Credits:

Fred Hersch

Description:

Recorded in 1989, Fred Hirsch's first working band! The original 11 songs by Shorter, Monk, and Ornette are the best of the world, with the inevitable spontaneity and contemporary relevance that comes from working with members of the same generation! Fred Hirsch has released several leader works before this album, including "Horizon" (with Mark Johnson and Joey Barron) and "Sarabande" (with Charlie Haden and Joey Barron), and those bands are, were not intended to perform with Toots Sielmans or to work independently as a trio. In other words, this is the first work with regular members, according to Hirsch himself. Michael Formanek (b. 58) on bass and Jeff Hirschfield (b. 55) on drums were about the same age and spent about the same amount of time in New York at the time. The three have a history of being welcomed into groups of similar musicians, and the recording of this album seems to have been an inevitable process. The 11 tracks on this album have a naturalness born of such inevitability and a worldview that can be heard in contemporary performances. Opening with Gershwin's "The Man I Love," a beautiful standard with a neat chord progression at its base, two Wayne Shorter compositions, Monk, Ornette Coleman, and an original.While several decades have passed since the recording was made, the music alone shows an unwavering taste and eye, and the performance likewise shows a line that connects it to the present day. The beautiful sense of harmony, the melody line played by selected notes, the thrilling improvisation born from the mutual trust of each member of the trio, and the richness of nuance created by the inspiration of the moment, all suggest that this period was one of the starting points of the trio and has remained consistent up to the present day. The title track M5 "Heart song," with its lightness and various touches of expression and rich colors, as well as M3 "Lullabye," with its slow rubato, create an emotionally rich world. On the other hand, the piano trio's expression that approaches the mysterious and unique world of Shorter's music, Monk's music that swings as if playing with sound, incorporating stride technique to a great extent, and the last song that shows the depth of respect for the innovator Ornette, whom he admired and respected, with free phrasing flying around, are all traditional. Fred Hirsch's performance shines through, expressing his own individuality while remaining grounded in tradition. There are many scenes that would bring out a huge cheer if heard live. According to Hirsch at the time, "We trust each other and consider each other's decisions. This record is a good documentary of our years of playing together". This is a work of art, with a sense of youth and freshness in that it contains a few more notes than today's recordings, as well as the best of artistry. Celebrate the remastered reissue!

Tracklisting:

1.The Man I Love
2.Fall
3.Lullabye
4.Free for Three
5.Hearsong
6.Infant Eyes
7.Beam Me Up
8.I Mean You
9.Evanessence
10.Rain Waltz
11.The Sphinx