Review: Tierney Sutton & Tamir Hendelman Are an Ideal Pair at Birdland

What do you get when you combine a serious-minded singer whose sound is simply heavenly with the simpatico accompaniment of a sensitive pianist?  The answer: Much to touch the heart and, not for naught, food for thought.  And if they are both creative jazz artists who can pull from a wide-ranging repertoire and a rainbow of moods, including happiness and hopefulness, you get a satisfying night of music and lyrics. Versatile vocalist Tierney Sutton and pianist Tamir Hendelman make a much-pleasing combination with their material, their history, and the realities of the times.  Their performance at Birdland on January 9th started with a striking and unusual choice: a somber but gorgeous, wordless and hypnotic vocal expression of prayer and meditation. After this beautiful and breathtaking beginning Ms. Sutton, who is based on the west coast, explained that she felt the need to do such an unconventional thing to center herself and acknowledge the still-raging devastating fires in Los Angeles, mentioning that Mr. Hendelman had arrived earlier in the day on a red-eye flight from L.A. Asking for the audience’s understanding, she then said they’d proceed with the kind of night a nightclub crowd expects from a jazz singer.  And so, after this moving moment, they moved on, although “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On” (a song written by Jimmy Buffett that came up later) certainly addressed the current events and the recognition that life must go on after disasters, disappointments, and disillusions.  It served as an immensely powerful perspective: a succinct, supportive life lesson and reality check, dealing with healing, captured in a song exquisitely delivered.  

However, the program did not all gravitate towards moments of gravitas and grief, although there was palpable pain in the poignant “I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)” – Hoagy Carmichael’s song based on a poem by a woman commenting on her real-life experiences that triggered memories of her late husband.  A cheer-up moment came with a romp through “Mountain Greenery,” the Rodgers & Hart oldie about the joys of great times in the great outdoors. 

Tierney Sutton’s pre-existing connection with Tamir Hendelman intensified during the pandemic when they did remote presentations (hooray for technology) and explored material.  He is a very skillful and attentive keyboardist who can really complement a singer’s sensibilities with sensitivity.  Is it any wonder that Barbra Streisand chose him for projects, including that notable one-night-only return to small-venue performing at the Village Vanguard? And both vocalists favor songs with lyrics by their mutual friends Alan and (the late) Marilyn Bergman; the Birdland set included a lovely rendition of their collaboration with composer Dave Grusin, “The Trouble with Hello Is Goodbye.” The Tierney/Tamir spare sound is a prime example of “Less Is More.”  Ever on the same page onstage, they are a nifty, tight team navigating their way through the mega-challenging, fleet avalanche of words that is the “Waters of March,” the capper in a segment composed of the composer Antonio Carlos Jobim’s treasures.  The connection was celebrated in a cute personalization of the lyric of Irving Berlin’s winter weather standard, “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” changing the title line each time it came up to “I’ve got Tamir to keep me warm.”  And it definitely appears to be a warm relationship of mutual admiration and respect. And the warm reception of the hushed audience was also a pleasure to note.  

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Learn more bout Tierney Sutton on her website at www.tierneysutton.com

Find more upcoming shows at Birdland at www.birdlandjazz.com

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