Most readers of this column would have, at least, heard of pianist/ group-leader/ composer Fred Hersch. He is now a 61 year old artist who tours and performs world-wide, usually as trio but sometimes solo. He credits his longtime friend Columbia University journalism professor David Hajdu for assistance and encouragement in writing this book. And, Hersch mentions that he also collaborated with Hajdu when the professor was writing his excellent biography of Billy Strayhorn.
Hersch tells about growing up in a Cincinnati family where he was the younger of two sons. He showed an affinity for piano at an early age and was encouraged by his grandmother. His parents were not especially compatible and father was somewhat aloof.
There are essentially three interwoven themes in this well-written book: Hersch’s musical education and career, his homosexuality with complicated issues with HIV/AIDS, and his experimentation with various recreational drugs. These are presented in a straight-forward, non-glamorizing way and I would not hesitate to recommend this book, for example, to an inquisitive high school student.
Permit me a personal reference here. In the early ’90s, I attended a meeting of the IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators). As most readers know, it declared bankruptcy in 2008 and has fortunately been supplanted by Jazz Educators Network. At the IAJE convention
