Fred Hersch solo concert
One of the most gifted and resourceful pianists of his generation — and a key influence on his former student and fellow jazz keyboard master Brad Mehldau — Fred Hersch thrives in almost any musical setting.
His four most recent albums attest to his musical diversity, starting with 2019’s “Begin Again” with Germany’s acclaimed WDR Big Band. The enchanting 2021 solo piano album, “Songs From Home,” includes his elegiac interpretation of the traditional Scottish folk song “The River is Wide” and a sparkling, stride-piano-fueled take on The Beatles’ “When I’m Sixty-Four.”
“Breath By Breath,” released in 2022, teams Hersch and his trio with the Crosby Street String Quartet, while last year’s “Alive at the Village Vanguard” is a luminous piano-and-voice duo album with Esperanza Spalding.
Hersch’s upcoming album, the aptly titled “Silent, Listening,” comes out April 19 on ECM Records. It offers a beguiling mix of original compositions and such gems as the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn classic “Star-Crossed Lovers.”
The album rewards intent listening, thanks to Hersch’s deep musicality, improvisational mastery, exquisite command of shade and light, and his ability to imbue the spaces between notes with as much meaning as the notes themselves.
But what is most impressive about Hersch is his tenacity and resilience. In 1996, he contracted asymptomatic HIV. In 2008, he developed AIDS-related dementia.
In 2009, he was in a pneumonia-fueled coma for two months and required a tracheotomy and regular dialysis. For eight months, he was too weak to eat, drink or swallow, then suffered a near-complete loss of motor function in his hands.
In 2010, Hersch — miraculously — made a full recovery.
Eager to make up for lost time, he released seven albums in the next three years alone and has gone from strength to strength since then. His La Jolla solo concert on Sunday is an excellent reason to record the concurrent Oscars telecast and watch it later.
7:30 p.m. Sunday. Joan & Irwin Jacobs Music Room, Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. $45 and $50. (858) 454-5872, ljathenaeum.org
Sierra Ferrell, center, will perform at The Sound in Del Mar as a prelude to her summer arena and stadium shows with Zach Bryan.
(Jeff Hahne / Getty Images)
Sierra Ferrell, with Dinosaur Burps
West Virginia troubadour Sierra Ferrell’s 2021 debut album, “Long Time Coming,” was one of the finest albums in any genre that year. She is very likely the only artist anywhere who has performed at the Grand Ole Opry, collaborated with Zach Bryan, Lana Del Rey and dance-music DJ Diplo. For good measure, she is also a former member of the Grateful Dead tribute band 600 Pounds of Sin.
Ferrell’s songs are steeped in American roots-music traditions — including bluegrass, ragtime and swing — but not bound by them. They are of their time, and beyond it.
In June, she’ll be the opening act on Bryan’s arena and stadium tour. That makes her show this weekend at Del Mar’s 1,900-capacity The Sound an intimate club gig by comparison.
8 p.m. Saturday. The Sound, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. $39-$54, plus service charges. ticketmaster.com
Jordan Ward, with Ru AREYOU
There’s no official tally of how many former Justin Bieber back-up dancers now tour and record as solo artists. But it’s safe to say you can count them on one hand and still have enough fingers left to pick up a bowling ball.
So, take a bow, Jordan Ward!
While not yet 30, the St. Louis-born singer-songwriter is adept at fusing hip-hop with a silky R&B style that hearkens back to the pre-disco 1970s. He’s a vocal crooner, not a belter, which suits his understated love songs well.
It’s too soon to determine if Ward can break through to a broader audience, but the only tickets available for his gig here at House of Blues’ 250-capacity Voodoo Room next week are re-sale tickets with inflated prices.
8 p.m. next Thursday, March 14. The Voodoo Room at House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., downtown. $129.98. livenation.com