Fred Hersch Trio (USA) - Bray Jazz Festival 2026

About this event

A towering figure of contemporary jazz whose influence spans generations, Fred Hersch has shaped the language of the modern piano trio throughout a career marked by continuous reinvention.

With an extraordinary 17 Grammy Award nominations and countless other awards and honours to his name, Hersch is, for many, the jazz pianist of his generation.

Possessing a touch and keyboard technique like no-one else, his flawless technique deploys just the right combination of sensitivity, intelligence and emotion to absorb and captivate the listener.

Across a career that spans more than 50 years, Fred Hersch has produced over 60 albums as a composer and bandleader, and his creative spark shines as brightly as ever. ‘The Surrounding Green,’ his third release on the celebrated ECM label made many ‘best of’ lists for 2025, and has ranked third in the Album of the Year rankings of Slate Magazine.

It’s an elegant and masterful jazz trio recording, a work that allows Drew Gress (bass) and Joey Baron (drums) to glide in and out of the spotlight with superb timing, and enables Hersch to crafts improvisations that are both intricate and unhurried, creativing music that doesn’t need to raise its voice to be heard.

“…one of the greats of contemporary jazz piano — elegant, erudite, playful, emotional, engaged and thoroughly engaging” – The Irish Times

{youtubevideo}