The “Village Vanguard” has long been known as one of New York’s leading jazz clubs. This ‘jazz mecca’ in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village has produced an array of impressive live performance works by many musicians. The most famous are albums by Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans among others, which are already known to jazz fans as historic masterpieces. More than half a century has passed since these masterpieces were recorded, and the jazz club scene in New York has changed dramatically, but the Vanguard remains a ‘jazz mecca.’ I have picked out three contemporary albums that were recorded relatively recently at the “Village Vanguard.”

#280 Ben Wendel’s Passionate Stage

Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard / Ben Wendel
(EDN-1254)

Saxophonist Ben Wendel offers sounds that we should consider the cutting edge of contemporary jazz. This album features the Vancouver-born and New York-based musician’s enthusiastic performance with his quartet at the “Village Vanguard” in November 2022. Although Wendel is no longer a young man, his activities in recent years have been remarkable compared to his days as a core member of the jam band “Kneebody.”

Of the seven numbers performed, all but ＜On the Trail＞ are Wendel’s originals. Their play develops from simple riff-like melodies to free and improvised performances, making us feel a surge of thrills and passion. The members are all top-class players of today. The musicians include pianist Gerald Clayton and female bassist Linda May Han Oh, who produces supple and powerful rhythms. And, the sharp beats delivered by drummer Obed Calvaire inevitably fuel Wendel’s performance, filling the traditional club with heat and excitement. This is one of recent years’ best “Vanguard Live” albums.

#281 Fred Hersch Trio’s Live Getting Engrossed in Their Performance

Sunday Night at the Vanguard / The Fred Hersch Trio
(Palmetto ⇒ King International KKE-058)

Fred Hersch, the pinnacle of modern piano players and known as the “poet of the piano,” profoundly connects with the Village Vanguard. In addition to frequent appearances at the Vanguard, Hersch has recorded solo and trio live albums there, and a vocal and piano duo live album with Esperanza Spalding in 2018.

This album is a live stage performance by Hersch’s trio in 2016. The concentration of Hersch and the other band members is incredible, and the stream of the album captures them becoming immersed in their playing, as Hersch himself describes it, “In The Zone.” Hersch’s piano playing has a unique style in which he plays different melodies with his right and left hands. In addition to Hersch’s originals, the album includes ＜For No One＞ from the Beatles’ “Revolver,” ＜The Peacocks＞ which is reminiscent of impressionist paintings, and ＜We See＞, which sounds like a further restructuring of Thelonious Monk’s composition which was described as geometric. Each piece showcases Hirsch’s creative performance, infused with his pianistic aesthetic. And, the encore piece, ＜Valentine,＞ performed on piano solo, leaves a lasting, pleasant aftertaste.