Fred Hersch's Songs From Home

My latest Vinyl Anachronist music review is now live at Part-Time Audiophile. You can read it here. And now, a tough decsion to make. Over the last couple of years I've been using my blog as a mere reference to my main work, which is at Part-Time Audiophile. (There's also my original Vinyl Anachronist columns which appear every other month at Perfect Sound Forever.) While the archives are still active on this blog, viewership of these referral posts have dwindled to the point where it's not really worth it. I have to streamline my responsibilities a bit. So here's the thing. The Vinyl Anachronist blog will remain online for however long it can stay. New content, however, will not be added--unless, of course, things change, and then I'll be right back here. So please visit Part-Time Audiophile and Perfect Sound Forever and keep track of me there. Thanks!!!

Brian Landrus' For Now

My latest Vinyl Anachronist music review is now live at Part-Time Audiophile. You can read it here.

Fred Hersch and the WDR Big Band's Begin Again

My latest Vinyl Anachronist music review, of Fred Hersch's Begin Again, is now live at Part-Time Audiophile. You can read it here.

Fred Hersch Trio '97 @ The Village Vanguard

It seems like 2018 was the "Year of Re-discovering Fred Hersch." I reviewed two of his albums during the year including the superb Live in Europe for Positive Feedback. As I've mentioned before, pianist Fred Hersch was someone I discovered back in the '90s--he and his trio were treasured by the audiophile crowd. I bought a couple of his CDs from that period and then promptly forgot about him for many years. Despite some health issues over the years, Hersch has steadily recorded, and I just haven't been an ideal fan. So it's a pleasant surprise that 2019 is starting out with yet another classic live album.

Fred Hersch Trio '97 @ The Village Vanguard is special for a number of reasons. First of all, Hersch was well-known for his association with the Village Vanguard, and his performances there helped to establish him as a modern jazz master. His first performance dates back to 1979, when he was working under bandleaders Joe Henderson, Art Farmer, Lee Konitz and Ron Carter. This recording from 1997 is also Hersch's first at the Village Vanguard--as a bandleader. They played three Friday night sets, and all were recorded "for posterity." 21 years later, Hersch went back and chose his favorite moments from those shows which are included here.

In '97, the Fred Hersch Trio included Drew Gress on bass and Tom Rainey on drums. By this time the trio had been playing together for about five years, but they had never been recorded live. That's another reason why this recording is special--all others were captured in the studio. While five years really isn't that long to be together--look at the Modern Jazz Quartet--these performances are electric, filled with an energy that comes from knowing everyone else on stage is at least as good as you are. Hersch, in particular, has such a unique style full on unexpected twists, but those same risks always pay off when the other two jump in and underline what he has done.

It's not the first jazz trio to hum along like this, and it won't be the last, but if you need a textbook example of three young cats making their mark on the world you can start here. It also helps that it's a Fred Hersch album, which means it's going to have spectacular sound quality. Hersch knows his audience, and it isn't just typical audiophiles. Hersch's performances approach the legendary, and no one sounds like he does. Plus you have the Village Vanguard, which is a pretty good place to capture a live performance. If you're one of those jazz fans who think Fred Hersch at the top of his field, and I do, then hearing the performances that helped to create the legend should be mandatory.

Kate Reid's The Heart Already Knows

Julie London is the woman!

That doesn't quite sound right--it's not the same thing as saying that some guy you know is the MAN! I'm just trying to express my pleasure that Julie London, one of my very favorite female jazz singers, has become sort of a model for other contemporary singers over the last couple of years. When you dig into Julie's wonderful (and wonderfully well-recorded) catalog, you'll slowly remove the layers of the proverbial onion and realize there's so much to discover in a style that, for the most part, seems simple and straightforward. Sure, she was sultry and sexy and evocative, but she also had a sort of innocence about her that isn't discussed that much. When I listen to today's jazz singers try to channel her spirit, they often miss that subtle paradox.

Once again I've noticed that my review pile is full of recordings of female jazz singers. There was a time not so long ago when I'd be complaining about that, but this year's crop of "female vocals for audiophiles" is ripening into quite a stellar harvest. Kate Reid, who hails from the Great Lakes region, stands out from this current crowd because she's adopting London's minimalist presentation, one that keeps everything quiet and direct. That's smart, because Reid's alluring alto has plenty of nuances that shouldn't be hidden by an over-produced release. Her style is close enough to London's that you'll admire her taste in music--her new album, The Heart Already Knows, is a mix of standards and pop tunes--but she's doing so much more than paying homage to a legend. (This isn't even a tribute since these songs are not known as London songs, but there are many similarities in the approach.)

I should stop with the endless comparisons, since that isn't quite fair to the very talented Reid. It is fair to say that she affects me in the same way as London, which is basically wow, I love listening to this person sing these words in such an interesting and heartfelt manner. Reid's complex set of vocal inflections are the mark of someone who knows a classically-trained voice can't always convey a wealth of life experiences--either good or bad. That's why the skilled musicians who share the stage with Reid are so reticent. They're standing out of the way, letting you soak up that big, warm voice. In most cases she's accompanied by little more than a piano or a guitar, albeit from all-stars such as Paul Meyers, Larry Koonse and yes, the great Fred Hersch. It's interesting that Reid is also known as a talented pianist, but she chooses focus everything on her splendid vocal interpretations.

The Heart Already Knows, if you haven't figured it out yet, is a singer's album, one where most of your attention is continually drawn toward the woman in the black dress at the front of the stage. I suspect that accounted for so much of Julie London's charm, that she mastered the art of commanding attention from the audience. Inside that charm is that innocence I mentioned, and that makes this singer even more intriguing. Listening to Kate Reid gives me the identical impression of a singular spotlight, one that captures the essence in each syllable. Highly recommended.