in July. Vincent Soyez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Vincent Soyez/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

Fred Hersch Floats On, With A Dynamic Trio In Tow

The jazz pianist recovered from a coma in 2008 and was back on stage the next year. He hasn't slowed down since, and this month brings his latest album, a trio recording called Floating.

Fred Hersch Floats On, With A Dynamic Trio In Tow

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Fred Hersch Knows His Trios

Fred Hersch. Vincent Soyez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Vincent Soyez/Courtesy of the artist

Music

Fred Hersch Knows His Trios

Fresh Air

Fred Hersch pulls together jazz piano traditions that have little in common. Kevin Whitehead says the classic piano, bass and drums trio format suits Hersch best of all in a review of Floating.

Fred Hersch Knows His Trios

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Fred Hersch Trio: Live At The Village Vanguard

Fred Hersch. Steve J. Sherman hide caption

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Steve J. Sherman

Live At The Village Vanguard

Fred Hersch Trio: Live At The Village Vanguard

WBGO

A prolific, conceptually ambitious musician, the pianist spent more than two months of 2008 comatose in the hospital. Thankfully, he's made a full recovery. He proved it with his trio live on stage.

Fred Hersch Trio in Concert at the Village Vanguard - 07/22/2009

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Music Articles

Fred Hersch: Back On Stage By No Small Miracle

The last year and a half hasn't been easy for Fred Hersch: The award-winning jazz pianist and composer spent months in a coma and almost died. But he has a new album out — Live at the Jazz Standard — and he's performing again at New York's famed Village Vanguard.

Fred Hersch: Back On Stage By No Small Miracle

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Review

Music Articles

'Live' With The Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra

Fresh Air

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album from the prolific composer and pianist Fred Hersch. It's called Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra, Live at the Jazz Standard.

'Live' With The Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra

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Concerts

Fred Hersch Interprets 'Leaves of Grass'

Pianist and composer Fred Hersch has created his own jazz-infused arrangement of texts from Walt Whitman's exultant poem Leaves of Grass. We take you to Zankel Hall for the New York premiere.

Fred Hersch in concert on Creators at Carnegie - 05/21/2005

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Music Articles

Pianist, Composer Fred Hersch: 'Leaves of Grass'

Fresh Air

In his 30-year career, musician Fred Hersch has performed in solo, duo, trio and quintet settings. In 2003 he received the prestigious Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, which he used to work on his latest project, Leaves of Grass. For it, Hersch leads a 10-piece ensemble, which includes vocalists singing the words of Walt Whitman set to compositions by Hersch. He is touring the ensemble this month.

Pianist, Composer Fred Hersch: 'Leaves of Grass'

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Music Articles

Fred Hersch, Setting Whitman to Music

Acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch has more than 20 recordings and two Grammy nominations to his credit. Over the last three decades, Hersch says he's drawn much inspiration from the works of poet Walt Whitman. It's the latest story in Intersections, a series on artists and their inspirations. Jeff Lunden reports.

Fred Hersch, Setting Whitman to Music

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Lara Downes' New Viewpoints On Old Variations

Lara Downes plays contemporary takes on Bach's iconic Goldberg Variations in NPR's studio 4A. Doriane Raiman/NPR hide caption

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Doriane Raiman/NPR

Deceptive Cadence

Lara Downes' New Viewpoints On Old Variations

The pianist performs contemporary takes on Bach's Goldberg Variations in the NPR studio

Lara Downes' New Viewpoints On Old Variations

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After Emerging From Coma, Fred Hersch Plays Again

Fred Hersch. Luciana Pampalone hide caption

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Luciana Pampalone

Music Interviews

After Emerging From Coma, Fred Hersch Plays Again

Fresh Air

In 2008, jazz pianist Fred Hersch slipped into an AIDS-related coma for more than two months. When he came out of the coma, he couldn't walk, eat or play piano. Hersch explains how he rebuilt himself after his illness and composed music for his latest album, Whirl.

After Emerging From Coma, Fred Hersch Plays Again

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After Emerging From Coma, Fred Hersch Plays Again

Fred Hersch. Luciana Pampalone hide caption

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Luciana Pampalone

Music Interviews

After Emerging From Coma, Fred Hersch Plays Again

Fresh Air

In 2008, jazz pianist Fred Hersch slipped into an AIDS-related coma for more than two months. When he came out of the coma, he couldn't walk, eat or play piano. Hersch explains how he rebuilt himself after his illness and composed music for his latest album, Whirl.

After Emerging From Coma, Fred Hersch Plays Again

Listen · 18:20
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