Roberta Gambarini & Tamir Hendelman

Some jazz performances impress you. Others make you feel as though you have been invited into a private conversation between two masters.

Roberta Gambarini and Tamir Hendelman belong in that second category.

On Tuesday, July 21, Campus JAX welcomes one of the great vocal-piano pairings in modern jazz: an intimate evening with internationally acclaimed vocalist Roberta Gambarini and celebrated pianist, composer, and arranger Tamir Hendelman. This is the kind of night that rewards close listening — voice and piano in direct dialogue, full of swing, elegance, humor, risk, lyric beauty, and the kind of musical trust that only comes from artists who have lived deeply inside the tradition.

Roberta Gambarini is widely regarded as one of the preeminent jazz vocalists of her generation. Born in Turin, Italy, she burst onto the international jazz scene in 1998 as a runner-up in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition, then went on to perform at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, major festivals such as Monterey and Newport, and New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club. Her artistry has earned multiple Grammy nominations, including recognition for her albums Easy to Love and So in Love, and her official site describes her as a singer, lyricist, arranger, and educator. 

What makes Gambarini extraordinary is not only the beauty of the voice, but the depth of the musicianship. She sings with the command of an instrumentalist, the phrasing of a great horn player, and the emotional clarity of a storyteller. Her lineage runs through Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Billie Holiday, and the great bebop masters — but the result is not imitation. It is living jazz: deeply rooted, technically fearless, and completely present in the moment.

Tamir Hendelman is the ideal partner for that kind of artistry. Born in Tel Aviv and raised in Los Angeles, Hendelman began keyboard studies at age six, won Yamaha’s national keyboard competition at fourteen, and later earned his degree in composition from the Eastman School of Music. Since 2000, he has toured internationally with his own trio, the Jeff Hamilton Trio, and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, while becoming one of the most sought-after pianist-arrangers for vocalists. His work includes performances and recordings with Natalie Cole, Roberta Gambarini, Jackie Ryan, and Barbra Streisand — including Streisand’s celebrated return to jazz at the Village Vanguard. 

Together, Gambarini and Hendelman offer something rare: the grandeur of the Great American Songbook in its most intimate form. Their duo setting allows every phrase, every harmonic turn, every breath, and every improvisational spark to matter. Audiences can expect beloved standards, bebop gems, Brazilian and Jobim-inspired colors, ballads, and spontaneous reinventions shaped in real time by two artists with extraordinary ears and deep mutual respect. Their recent duo appearances have been described as celebrations of the Great American Songbook, bebop evergreens, lesser-known Jobim, and more; Hendelman also recorded on Gambarini’s Easy to Love and So in Love albums and has toured with her in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. 

This is not simply a concert. It is a close-up encounter with the language of jazz itself — voice and piano, melody and harmony, tradition and invention, two master musicians discovering the night together.

Tuesday, July 21 at Campus JAX: Roberta Gambarini and Tamir Hendelman bring the Songbook, swing, bebop, and soul into one intimate, unforgettable evening.

Artist Bio: Roberta Gambarini

Roberta Gambarini is a multi-Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist, lyricist, arranger, and educator whose artistry places her among the most respected singers in contemporary jazz. Born and raised in Turin, Italy, Gambarini grew up surrounded by jazz and began performing professionally before moving to the United States, where she quickly made a major impression as a runner-up in the 1998 Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition. 

Since then, she has built an international career performing at leading venues and festivals, including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Monterey, Newport, and New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club. Her collaborators include many of the masters of the music: James Moody, Roy Hargrove, Hank Jones, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera, and the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars Big Band. 

Gambarini’s recordings have earned major critical recognition, including Grammy nominations for Easy to Love and So in Love, as well as honors from the French National Jazz Academy. In 2023, the French Ministry of Culture awarded her the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, one of France’s highest honors for artists. 

A vocalist of remarkable range, swing, and improvisational command, Gambarini carries forward the legacy of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae while remaining unmistakably herself: elegant, fearless, and deeply musical.

Artist Bio: Tamir Hendelman

Tamir Hendelman is an award-winning jazz pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and one of the most trusted musical partners for many of today’s leading vocalists and instrumentalists. Born in Tel Aviv, he began keyboard studies at age six, moved to the United States in 1984, and won Yamaha’s national keyboard competition two years later. He later studied at Tanglewood and earned his Bachelor of Music in Composition from the Eastman School of Music. 

Since 2000, Hendelman has toured the United States, Europe, and Japan with his own trio, the Jeff Hamilton Trio, and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. He is known for his dynamic swing, harmonic imagination, and deeply sensitive accompaniment, and has worked with artists including Natalie Cole, Barbra Streisand, Roberta Gambarini, Jackie Ryan, Richard Galliano, Claudio Roditi, and many others. 

His recordings as a leader include Playground and Destinations, the latter reaching #1 on the jazz charts and featuring music that ranges from originals to Jobim, Keith Jarrett, and Ravel. Hendelman has been on the jazz faculty at UCLA since 2005 and continues to be a major presence as a performer, arranger, and educator.