Fred Hersch was in town recently to perform at the Chicago Jazz Festival. Hersch started playing piano when he was very young and grew popular over a decades-long career. Hersch says he benefitted musically from having mentors. When he stopped by StoryCorps, he talked about his career and the role of formal education in jazz music.

This story was recorded in partnership with ADA 25 Chicago, part of the Chicago Community Trust.

StoryCorps’ mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to share, record and preserve their stories. These excerpts, edited by WBEZ, present some of our favorites from the current visit, as well as from previous trips.