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Tardo Hammer: Somethin' Special
by C. Andrew Hovan
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 ...
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by Jack Bowers
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 ...
Continue ReadingTardo Hammer: Somethin' Special
by David A. Orthmann
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 ...
Continue ReadingTardo Hammer: Somethin' Special
by David A. Orthmann
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 ...
Continue ReadingTardo Hammer: Hammer Time
by C. Andrew Hovan
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 ...
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