Tammy Hall "The Songs I Love"

Grammy-winning pianist, composer, and educator Tammy L. Hall presents "The Songs I Love," a heartfelt tribute to the musical legends who shaped her artistry. For this intimate series at Keys Jazz Bistro, Hall honors her mentors and influences including Etta Jones, Ernestine Anderson, Denise Perrier, Houston Person, Mary Lou Williams, Tania Maria, and Nina Simone.

Hall's warm, intuitive style weaves together jazz, gospel, and classical approaches with what JazzTimes describes as "an uncluttered, telegraphic style marked by her classical training and deep roots in gospel" that "combines elegance and grit." Over her four-decade career, she has collaborated with an impressive roster including the late Etta Jones and Ernestine Anderson, Mary Wilson, Regina Carter, Marcus Shelby, Terri Lyne Carrington, Houston Person, and Gerald Clayton. As a Lead Teaching Artist with SFJAZZ and recipient of the inaugural Pleasant-Leidesdorff Community Stalwart award, Hall brings both technical mastery and deep musical storytelling to every performance.

Expect an evening where Hall's gift for spiritual beauty and soul-searching comes through in every note. Her recent gospel performance at the 2023 Monterey Jazz Festival demonstrated her ability to "usher an appreciative crowd into a stirring world of soul-searching and spiritual beauty" while eloquently connecting the deep roots between gospel and jazz. As one critic noted, "her playing is warm and persuasive and a listener's delight."

This special series offers a rare opportunity to experience Hall's personal musical journey through the songs and artists who inspired her path from a four-year-old Dallas church pianist to Grammy winner, celebrating the lineage of masters who continue to flow through her music.