Fred Hersch :: on AIDS, Walt Whitman and his new CD

Innovative jazz pianist Fred Hersch discusses Walt Whitman, NPR, and beating AIDS-related dementia.

In early 2008, pianist Fred Hersch, suffering from AIDS-related dementia, fell into a coma that lasted two months. After regaining consciousness, he was in septic shock, on regular dialysis, couldn't consume food or water for another eight months -- and had to work to regain the use of motor function in his hands, which had atrophied during his illness.

Today, Hersch is preparing for a performance with fellow piano giant Jason Moran to be held on March 8 at Jordan Hall. Since his illness, he's cut two new records, and in May will debut "My Coma Dreams," a multimedia work inspired by eight sleep narratives -- one a bona fide nightmare -- that Hersch recalls from his comatose period. The pianist has been celebrated as one of the most innovative musicians in the jazz world, and moves seamlessly from solo performances to larger configurations. Hersch has received the 2003 Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for composition, two Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, and a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition.

In advance of his upcoming Boston performance, Hersch spoke with Bay Windows about his HIV/AIDS activism, favorite poetry, and what it was like to collaborate with other jazz greats.

Bay Windows: Tell me about partnering with jazz legends like Stan Getz. How did those relationships affect your style?
Fred Hersch: I'm part of the last generation of musicians who learned to play jazz in the oral tradition on the bandstand -- in my case, in Cincinnati. No fake books, no original tunes, no rehearsals. You just had to know the tunes and be able to swing. I served many apprenticeships in my 20's -- Joe Henderson, Art Farmer, Charlie Haden, and many others. It was a great time to be in New York, the late '70s -- pre-jazz education and not long after Stonewall. My music contains bits and pieces of all the musicians I've played with, and I'm lucky that I've played with so many notable ones in the jazz and classical fields.

BW: "Leaves of Grass" [Hersch's 2005 album] provides a musical setting for Walt Whitman's poetry. How did you choose Whitman for this kind of project?
FH: I think Walt Whitman is a great American and a great poet. His ideas and ideals are still relevant today and his almost Buddhist approach to life really appeals to me. It was not because he was gay. There are other gay poets -- Merrill, Cavafy, etc. -- that hold no appeal. And I thought that his improvised-sounding poetry would be compatible with a jazz language -- although the piece is played by jazz musicians and singers, I would not call it completely a jazz piece. It's a "Fred" piece in my own musical languages that I hope suit the words and the sentiments. It took me nine months to select the poems and put them in order and then I wrote and orchestrated the whole piece in one month.

BW: You're well-versed as a solo performer as well as performing in duos and larger groups. Which do you prefer, and why?
FH: I love trio configurations for the collaboration. I got into jazz as it is a social music, played by people in front of people. And I liked the people in the jazz world -- they were different, and I could relate. Solo has become a specialty, and I love the freedom of dynamics and tone color and the fact that I need to constantly surprise myself as well as the audience.

BW: Has your fame in the jazz world helped your advocacy for HIV/AIDS awareness? Or the other way around?
FH: I think so. I'm certainly the poster boy for HIV/AIDS in the jazz world and was one of the first musicians to come out publicly about my orientation and my HIV status. I believe firmly that being in any kind of closet carries a steep price, and I hope that I have inspired others to be who they are and let the chips fall as they may.

BW: How does "My Coma Dreams" illustrate your experience of being in an HIV-related coma?
FH: This is the most personal and ambitious project that I've done. I am trying to use my dreams to create a full-evening work that will put the viewer/listener right where I was in the dream using animation, video, lighting, acting, and most importantly, my music.

BW: Tell me about "Alone on the Vanguard." What makes this album different from others you've cut?
FH: [It's] my favorite club; I was the first person in the 70-year history of the club to do a solo week there. The intimacy, the acoustics, the quality of the audience...also [it was] the first solo CD since my recovery and I think it has a different and looser energy, as well as a deeper focus.

BW: You've performed on National Public Radio numerous times. Would you care to comment on Republican efforts threatening federal funding for public media -- including NPR?
FH: I've done every significant NPR show. This latest assault on NPR is a travesty. It is one of the few places where serious investigative journalism happens, and it reaches so many people who are interested in the world and in culture. They should cut some weapons programs.

Fred Hersch's album "Alone at the Vanguard" will be released March 1. He is performing with Jason Moran in Boston on Tuesday, March 8 at the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St., Boston). For more information, please visit www.fredhersch.com.