If age and
experience set pianist Fred Hersch and guitarist Julian Lage apart, superior
musicianship and mutual respect bind them together. On their live duet
recording, Free Flying, Hersch, a seasoned player and composer recognized as
one of the most creative jazz personalities of his generation, finds common
ground with Lage, a prenaturally gifted player whose astonishing command of his
instrument belies his age. With a mood as spirited as it is lyrical, Free
Flying -- recorded at the New York club Kitano in February of 2013 - highlights
the intuitive give-and-take that announces itself as an inspired musical
meeting of two exceptional players who trust each other completely. The CD will be released on September 3, 2013
on the Palmetto label.
Hersch and
Lage concentrate on six of the pianist's previously recorded originals including
"Songs Without Words #3 & #4"; the tribute compositions,
"Gravity's Pull (for Mary Joe Salter)," "Free Flying (for
Egberto Gismonti)," "Heartland (for Art Lande)" and "Down
Home (for Bill Frisell)"; the jazz standards, "Monk's Dream" and
"Beatrice" (by Sam Rivers), as well as the previously unrecorded
Hersch original, "Stealthiness (for Jim Hall)." Each provides the two
with sufficient room to exhibit the conversational flow of melodic ideas and
rhythmic play that distinguishes their unique partnership.
Although
duets may be second nature to Hersch - he's recorded numerous one-on-one albums
with many vocalists and instrumentalists, and has featured duo performances on
his own recordings, including the acclaimed Fred Hersch & Friends: The Duo
Album (which included an alliance with Jim Hall) - Hersch had only once before
recorded a full album partnered with a guitarist: Songs We Know, his 1998
encounter with Bill Frisell. As it turns out, Lage had been assiduously
absorbing
that album
since he was an eight-year-old guitar wunderkind. Conversant with Hersch's playing, Lage - who,
by the time he met the pianist in 2010, had already achieved considerable
attention for his work with Gary Burton and others - began playing occasional
duo gigs with him at Hersch's invitation.
"Julian
is a very deep and sensitive player for his age," says Hersch. "He's
done his homework and knows the jazz language in a very deep way. He's got a
special sound that's both solid and transparent, and our sounds are very
compatible; he's very open to the way I play. He's a wonderful young man and it
is a pleasure working with him."
Lage, for
his part, also had experience working in musical duo settings, including
recording with mandolin virtuoso David Grisman and pianist Taylor Eigsti.
"The duo is my favorite setting," says Lage. "And Fred has
always knocked me out. His playing always has such a strong sense of narrative;
it's sophisticated, so well developed and beautifully conveyed. When I play
with him it's like having the best seat in the house!"
"Fred
is open to whatever I do," continues Lage. "It can feel like jumping
into a sandbox and going crazy. I try to avoid the tendency to match what he is
doing. I often find that some of the most creative playing comes when I oppose what
Fred has just played. I try to think of what would be expected and then not do
that."
Such
attentiveness to remaining in the moment and reacting accordingly is one of the
prime delights of Free Flying. As Hersch puts it, "We play the tune before
us. We try to stay in the world that the tune puts us in."
Although
Hersch has his hands in a multitude of musical projects, and Lage is similarly
busy, the duo will continue. "We fully intend to keep this going as a
working project, " says Hersch.
November of
2013 will find the duo playing Northeast club engagements including:
www.fredhersch.com
www.julianlage.com
www.palmetto-records.com
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