Selected Compositions 1980-2005
by
Fred Hersch
All music music © and published published by
Fred Hersch Music or Heardfresh Music (BMI)
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Table of Contents How To Use This CD How To Use This Book Notes On The Compositions Compositions Discography/Recordings (as of March, 2006)
1. And Now There s You (1982) !
2. At The Close Of The Day (2000) * 3. B's Groove (2001) 4. Black Dog Pays A Visit (2000) 5. Cadences (1985) 6. Canzona (2001) 7. Cat s Paws (1994) !
8. The Chase (2000) 9.
Child s Song (1983) ** !
10. Cloudless Sky (1984) 11. Days Gone By (1989) * 12. …departed (1990) 13. Don t Ask (II B.C.) (1980) ** !
14. Down Home (1991) 15. Drew s Blues (1994) !
16. Echoes (2000) * 17. The Eleventh Hour (2001) * 18. Endless Stars (2001) * 19. Evanessence (1988) 20. Forward Motion (1989) 21. Heartland (2001) 22. Heartsong (1987) * 23. Janeology (1984) 24. A Lark (2001) 25. Lee s Dream (2001) !
26. Lullabye (1988) * 27. Marshall s Plan (2000) !
28. Mirage (1981) **
29. Miss B. (2003) 30. Nostalgia (1990) 31. Now And Then (2001) 32. One For Sam (1981) 33. Out Someplace (Blues for Matthew Shepard) (1998) 34. Parting Glance (1994) 35. Phantom of the Bopera (1990) 36. Poem In A Cloud (2005) 37. Professor K. (1989) 38. Rain Waltz (1985) ** 39. Rhythm Spirit (2005) 40. The Riddle Song (2002) 41. The Sad Bird (2001) * 42. Sarabande (1986) * 43. A Simple Samba (1984) ** 44. Song Without Words #1: Aria (1999) 45. Song Without Without Words #2: Ballad (1999) 46. Song Without Without Words #3: Tango (2000) 47. Song Without Without Words #4: #4: Duet (2000) 48. Song Without Without Words #5: The Moon s Lullabye (2000) !
49. Song Without Without Words #6: Waltz (2000) 50. Stuttering (2001) 51. Summersong (1980) ** 52. Swamp Thang (1995) 53. Tango Bittersweet (1990) 54. Too Soon (1987) 55. Up In The Air (1995) * 56. Valentine (2001) *
* = lyrics by Norma Winstone ** = lyrics by Cheryl Pyle
HOW TO USE THI S CD
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Your system must meet the requirements to run Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 6.0 and higher higher or or equivalent PDF reader. Ado Ad o b e Acrobat (or equivalent) must be insta installed. lled. Visit www.ado be.com be .com for system syste m requirements requirements for your computer. TO LOCATE A COMPOSITION: Go to the Table of Contents (pag ( page e 2). 2 ). Click Click on the title title (or inst instru ruct ctions, ions, discography discography or compos comp oser's er's notes) and you will will be b e automatic automatical ally ly sent s ent to the first first page pag e of o f the concert version of each composition (or to the desired location). If there are Bb melod y and/or harmony harmony parts, separate se parate bass ba ss parts and/or and/or lyrics, lyrics, they they will follow after the concert part. p art. TO PRINT A COMPOSITION OR PART: Follow the instructions for your system for printing PDFs. Keep in mind that you should be b e able a ble to t o print print single single page pages s or a range range of pa pages ges (using (using the “Print “Print To From” feature). Check the help menu in your version of Adobe Acrobat for instructions. NOTE FOR MAC USERS: The linking feature may not work if you are using “Preview.” You must be using Ad o be Acrobat. If your default default reader is “Preview” “Previe w” press pres s control control and clic click k on the fakebook icon, this will allow you to select which program to use to open the fake bo ok. “Open “O pen with: with: Adobe Acrobat” Acrobat”
Fred's Short Notes on the Compositions 1. And Now There s You (1982) -- This was my first short-form ballad, recorded by Art !
Farmer in the early 1980's. 2. At The Close Of The Day (2000) -- The title of this comes from a beautiful poem by Walt Whitman "When I Heard At The Close Of The Day". It was incorporated into my extended composition "Leaves of Grass. The vocal version "Longing" has lyrics by Norma Winstone. 3. B's Groove (2001) -- An unrecorded tune written for fellow NYC pianist Bruce Barth. 4. Black Dog Pays A Visit (2000) -- A piece about depression (Winston Churchill called depression "the black dog") that uses exclusively minor harmonies. I improvise on the changes to the "A" section but out of tempo. 5. Cadences (1985) -- An open piece inspired by Keith Jarrett's 70's quartet with Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian. 6. Canzona (2001) -- For Toots Thielemans. The melody uses the entire 2-octave range (middle C to high C) of the chromatic harmonica. This piece also works nicely on clarinet or flute. 7. Cat s Paws (1994) -- For Houston-based jazz pianist Dave Catney who died of AIDS in !
1994 at the age of 32. He was very gifted and had great life energy. 8. The Chase (2000) -- A canon for trio or quintet that turns into a fast blues. 9. Child s Song (1983) -- Written for bassist Charlie Haden, I tried to write an open tune !
with a folk-like flavor since he hails from rural Missouri. The improvisation can be tonal or not. The vocal version "Song For All Ages" has lyrics by Cheryl Pyle. 10. Cloudless Sky (1984) -- A fast straight-8th-note trio feature recorded on my first CD as leader "Horizons". 11. Days Gone By (1989) -- For the wonderful trumpeter and composer Tim Hagans. This piece has a pseudo-"Dolphin Dance"-feel to the groove. The vocal version "Lost In Another Time" has lyrics by Norma Winstone. 12. …departed (1990) -- Inspired by the death of a close friend from AIDS in 1990. 13. Don t Ask (II B.C.) (1980) My first original jazz tune. I was definitely influenced by !
Billy Strayhorn and Charles Mingus here. The vocal version "Don't Ask" has lyrics by Cheryl Pyle. 14. Down Home (1991) -- Slightly wacky "swang with a twang" for guitarist Bill Frisell. You can play one, either or alternate both set of changes on page two. 15. Drew s Blues (1994) -- For my longtime bassist Drew Gress. !
16. Echoes (2000) -- A duet for two horns, one "echoing" the other. A tricky 12/8 groove. The vocal version "Spirits" has lyrics by Norma Winstone.
17. The Eleventh Hour (2001) -- For my close friend pianist Ethan Iverson with a healthy dollop of T. Monk influence. The vocal version "The Eighth Deadly Sin" has lyrics by Norma Winstone. 18. Endless Stars (2001) -- A floating piece inspired by a clear winter's sky at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, NH. The vocal version "Stars" has lyrics by Norma Winstone. 19. Evanessence (1988) -- For Bill Evans. Though I heard him a few times live, we never actually met, but I would like to think that he would have enjoyed playing this piece. 20. Forward Motion (1989) -- A showcase for my band. The Fred Hersch Group, from the early 90's. Instrumentation was tenor sax, cello, piano, bass and drums but this would work with trumpet and tenor quite well. 21. Heartland (2001) -- Almost an anagram for the name of Art Lande, one of my mentors and one of my favorite musicians. 22. Heartsong (1987) -- This upbeat tune uses all the "bright" (non-jazz) major keys: D, G, A, E and B. The vocal version "Song of Life" has lyrics by Norma Winstone. 23. Janeology (1984) -- For longtime collaborator soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, this is a slightly twisted gloss on "Confirmation". (It's fun to play this as a group improvisation and for everyone to limit themselves to phrases of not more than three notes at first -- then get denser and more linear.) 24. A Lark (2001) -- A floating swing tune for one of my heroes, British-based trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler. I wrote this in Banff where he taught for many years. 25. Lee s Dream (2001) -- For jazz legend Lee Konitz, written in the style of Lenny !
Tristano and based on the changes to "You Stepped Out of a Dream: 26. Lullabye (1988) -- In the late '80's many of my friends had their first children, so this was a collective dedication to all the new little lives. The vocal version "Songs and Lullabies" has lyrics by Norma Winstone. 27. Marshall s Plan (2000) -- For my friend trumpeter John Marshall, now living in !
Cologne. Fast and light. 28. Mirage (1981) -- Originally inspired by a photograph of camels crossing the desert, this is dedicated to the great bassist George Mraz. The vocal version "Distant Sands" has lyrics by Cheryl Pyle. 29. Miss B. (2003) -- For my partner Scott Morgan's deceased Rottweiler, Barkley. She was sweet, energetic, very wiggly and totally food-oriented! 30. Nostalgia (1990) -- A parody of stride piano styles (with the occasional 3/4 bar!). 31. Now And Then (2001) -- A gentle waltz dedicated to Marian McPartland. Please note the bars of "straight-8ths" in the melody...
32. One For Sam (1981) -- A bass feature in the style of Oscar Pettiford and dedicated to the great bassist Sam Jones, with whom I had the great pleasure of playing for several years. 33. Out Someplace (Blues for Matthew Shepard) (1998) -- A programmatic depiction of the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998. He was a young gay man who was seduced/abducted by two other young men, taken to a corn field in the dead of winter, beaten senseless, tied to a fence-post and left to die in the bitter cold. The opening and closing pitch-series improvisations should be spacious and "cold" and should last no more than one minute each. The two internal improvisations (over two variations of the same vamp) should be atonal and build in intensity. The form cinematically portrays the abduction and the beating -- and fades out on the freezing field where his life was tragically ended. 34. Parting Glance (1994) -- Unrecorded ballad. Straight-8ths optional. 35. Phantom of the Bopera (1990) -- "The Phantom" was one of Joe Henderson's nicknames. We worked together over a 10-year period. (You may note that the first two chord changes of the tune are the same first two changes as his "Recorda Me"). 36. Poem In A Cloud (2005) -- Rubato ballad inspired by the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. 37. Professor K. (1989) -- For Denver bassist and instrument maker Kent McLagen, this is a 14-bar blues. I leave my left hand in my lap on this one and don't comp at all. 38. Rain Waltz (1985) -- The bass figure suggested the sound of raindrops to me. It's nice to begin the first solo over the vamp and gradually moving away from it. The vocal version "A Dance for Me" has lyrics by Cheryl Pyle. 39. Rhythm Spirit (2005) -- For master drummer Billy Hart. Energetic and swinging. 40. A Riddle Song (2002) -- Using the title of a poem by Walt Whitman and composed exclusively of perfect fifths, this is dedicated to drummer Nasheet Waits and serves as the overture to my song cycle "Leaves of Grass". 41. The Sad Bird (2001) -- A short tone poem with a vamp improvisation section. The vocal version "Bird in the Rain" has lyrics by Noma Winstone. 42. Sarabande (1986) -- From my early trio CD of the same name. In the tradition of Wayne Shorter, it is in
! but
is not a waltz. The vocal version "Invitation to the Dance"
has lyrics by Norma Winstone 43. A Simple Samba (1984) -- The title says simple, but the changes are anything but! The vocal version has lyrics by Cheryl Pyle. 44. Song Without Words #1: Aria (1999) -- A study in rhythm and the art of sustaining a long melody over a turbulent figure. Inspired by singer Luciana Souza. 45. Song Without Words #2: Ballad (1999) -- The closest I have come to writing a standard ballad.
46. Song Without Words #3: Tango (2000) -- Slow and evocative. 47. Song Without Words #4: Duet (2000) -- It is a contrapuntal "duet" between the two voices in the right hand. 48. Song Without Words #5: The Moon s Lullabye (2000) -- A tender piece inspired by !
my friend, visual artist Marianne Kolb. 49. Song Without Words #6: Waltz (2000) -- Energetic and simple. 50. Stuttering (2001) -- It's fun to keep the bass figure going as long as you can into the solos to disguise the downbeat. I play this without any chords -- lines only. 51. Summersong (1980) -- One of my first tunes, a bebop samba. 52. Swamp Thang (1995) -- This should be played as slow and greasy as possible. It starts very softly and sparsely, builds in density and volume and ends as loudly as you can! I usually do a "group" solo on this rather than individual solos. 53. Tango Bittersweet (1990) -- This piece also exists in a through-composed version for cello (or violin) and piano published by CF Peters. There is a left-hand pulse that should be maintained as long as possible. 54. Too Soon (1987) -- Short-form ballad composed as a reaction to a young friend's death from AIDS. 55. Up In The Air (1995) -- Another composition for Kenny Wheeler. The vocal version "To Music" has lyrics by Norma Winstone.
56. Valentine (2001) -- A simple piece composed on Valentine's Day. Open improvisation but try to retain the flavor of the changes. The vocal version "A Wish" has lyrics by Norma Winstone.
