Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding at Yoshi's

Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding
Yoshis
Oakland, CA
January 27, 22023

Esperanza Spalding and Fred Hersch graced Yoshi's patrons with their presence last Thursday and Friday. Dressed in a black outfit and white "Life Force" t-shirt, Spalding presented a counterpoised contrast to Hersch, who was conservative in appearance and avuncular in affect. They seemed like an unusual match made in heaven, in some jazz galaxy far away.

While it was known that this would be a piano-voice duo, seeing Esperanza without her bass was mildly disappointing. The set began with a jaunty, upbeat version of George and Ira Gershwin's "But Not for Me." It was impressive to witness her lively scatting while Hersch played a solid grounding accompaniment, like the salidor holding the bottom for the other players and dancers in a rumba. His soft but in-the-pocket stride piano figures anchored her elevated heights and flights of creative fancy. She never ceases to amaze—there's a whole lotta light radiating from this striking and singular artist. When she smiles, you get a suntan.

And appropriately, the next tune was a witty rendition of "I'm Beginning to See the Light"—a Duke Ellington-Johnny Hodges-Harry James composition—replete with Esperanza's sensual inferences, after which "Bebop is powerful medicine" strangely issued forth from her mouth.

This flash of brightness was followed by a Hersch composition that featured his light-hearted take on "Monk's Dream," amusingly titled "Dream of Monk." Hersch's playing is unique, and while seemingly tilted toward stride, he straddles the line between stride and bebop. His music has a most relaxing quality with a kinship to that of the legendary Bill Evans. Esperanza's vocals, in contrast, have the potential to go in many directions and into different genres and tend to be more dreamy and even a little new-agey—think Life Force t-shirt. Combined, it's solid-fluid meets fluid-solid.

It soon happened that a woman in the front row lost consciousness, falling off her chair and eliciting a 9-1-1 emergency call from an audience member. The music instantly halted. After regaining consciousness and being helped up, she exited the room on her own steam. One of the evening's many memorable moments was Spalding's reaction to the occurrence. With heartful compassion, she told the audience that it had jangled her and that the woman's well-being was foremost in her mind, adding, "I know most of you in the audience feel the same way."

Fittingly, the next tune was Monk's "Misterioso," a Hersch tour de force. Another memorable tune was Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss," with lyrics by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills, well-juiced by Spalding's superb vocal stylings.

Perhaps the set's high point was Esperanza's pensive but humorously cheeky rendition of Neal Hefti and Bobby Troup's Girl Talk, to which she gave a sly spin on the depth of the female psyche. She is a gentle women's advocate and a fierce and focused artist with an endearing presence.

The penultimate tune was a lively outing of Egberto Gismonti's "Lôro" (Portuguese for parrot), with befitting bird voicings by Esperanza.

The set concluded with Hersch's heart-rending song for lovers, "Valentine." Together, they provided the audience with a delightful and heartful evening that left everyone giving an appropriate standing ovation.