Jazz Articles about Tardo Hammer

like 140

Tardo Hammer: Look Stop & Listen

by David A. Orthmann
November 21, 2007

Look Stop & Listen, Tardo Hammer's fourth release as a leader, is subtitled The Music of Tadd Dameron. It's the antithesis of a concept record, in which the music takes a backseat to marketing and promotion. Instead of a parade of guest stars, all Hammer needs is bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth to launch a rigorous, thoughtful, and brilliantly played set. He's the perfect antidote to the legions of jazz pianists who possess tons of technique yet have ...

like 243

Tardo Hammer: Tardo's Tempo

by David A. Orthmann
May 14, 2004

Tardo Hammer Tardo’s Tempo Sharp Nine

In tandem with bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Jimmy Wormworth, Tardo Hammer carves out his own space in the bebop tradition—once again, proving that accomplished musicians still have a lot to say while mining established styles. The pianist doesn’t mess with the bebop blueprint; rather, he excels at executing its fundamental elements. The material on “Tardo’s Tempo” is a carefully selected mixture of selections from the American Popular Songbook, a ...

like 114

Tardo Hammer: Somethin' Special

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 1, 2001

Piano man Tardo Hammer is the perfect poster boy for the category of “one of the greatest jazz musicians you’ve never heard of.” His record dates have been few in number and his musical activity is confined primarily to the New York area, but his world-class stature is categorically undeniable. Now thanks to Sharp Nine, the rest of the world gets a chance to catch some Hammer time. Somethin’ Special is Tardo’s second effort for the small New Jersey-based label ...

like 112

Tardo Hammer: Somethin' Special

by Jack Bowers
August 1, 2001

The best Jazz pianist you’ve never heard? He could answer to the name Tardo Hammer. The 43–year–old New Yorker is indeed somethin’ special, as he demonstrates time and again on his second album for Sharp Nine. We were lucky enough to review the first one ( Hammer Time ), and everything written then bears repeating, with even weightier emphasis. “When listening to him play,” we observed, “one doesn’t think of a Hammer so much as a scalpel, or perhaps a ...

like 173

Tardo Hammer: Somethin' Special

by David A. Orthmann
May 1, 2001

A half-century removed from its heyday, and no longer the most influential style or common dialect of the ever-expanding jazz canon, bebop is more often intimated than played in its unalloyed form. For many young musicians bop is not a destination or even a place to linger, but at best a way station en route to finding a more suitable means of expression. In the right hands, however, it is still a vital, living art form. OnSomethin’ Special, his second ...

like 179

Tardo Hammer: Somethin' Special

by David A. Orthmann
May 1, 2001

A half-century removed from its heyday, and no longer the most influential style or common dialect of the ever-expanding jazz canon, bebop is more often intimated than played in its unalloyed form. For many young musicians bop is not a destination or even a place to linger, but at best a way station en route to finding a more suitable means of expression. In the right hands, however, it is still a vital, living art form. OnSomethin’ Special, his second ...

like 139

Tardo Hammer: Hammer Time

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 1, 1999

Well, according to the promotional advertising that accompanies this release, Tardo Hammer is known around the New York area as one of the underground greats of bebop piano. After a few spins of this disc, his maiden voyage, one would be hard pressed to suggest that the accolades were mere hype. This pianist is indeed a mature and highly-skilled player with a sound that swings mightily. In fact, he plays with a dexterity and grace that covers many moods and ...