Fred Hersch is a Grammy nominated jazz maestro who always prefers to be busy. When he is not devoting his time in producing albums of the finest caliber, he is teaching young jazz aspirants, performing at benefit concerts or working in collaboration with other artists.

On Wednesday night, Fred performed at the Manship Theater located in downtown Baton Rouge for Smash Hits HIV/AIDS Community Fund. The aim of this fundraising event is to provide grants to HIV and AIDS nonprofit organizations in Greater Baton Rouge. Today he will teach a master class and work with University jazz majors.

Fred Hersch is an AIDS survivor as well as an activist who produced and performed in four benefit albums. He also played in several fundraising events which focused on important social issues like HIV AIDS. However Fred said that he would like to be a part of events that would show a sign of promise and cause significant changes. Fred also said that he likes his benefit concerts to be well organized and although he can’t donate his money, he is always ready to donate his time.

Derek Gordon, who is the CEO of Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, said that the main aim of this concert was to bring a musician like Fred Hersch and provide hope to the people of Greater Baton Rouge that having AIDS is not the end of the world and one can survive and do great things that add meaning to one’s experience of life.

At present, Fred Hersch is touring Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans, performing in concerts and holding other important events.
Although traveling by air or on trains can be stressful, Fred says that he really enjoys playing jazz music. He says that the spontaneity and the possibility of improvisation that jazz can bring are the principal factors behind his love for this form of music.