LIVE at Piedmont Piano Company
Tammy McCann & Tamir Hendelman
The Legendary Ladies of Jazz
At the end of the 1940’s, four women appeared on the scene – Ella, Sarah, Dinah, and Billie – whose distinct styles of delivery and mastery of improvisation changed the direction of jazz, as well as popular music. Internationally recognized jazz vocalist Tammy McCann pays tribute to these Ladies of Jazz, accompanied by pianist, composer, and arranger Tamir Hendelman.
General Admission
$35 in advance / $40 at the door
We are offering a limited number of seats for this performance. Advance purchase is recommended. Masking is optional.
TAMMY McCANN
Tammy McCann is an internationally recognized jazz vocalist and the Artist in Residence at the Music Institute of Chicago. Renowned for her powerful and "emotionally charged" voice, McCann uniquely blends classical vocal technique and gospel aesthetics with jazz. The Chicago Tribune describes her as having a "voice that inspires wonder," while critics like Stanley Crouch praise her superb pitch and "polished swing."
Her illustrious career includes touring as a Raelette with Ray Charles and performing alongside jazz legends such as Ramsey Lewis, Von Freeman, and Branford Marsalis. A masterful storyteller, McCann has captivated global audiences at iconic venues including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and The Blue Note, as well as international stages from Bangkok to Greece.
Whether performing at Chicago’s own Jazz Showcase or premier festivals worldwide, McCann is celebrated for her warm delivery and ability to forge deep emotional connections with her listeners. As Alyce Claerbaut of Strayhorn Songs notes, Tammy McCann is truly "a star with a one-of-a-kind voice." tammymccann.com
TAMIR HENDELMAN
Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Tamir Hendelman is celebrated for his sensitive touch, dynamic improvisation, and imaginative arrangements. He has performed and recorded with vocalists including Natalie Cole, Barbra Streisand, Roberta Gambarini, Tierney Sutton, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, and is a longtime member of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. He has also collaborated with instrumentalists such as Sean Jones, Benny Golson, Eddie Henderson, Houston Person, Richard Galliano, Claudio Roditi, Graham Dechter, Wycliffe Gordon, and Scott Hamilton.
Hendelman has appeared as a soloist with the Winston-Salem Symphony and Arizona Musicfest Symphonies in Rhapsody in Blue, and in 2018 performed a special tribute to Antônio Carlos Jobim with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. When he premiered John Clayton’s reimagining of Oscar Peterson’s Canadiana Suite in 2001, Peterson wrote: “It was a satisfying but strange feeling... to hear a new young voice make some exhilarating and thoughtful solos in the spaces I used to occupy in those pieces…”
Through his Musical Portraits project, Hendelman composes original works inspired by the lives, stories, and spirits of individuals, couples, or communities. Each commissioned piece becomes a deeply personal musical reflection, combining melody, harmony, and improvisation to capture the subject’s essence. These portraits can be presented as live performances, recordings, or keepsakes—offering a unique way to experience music as a personal and meaningful gift.
A Yamaha Artist, he teaches masterclasses worldwide and has lectured at UCLA’s Global Jazz Studies program since 2005.