calendar  |  musicians  |  venues  |  concert reviews  |  CD reviews  |  photos  |  features




Azzaam Hameed

piano/vocals

www.smoothkeys.com



from www.smoothkeys.com:

Azzaam Hameed was initially inspired to play music by his late sister Barbara who died an untimely death just prior to her 23rd birthday. Barbara was very talented. She played the piano, the clarinet, and she also sang in various church choirs. Barbara had a signifigant influence on 'Azzaam's early musical development. His musical roots were derived from gospel, having grown up in a Pentecostal church environment; however, he did receive some formal training as a teenager, which included some classical music and theory when he enrolled as a student at Union College in Schenectady, NY. 'Azzaam Hameed was born in Columbus Ohio on August 16th, 1952. He was the 2nd youngest of 6 children, with 5 sisters. His sister Barbara was the 2nd oldest and the two of them had a particularly close relationship in which music played a special part. 'Azzaam pursued music on a full-time basis for several years, performing throughout the Northeast in several locally based top 40 groups. He ultimately decided to abandon the "road circuit" for a more predictable lifestyle and, in doing so, to develop a more versatile style as both a pianist and a vocalist.

Musical influences: Ahmad Jamal (pianist), McCoy Tyner(pianist), Ramsey Lewis (pianist), Joe Sample (pianist), George Duke(pianist/vocalist), Lonnie Liston Smith (pianist)…just to mention a few.

Vocal influences: Johnny Hartman, Lou Rawls, Joe Williams, & many more.

Stylistic Description: 𠆊zzaam Hameed’s musical style on the piano incorporates a tasteful blend of Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, and Gospel; with colorful accents of Latin and Brazilian overtones. Vocally, his singing style has frequently been compared with the rich baritone voice of Lou Rawls.

Musical Experience: Organist/Pianist at Friendship Baptist Church,Schenectady, NY (20 + yrs. ) Artist Instructor w/youth vocal ensemble for the Youth Advancement through Music & Arts Program at Parsons Children’s Center in Albany, NY Pianist/Vocalist w/ Sha’ron & The Fellas musical group. Featuring Sha’ron as Lead Vocalist & Ron Mayfield,Guitarist/Vocalist. The group is based out of Albany, NY