The third and final concert of this year’s Blue Jay Jazz Festival will feature jazz pianist Tamir Hendelman, who will be joined by vocalist Eddie Wakes.
This Aug. 23 concert will take place on the lawn of the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa at 5:00 p.m., with gates opening at 4:00 p.m.
In addition to playing with a number of other trios and solo artists, Hendelman has his own trio, which is featured on his debut CD “Playground.”
The jazz pianist began his keyboard studies at the age of 6 in Tel Aviv. He moved to the U.S. in 1984, winning Yamaha’s national keyboard competition two years later at age 14. Concerts in Japan and at the Kennedy Center followed.
Hendelman then studied at the Tanglewood Institute in 1988 and received a bachelor of music composition degree from the Eastman School of Music in 1993. He then became the youngest musical director for Lovewell Institute, a national arts education nonprofit organization.
Eddie Wakes will bring the music of Nat King Cole and more to the jazz festival.
Since returning to Los Angeles in 1996, Hendelman has been in steady demand as both pianist and arranger.
With the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Hendeleman has recorded for John Pizzarelli, Gladys Knight and Diana Krall. He is featured on Natalie Cole’s “Still Unforgettable.”
And that brings us to Eddie Wakes. At a recent meeting of the Women’s Club of Lake Arrowhead, Chris Levister – the longtime president of the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation – played part of a song, asking the women whose voice they were hearing. Everyone thought it was Nat King Cole. It was, in fact, Eddie Wakes.
Wakes was featured in the documentary Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark in 2014 along with Tony Bennett, Natalie Coe and others.
At the Aug. 23 concert, Wakes will bring the music of Nat King Cole and others to life for the audience. His vocal style has been called “reminiscent of another time, with his velvety, wide-ranging baritone.”
Wakes’ life as a singer is said to be the “stuff movies are made of.” He performed at the Super Bowl as a youngster and then was discovered years later, singing on a Los Angeles street by Hollywood A-listers.
Director Jon Brewer has said of Wakes, “Eddie’s knowledge of the Great American Songbook is as profoundly informed as the creators of this singular music.”
For tickets to this year’s Blue Jay Jazz Festival – Shuffle, Swing & Sizzle – visit bluejayjazz.org/tickets or call (909) 366-6955.
Light refreshments and beverages will be sold on site by the Resort. No outside food or drink will be allowed. Dress for the weather, which starts out sunny and includes a cool late afternoon breeze off the lake. It is suggested guests bring a coat or jacket.
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