Keep (it) Swinging: Tamir Hendelman - Destinations: European Tour December 2010

Tamir Hendelman - Destinations: European Tour December 2010 (English) - Tamir Hendelman - Destinations: Europese Tournee december 2010 (Nederlands)

Concerts and clinics in England, Germany France and The Netherlands
TAMIR HENDELMAN - DESTINATIONS: European Tour December 2010
Hans Koert

Two years ago, October 2008, the Jeff Hamilton Trio, featuring Jeff Hamilton on drums, Tamir Hendelman at the piano and Christoph Luty performed at the Porgy en Bess Jazz club in Terneuzen ( in the south west part of The Netherlands). I remember a great concert with three skilled musicians. Tamir Hendelman was remembered because of his strong playing and great arrangement like for Lullaby of the Leaves. His first album, entitled Playground, released in 2008 in Japan, features his arrangements of standards as well as his originals.

On this album Jeff Hamilton played the drums with John Clayton on bass. John Clayton is, of course remembered as the bass player in the famous Monty Alexander Trio recordings of Montreux 1976. Tamir Hendelman has now released his second album, entitled Destinations. Tamir Hendelman can be heard this months at several concerts and clinics in England, France, Germany and The Netherlands.

Tamil Hendelman ( Porgy en Bess - Terneuzen (The Netherlands) ( October 2008) ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Tamir Hendelman was born in Tel Aviv in Israel in 1971 and got his first piano lessons at the age of 6. His family moved to the US West coast when he was 12 years old and when he was 14 years old he won his first award, which even brought him to Japan. He studied at the Eastman School of Music. He became a member of the Jeff Hamilton Trio ten years ago and the Clayton-Hamilton Big Band. He became also a sought after accompanists for jazz vocalists like Roberta Gambarini ( on the album Easy To Love), Diana Krall, Barbara Streisand and Natalie Cole. His first album with his own trio was released in Japan in 2008 entitled Playground; now his second one has been released: Destinations.
The Tamir Hendelman Trio features Tamir Hendelman at the piano, Marco Panascia double bass and Lewis Nash drums. The Italian born Marco Panascia played with great names like Kenny Barron, Eric Reed and Dado Moroni. Lewis Nash started his career with Betty Carter in 1985 and accompanied a lot of greats in jazz, like Art Farmer, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner and Tommy Flanagan, to list some!

Tamir Hendelman - Marco Panascia - Lewis Nash: Destinations (Resonance Records RCD-1017)

The trio seems to be one of the most common group forms to play in jazz, normally featuring piano, bass and drums. And there is nothing wrong with hearing a great trio blow through a familiar standard, stating the head at the top, letting the pianist stretch out with the other two accompanying, getting quiet for a chorus from the bass and building up again for the pianist and drummer to trade fours, and restating the tune on the way to a big finish. (liner notes by Robert L. Doerschuk). But what happens if equally skilled threesome play together? A trio with three inventive improvisers? Well, this Tamir Hendelman Trio belongs to the latter; the dozen tunes, all arranged by Tamir learn that these three men are great improvisers and can listen to each other.

The tune Israeli Waltz and Babushka are both own compositons by Tamir; the latter he wrote for his two grandmothers, after he had found these Russian nest dolls at a trip to Alaska. The tune Israeli Waltz is a composition dedicated to his motherland Israel. The album opens with a great tune entitled Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, a tune originally a hit by Bing Crosby, who recorded it in March 1931. It has a great intro by Tamir Hendelman on the piano before it takes off ............

Marco Panascia (http://www.marcopanascia.com/)

In Le Tombeau de Couperin Tamir shows that he ejoyes both classical music and jazz, in a tune dedicated to the music of Maurice Ravel. The Charlie Parker composition Anthropology belongs, together with Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams and BQE to my favourites. These tunes are Tamir Hendelman at his best - maybe because his strong piano playing reminds me to the music of Monty Alexander. The letters BQE stand for the Brooklyn Queens Express way and is .... our jumping off point - into the energy of NYC. (quote: Tamir Hendelson)

This tune BQE, received consideration for a Grammy in the category Best Improvised Solo. There were two more Grammy considerations for this album for the categories of the Best Instrumental Album and the tune Israeli Waltz was considered for the Best Instrumental Composition.

Christoph Luty and Tamir Hendelman ( source: http://jazztimes.com)
Love to finish with a promo from Resonance Records for this excellent record, with Tamir Hendelman and his trio.

Lewish Nash ( source: http://www.lewisnash.com/)

This month you can see and hear Tamir Hendelman in person at several concerts and clinics. It will be his debut in Europe as a band leader.
= 9th of December: The Pheasantry at Pizza Express - London (England)
= 10th of December: The Panama, Amsterdam (Mijke's Middag - Radio 6)
= 13th - 14th of December: Le Duc des Lombards - Paris
= 16th of December: Piano-Buhne Kleinhenz Oberthulba/Reith (Germany)
= 17th of December: Altes Pfandhaus - Koln )(Germany)
= 18th of December: Theaterstubchen - Kassel (Germany)
= 19th of December: Henk Hupkes Piano’s Vleugels Gitaren - Zeist ( The Netherlands)
= 20th of December: L’Olympia - Paris (France)
= 21st of December: Bulls’ Head Barnes (London) (England)
( updated tour list)
Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow ( 6th and 7th of December, 2010) he will play in The Netherlands at some clinics in Arnhem and Utrecht and at the Tilburg Fontys School of Music. It’s a pity that these concerts are not public - Tamir can be heard in The Netherlands at the shop of Henk Hupkes Piano's Vleugels Gitaren in Zeist at the 19th of December, 2010. On the 10th of December 2010 Tamir can be heard at Mijke Loeven's program Live in Panama at Radio 6

Tamir Hendelman's latest album Destinations can be ordered at Resonance Records

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

http://twitter.com/keepswinging

The trio seems to be the most common organization form in jazz. If you don't know what happens if all three members are equally skilled improvisers, you should listen to Destinations, the latest album by pianist Tamir Hendelman and his rhythm section. This talented piano player, composer and arranger tours along European venues and schools to promote his latest album Destinations at concerts and clinics. Keep Swinging heard him in concert two years ago and loves to share this great instrumentalist with the visitors of the Keep Swinging blog. If you don't want to miss any contribution, follow it by Twitter or ask for its latest newsletter.