Fred Hersch: Plays Jobim

The pianist's imaginative interpretations yield bountiful fruit throughout these nine pieces. Hersch fuses an austere classical phraseology into "O Grande Amor," while prominently highlighting the inherent melody line within dashes of eloquence and technical marksmanship. His penchants for nuance and subtlety are evident, and it's all enamored by a nouveau spin on Jobim's distinct compositional style.

Hersch initiates "Insensatez," with a quietly probing gait, and opens it up during the bridge atop a rolling pulse and his dainty rendering of the primary theme. Moreover, he finalizes with a sequence of hush-toned progressions and ever-so-gentle single note lines. Percussionist Jamey Haddad appears on the buoyant and upbeat "Brigas Nunca Mais," and Hersch closes out the proceedings with "Corcovado," where he expressively merges pensive notes with understated motifs and lushly organized chord clusters.

Thankfully, it's not just another tribute album, but more of a building block for the pianist's vast assimilation of ideas and concepts. He drills deep, while not surfacing as overly cerebral or tricky. Hersch is clever all right, but the output transcends the norm. It's a pleasurable listen, awash with quaint little surprises and cunning deviations that enables the music to sound fresh and invigorating; consummated by the artist's masterful touch.

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