Tamir Hendelman: Living a Dream

Author of "The Insanity Hoax: Exposing the myth of the mad genius," Dr. J combines her love of jazz and her fascination with psychology, focusing on where they overlap: in celebrating the individual spirit.

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Published: December 29, 2009

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AAJ: And you also have your own trio.

TH: I've had my own group in L.A. for several years, have had a chance to write more originals there. [Drummer] Dean Koba has been with me for years; on bass it's Dan Lutz or Carlito del Puerto. They are great players.

Tamir Hendelman

How did your first CD as leader, Playground (Swing Bros, 2008), come about?

TH: What happened was, I did a duo with [singing bassist] Jay Leonhart in New York, and he had just recorded a CD for this producer from Japan, Ikuyoshi Hirakawa, from Swing Bros. Jay invited him to hear us. When I was in Japan with the big band, Mr. Hirakawa had heard me, and now he asked if I'd like to do a trio CD with John and Jeff. But of course—twist my arm! So I asked John and Jeff, and they said they'd love to.

AAJ: That must have been a little different, being the boss.

TH: One of the reasons I called that CD Playground is that going into the studio was like our playground. We did a couple of rehearsals, not that many. Basically, I invited both of them to the house, we played some arrangements, just to see what each of them had to add to the music, grooves, etc. You couldn't ask for a better trio.

AAJ: What's your dream gig?

TH: I don't think of it like that, as a dream that's out there. I'm already working with some of the best musicians. Anyway, the more you develop as a musician, the more you open yourself up, the more it becomes like a dream.

AAJ: Who are your musical idols?

TH: [Trumpeter] Miles Davis, because he had the sound, carried to all these different styles. [Pianist] Keith [Jarrett], for his lyricism and surprise; [pianist] Oscar [Peterson], for his groove. And then pianists Chick [Corea], Herbie [Hancock], Bill Evans, Gene Harris—it's kind of wide. Ravel.

AAJ: And birdsong, and your daughter's laugh...

TH: Yeah... now we're really getting into it!

AAJ: As far as the eternal question of where jazz is going... I recently met someone who was a childhood friend of [saxophonist] Dexter Gordon. He's one of those guys who thinks that all the best things have already happened, and all the great innovators have already lived. So when you ask him, "Have you heard [pianist/composer] Shelly Berg?" He says "Well, he's not Bud Powell."

For some people, their sense of importance is threatened by something new coming out. After all, they are the keepers of the flame—they heard the greats. I can understand that, but that doesn't help jazz win anyone over, when people insist that the best of it is behind us.

Sure, there was a time when there was nothing, and someone had to invent it, and that makes that person an icon—but that doesn't mean that things aren't going to move from there in new directions. And it's clear you're one of the guys who's going to do just that.

TH: Thanks. I don't think a person has to invent a new language in order to do the next great thing; everyone has their own unique experience to express. Sure, there's a great tradition to work from, but you find your own sound. It's all about sound, not labels. It's what you like, what you hear, what you create with other people, too, since each group has its own sound as well.

AAJ: Meanwhile, aside from all your musical activities, there have been some notable personal milestones in the past year.

TH: It's been kind of a whirlwind. Two big things happened in our personal lives: we moved, we got the first house of our own, and we have a second child, which is beautiful. I never knew how much joy being a father would be, but having two? It's twice as much. It's really something. It kind of makes you look at life differently.

AAJ: How so?

TH: More calmly, which is weird, because you'd think it would make you go, "'Oh my God, now I have two, all those responsibilities." But somehow it makes me feel more calm, because I get so much joy from my children and my wife and my family. It just feeds my soul. And it's an adventure, it makes it more fun. They each have their own personalities: Zoee is rambunctious, and Sophia is like a little Buddha. I have three younger brothers, we just had fun all over the place when we grew up, and they're three of my best friends, you know? So now my children get to have that.

AAJ: Let's talk about your approach to arranging, since that has become such a large part of your reputation.

TH: Some people, when they're arranging for a CD, they say, "OK, give me the chance, and I'll have the arrangements done in a few weeks." But if I can get together with the person and work the arrangements while they're in the room? This always makes me happier, since I can say, "do you think we should go here? Or try that?" Sometimes we do the ending first, and then just try different ways until it clicks.

AAJ: That sounds time-consuming.

TH: Actually, I feed off of their energy, so it makes me write faster. And if I come up with an idea, they get to perform it for me right there and then.

AAJ: So you know exactly what it sounds like.

TH: Yes, and I know if it's going to work.

That makes sense. Lately you've been arranging for—let's run the list—Roberta Gambarini

TH: Roberta does a lot of her own arranging. I think I only arranged one or two things for her new CD [So in Love (Groovin' High Records, 2009)]. The fun thing with her was doing a couple of tunes, off the cuff, just me and her: "So in Love" and "Over the Rainbow." That was just joy. Then there's Greta Matassa—she's a really soulful singer from Seattle with a lot of different colors in her voice. Who else... Angela Hagenbach, who did a great album in tribute to Henry Mancini, Michel Legrand, and Johnny Mandel [The Way They Make Me Feel (Resonance Records, 2009]. I arranged and played on about half the tracks there. Now I'm going to do one with violinist Christian Howes. He's doing a blues record, or a record inspired by the blues.