Fred Hersch Trio +2 keeps core creativity

There's a reason why the band at the Painted Bride on Saturday was billed as the Fred Hersch Trio +2, rather than the Fred Hersch Quintet. Hersch's trio with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Nasheet Waits has its own special rapport, captured beautifully on this year's Night & the Music. When the lineup expands to include horns, as on the 2004 disc The Fred Hersch Trio +2, it is still that core chemistry that centers the music.