Let Yourself Go: The Lives of Jazz Pianist Fred Hersch

Hersch made a personal statement of some magnitude. In the 1990s, he came out as a gay man and as someone living with AIDS. He did this in the face of the long-standing "don't ask, don't tell" climate in the jazz profession, and as an act of love and service to all. In addition, through his performances and recordings, he has raised considerable funds for AIDS causes. Hersch has persisted in developing his art despite his periods of illness. It is as if the music has inspired him to live, and the difficulties of his illness have helped him to integrate his life and his music. An individual of little pretense, his presence nonetheless commands respect and admiration.

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