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Tardo Hammer
Born in Queens, New York in 1958, Tardo Hammer began playing piano at age 5, and after dabbling with clarinet and guitar, returned to piano at age 13. By his mid teenage years he was listening heavily to jazz recordings of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and others and teaching himself to play that music on the piano and with other young musicians
Hammer's first professional appearance was on New Year's Eve, 1973, when he and five other fifteen year olds entertained the revelers with renditions of Ornithology, Four, Round Midnight, Scrapple From the Apple, Buzzy and So What. They were fired shortly before midnight.
In 1977 Hammer took up residence in a Chelsea loft, where regular jam sessions took place. Supporting himself with a combination of gigs and teaching, he began to enjoy a reputation as one of the bright young pianists on the New York scene. He was also a regular at clubs such as Bradley's, the Angry Squire, the Jazz Cultural Theater and the Star Cafe, where he was inspired by the influences of pianists Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Cedar Walton, Hank Jones, among others.
In the 80's, Hammer began working with the Bill Hardman-Junior Cook Quintet, Lou Donaldson and the Art Farmer-Clifford Jordan Quintet. He also worked with Lionel Hampton, Johnny Griffin and Charlie Rouse and performed in venues throughout the U.S. His recording debut was in 1986 with trumpeter Al Porcino's big band which featured Al Cohn and Mel Lewis.
In 1990, Hammer spent two months in Japan performing with a trio that included Vernel Fournier on drums and Victor Sproles on bass. He continued to appear internationally, in Europe and Japan, alongside featured performers including Annie Ross, Abbey Lincoln, Conte Candoli, Chubby Jackson and others.
By 1998, Hammer was increasingly active in New York, and had appeared on a number of CDs. Sharp Nine Records sought him out to record with his own trio. Hammer Time (1999) and Somethin' Special (2001) Tardo's Tempo (2004) and Look Stop And Listen (2007) all feature Hammer as a trio leader and have been highly acclaimed.
Look Stop and Listen, an album of Tadd Dameron compositions, was named as one of the top CDs of 2007 in Downbeat, The Village Voice, and All About Jazz. Hammer's trio has performed at festivals and clubs in Spain, France and Italy as well as in the USA. Most recently, Tardo continues to work with his trio, as well as serving as accompanist and sideman to other featured performers, including Annie Ross, Charles Davis, Warren Vache and Grant Stewart..
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Grant Stewart: Rise and Shine
by C. Andrew Hovan
Over the past twenty-five years, the jazz world has seen its share of stylistic ups and downs. Often changing with chameleon-like character, the music's popularity has come and gone based on the trends of the time and the success of musicians capable of connecting with broader audiences beyond the established cognoscenti. In looking back at the year 1992, when Grant Stewart's debut release Downtown Sounds hit the streets, the range of material being offered by his peers spanned from Uri ...
read moreTardo Hammer: Look Stop & Listen: The Music of Tadd Dameron
by Jack Bowers
Nearly a decade ago I had the pleasure of reviewing Hammer Time, the impressive debut album by (as I wrote then) an “enormously talented" young pianist, Tardo Hammer. While we've both grown older since then, I am happy to report that at least one of us (guess who) has continued on an upward path. Hammer's latest album for Sharp Nine Records (his fourth) is another handsome feather in his cap. The lively and engaging session is devoted entirely to music ...
read moreTardo Hammer: Look Stop & Listen
by J Hunter
A teacher at Cambridge, Massachusetts' New School of Music when he's not leading singer Annie Ross' band, pianist Tardo Hammer has backed up stalwarts including Lou Donaldson and Abbey Lincoln, and was a member of the Art Farmer-Clifford Jordan Quintet. The last credit is the key here, because Jordan played on Live at the Theatre Boulogne--the 1994 Soul Note release by Dameronia, Don Sickler and Philly Jo Jones' big-band tribute to legendary composer/arranger Tadd Dameron. How much influence Jordan had ...
read moreTardo Hammer: Look Stop & Listen
by David A. Orthmann
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 ...
read moreTardo Hammer: Tardo's Tempo
by David A. Orthmann
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 ...
read moreTardo 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 ...
read moreTardo Hammer: Somethin' Special
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 ...
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