The Fred Hersch Trio Dancing in the Dark

The Fred Hersch Trio's 1993 Album Dancing in the Dark on Hybrid SACD from Chesky Records

Released in 1993 by the noted audiophile label Chesky Records, Dancing in the Dark is a remarkable exploration of the Great American Songbook by The Fred Hersch Trio. Originally a classically trained pianist from Cincinnati, Ohio, Hersch made his mark in New York City in the 1980s when he played with jazz legends Chris Connor and Joe Henderson.

After debuting for Chesky Records in 1991 with a quintet record called Forward Motion, he downsized his band to a trio for Dancing in the Dark. Teaming up with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Tom Rainey, Hersch offered spectacular new treatments of timeless tunes such as "I Fall In Love Too Easily," "For All We Know" and "My Funny Valentine." With their near-telepathic interplay, the trio offered new perspectives on well-worn evergreens, showing how jazz and it's improvisational ethos could take familiar melodies and harmonic frameworks and transform them into new and exciting aural adventures. Rewarded with a Grammy nomination, Dancing in the Dark remains one of the essential, go-to records in both Hersch's and Chesky's back catalog.