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Often an evening out on the town is an exercise in routine fun. Occasionally, though, a night out will shine in our memories like a bright star. Friday, January 29 was one such night for my partner and me. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra performed at Burlington's Flynn Theater with special guest Fred Hersch. That delightful, warm concert will forever remain in my mind as a very special event.
Billed as "From Monk to Mozart" the evening's music included Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27 in Bb Major, K. 595, a solo Hersch performance of Thelonious Monk compositions, and Schubert's Symphony No. 9 in C Major. This was the third of five performances in the New Attitudes Series the VSO runs between October and May. The series is aimed at a broader, non-traditional classical music audience; Amy Barcomb, the VSO's marketing and development associate, calls it "classical with a twist."
This particular performance selection of Mozart's piano concerto was a collaboration between the VSO's director and Fred Hersch.
Since the late 1970s, Hersch has played with jazz greats such as Art Pepper, Joe Henderson, and Art Farmer. In the late '80s, he set up his own studio, recording works by Kenny Barron, Don Pullen, and Hank Jones. Since 1985, he's recorded as part of duos and a trio as well as solo. In 1992 he wrote "Blues for an Imaginary Valentine" for the AIDS Quilt Songbook.
In 1996 he began a series of songbook works on the Nonesuch label. It was selections from his Thelonious Monk songbook that he played solo at the Flynn Theatre. Hersch has a gift for communicating the spirit of Monk's tunes without copying them note for note. After brief, sometimes humorous introductions, he offered wonderful interpretations of tunes such as "Round Midnight," "Ask Me Now," "Crepuscule with Nellie," and "In Walked Bud."
Despite his jazz background, Hersch easily made the crossover to classical for this performance. He had a part in writing the piano piece for the night's performance and did an excellent job of delivering it to the Flynn audience. Conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn and the rest of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra put on a dazzling concert that left me looking forward to attending more musical events like this one.
Fred Hersch's most recent CDs are available at most music stores; I highly recommend both the songbook series and his latest release, Songs We Know with guitarist Bill Frisell. There is also a solo live CD scheduled for an early May release that will include compositions by Irving Berlin, Join Mitchell, and Kurt Weill.
Hats off and a standing ovation to Vermont's own symphony orchestra and to the talented and gregarious Fred Hersch for a superb performance. I strongly suggest that all Vermonters get out to shows such as this. You don't have to be a classical music lover to appreciate the artistry and talent of these performers.
