(Palmetto Records)

Sunday Night at the Vanguard is a stagefront seat to a masterful performance led by a true virtuoso of the keys. On this production recorded at venerable New York City jazz mecca, The Village Vanguard, Fred Hersch leads his trio through a free-wheeling, gear-shifting set. Drummer Eric McPherson and bassist John Hébert help paint the canvas with almost telepathic synchronicity. The menu of music is a fresh and eclectic mix of Hersch compositions and tunes by Kenny Wheeler, Lennon and McCartney, and Thelonious Monk. It’s truly a nice balance of swinging grooves and tender ballads in a thoroughly entertaining and excellent recording.