Listening to solo piano can be daunting. If you really want to dig into the music, it requires your complete attention. You can't let your mind wander. The artist is putting his musical life on the line for you. To show him the respect he deserves, you can't let the performance become background music.

Fred Hersch, in the tradition of Bill Evans, is a master of solo piano playing. He already has several recordings of solo music. His newest may be his best yet.

 Recorded in 2005 at New York's legendary Village Vanguard, Hersch takes a different approach to a live recording. He played the entire week at the club (six nights, twelve sets). Over the week many different tunes were played. Instead of choosing a "best of" from the engagement, Hersch choose to release the last set of the last night in its entirety.

The program for this apocryphal set included four Hersch  originals ("Down Home", "Echoes", "Lee's Dream" and "Pastorale"), two standards ("In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning" and "Memories Of You"), two tunes by jazz composers ("Work" by Thelonius Monk and "Doxy" by Sonny Rollins)and "Doce De Coco" by Brazilian mandolinist,  Jacob Do Bandolim.

 The only possible way to describe this recording is sublime. From the first crystalline notes of "In The Wee Small Hours..." to an unexpected "Doxy" as an encore the entire disc is perfect. Taste and subtlety are the watchwords here. The only thing even close to being up tempo is the Brazilian tune, "Doce De Coco", and even that seems to be restrained. For my taste the best tune on the disc is "Lee's Dream". This is a song based on the changes of "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" and is dedicated to saxophonist Lee Konitz. A Lennie Tristano disciple, Konitz played this song(or variations)many times. While paying homage to both Konitz and Tristano , Hersch makes this original entirely his own. Simply fabulous stuff!

In addition to excellent tunes, superb performances and a great recording, the audience at the Vanguard the night chosen was perfect. Attentive, respectful and mesmerized by what they were hearing. For that one night they were in the presence of greatness. "Alone At The Vanguard" is a master jazz artist playing at the very top of his game. No net, lots of chutzpah and not a faint heart anywhere in site.

Check out this link:  http://www.npr.org/artists/14997031/fred-hersch for more information on the trials of Fred Hersch's life. It will make this recording even more amazing.