Customer Reviews

In Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's cut to the chase here: Why buy this?

1. The music is personal and technical at the same time.

Ok, in music there are two schools: touch and techncality. Those at the extreme of each do not venture into the other realm. Some musicians are so technically superb that they do not let the spontenaety of emotion add to thier work. In the other camp, some pianists are so emotional they squeak and miss notes trying to make the music "float".

On this recording, Mr. Hersch combines both schools correctly. He has a tinge of Keith Jarret(Koln Concert), Ahmad Jamal (The Awakening), Bill Evans (Since We Met), and the spacial qualities of Thelonious Monk. On this album, he's addresses all schools and does a great job at it.

2. This was one great engineering job.

How many instances have you suffered the sorrows of a good performance with a bad sound quality. Much like the touch/technics problem mentioned above; another great challenge of any recording is great performance/production. There are a few greats in this line: Sunday At The Village Vanguard (Bill Evans), Blue Train (John Coltrane), Piano Reflections (aka Duke Plays Ellington) (Duke Ellington), and many more.

This album is a marriage of music and mastering. The natural reverb of the new Stienway at the Bimhius is easily captured here. In addition, you can tell the room is medium-sized (listen to the slight compression of the monsterous chords in the middle section of A Lark). The applause is clear and has no distortion; it's easy to hear the harmonics of the piano and the dynamics he plays. I haven't heard a recently-recorded piece sound this good in YEARS!

3. The selections allow you to see what Fred can do.

It's easy to record an album (ok, I still listen to 'wax') that uses all new recording you create to showcase you abilities. That's fine with me. However, to me--if you can recreate the magic in the standards; you can easily win my acclaim by shoving yourself into a mold cast in the past and recreating the shape of that music.

Put another way: listen to Fred play The Peacocks. Until this recording, Bill Evans (You Must Believe in Spring) was my ultimate version--to me, Fred might have beaten that version. Fred allows you to fully experience the music by taking his time and allows the music to capture your soul.

To be brief: This CD shocked me! I never planned to buy it; but now I can't put it down. I'm hoping that he will be in my area so I can catch him.

This has become my newest favorite CD (sorry Seu Jorge!). First of all, the sheer piano sound is absolutely luminous, and then Fred's control of balances, voicings and rhythmic spacing is at once heartfelt and sophisticated. The selections have terrific variety - I keep having a favorite of the week. From the simplicity of "Valentine," the playfulness of "Evidence," or the imagination of "Peacocks," the listener is brought along a wonderful voyage. The people to whom I've given this CD were ecstatic with it, too.

Not too many solo piano recordings get back onto my player with the frequency of this gem from Fred Hersch. Recorded in 2003 at the famous Bimhuis in Amsterdam, Hersch completely dazzles the audience with his creative spirit and amazing dexterity. The acoustics are perfect for the warm toned piano player who has delivered a steady flow of excellent recordings over a long period of time. The program is a mix of standards such as "The Nearness of You" & "Don't Blame Me" with three satisfying Hersch originals. His take on Monk's "Evidence" is a lesson in singular interpretation with some wonderful surprises along the way.
For myself, I have always been a sucker for Jimmy Rowles "The Peacocks" and have many versions in my collection. This solo performance is one of the finest.
No hesitation in awarding this album the full five stars In Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis

This album is amazing, buy it. One of the most beautiful solo piano recordings ever.