Tardo Hammer; Right Now!

Quite a few years ago I was fortunate enough to be able to hire Tardo Hammer to play a gorgeous Yamaha at Classic Pianos here in Portland. Imagine my surprise when he called me recently to tell me he was going to send his new CD my way. I wouldn't describe Tardo as a minimalist; it's just that he plays ALL the right notes---in the very heart of bebop. On this new release he works to perfection with veterans Lee Hudson on bass and Steve Williams on drums. With shades of heroes like Bud, Monk, Barry Harris, and Elmo Hope, Hammer's exquisite touch and super jazz feeling are outstanding on many tunes you know well. Among them are “I Didn't Know What Time It Was”, “They Didn't Believe Me”, “My Ship”, and the rarely heard “I See Your Face Before Me”. From the jazz Real Book, how about “Dear Old Stockhom” and “Epistrophy”. To complete a stunning, straight ahead effort, there's “Lonely Town”, a Tardo original called “Moonlight”, and the surprise of the session, the Johnny Mercer hit from way back, “I'm An Old Cowhand”! This CD is something of a throwback in that it's a gimmick free, real deal jazz trio playing with excitement, charm, and cohesiveness. I might just conclude by saying that If I Had A Hammer, it would be Tardo!

Jazz Bird Records; 2024; appx. 70 min.