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Biography
Vocalist, composer, lyricist and pianist Tamuz Nissim stands as a formidable presence in the vibrant Jazz scene of NYC, gracing renowned clubs (Mezzrow Jazz Club, Jazz Forum, Blue Note , Maureen’s Jazz Cellar ) with her captivating performances and gaining the love of music lovers and Jazz aficionados alike.
With five studio albums as a leader to her name, Nissim has garnered rave reviews from the Jazz press. Her music is being played in radio stations and podcasts around the world.
“Capturing Clouds” made waves on The Roots Radio Charts, holding it’s position for an impressive 12 weeks and peaking at #6 on the NAAC Radio Charts peaking at #12. Additionally “Echo of a Heartbeat” charted on the JazzWeek Charts, further solidifying Nissim’s position as a prominent figure in the Jazz landscape.
As an in-demand side-woman and lyricist, Tamuz Nissim has collaborated and recorded with notable artists. Her vocal contributions, notably on Roni Ben Hur's "Stories" and Jared Pauley's "On Capitol Street," have left an indelible mark. Additionally, her virtuosic performances on George Nazos' tracks "The Chase" and "Hope" significantly contributed to the success of the album "Symposium for Peace," earning Nazos a composition award from The Bronx Council to the Arts.
In addition, In 2021, she participated as a vocalist and co-composer in a project of dancer and professor Cara Hagen.
Currently, Nissim is under commission to compose a piece for soprano, viola, and piano, for a project led by viola player Rose Woman.
Born in Tel Aviv Israel. She is a twice grant receiver from AICF (2002,2003) and a a winner of Riga Jazz Stage Vocal Competition (2015). In 2012, Ms. Nissim graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Den Haag Netherlands, a Bachelor degree in Jazz performance vocal and piano.
Relocating to NYC in 2014, Nissim swiftly integrated herself into the city's vibrant jazz scene, showcasing her talents alongside some of its most esteemed musicians. She is based in the Bronx where she performs and curates a weekly Jazz series and a Jam session, supported by the Keyed Up! foundation. As the sole weekly jazz event in the borough, the performances have attracted attention from numerous local publications and even earned a feature on Bronx Net TV.
My Story
I was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. My family can only be described as artistic; my father is a writer, my mother a dancer and choreographer, my grandmother a painter, and almost everybody in my family plays an instrument. In fact, I found out that I am related to band leader and pianist Jean Goldkette, and so I am not the first Jazz musician in the family.
During my childhood years I was playing classical piano. Music always fascinated me: when I was three years old, I used to sit in front of the piano and tried to invent melodies. My artistic interests were various, among them writing, painting, and dancing. I even took part in a ballet performance of the “Nutcracker” when I was nine.
The moment when it became clear that I should devote myself to music was when, at the age of thirteen, as a classical piano player of Ironi Alef high school’s music department, I asked to sing a song with the jazz band at the end of the school year’s performance. The night of the performance convinced everybody, including myself, that singing was my greatest passion.
Since my mother was a choreographer, we had a huge music library at home. My mother often tells the story of how, when I was a baby, I used to cry when she was listening to Tom Waits. Now he is one of my favorite artists and his music has influenced me considerably.
So I grew up with the melodies of Billie Holiday and Sarah Voughan around me, as well as Bill Evans, The modern Jazz quartet ,Art blaky and Mingus.
As my lust for music became more intense, I started to play every week at a local café in the center of Tel Aviv. Every Tuesday I was singing in the café and every Wednesday, straight after school, I was going to the jazz CD shop to spend all the money I got from the concert on new CDs. During the summer, I was working as a waitress in order to save money for the “Red Sea Jazz festival” and for singing and piano lessons. Instead of going out dancing with my friends or going to the movies, I was always going to Jazz clubs and jam sessions or I was staying home to learn new songs.
At the age of twenty I stayed in New York for three months to attend masterclasses and experience the city of Jazz and in 2007 I moved to the Netherlands to study in the “Royal Conservatory of Den Haag”. During my studies, I began composing music more and more. Thanks to my scholarship, I finally could dedicate more time to the music, in search for my personal sound. Meeting musicians from all around the world was an important contribution to this process, as well as the melancholic atmosphere of Holland’s weather. As Tom Waits sings in San Diego Serenade, “I never heard a melody until I needed her song.”
My ifluences
I believe that life and music are one.
All of life’s experiences and feelings (love, joy, dreams, disappointment, excitement etc.) can be translated into music if only we let the music in our lives. That is why I always aim at intriguing my audience with an emotion, tell them a story, or enable them somehow to experience music at a deeper level.
I love reading, mostly fiction and poetry. Boris Vian’s book “Froth on a Daydream” starts with the following claim: “There are only two things: love, all sorts of love, with pretty girls, and the music of New Orleans or Duke Ellington.” The book, which is one of my favorites, exploresthe limits between reality and fantasy, life and dream, and music as the tool that brings everything together.
As for poetry, I love Allen Ginsberg, Maya Angelou Charles Bukovski and Israeli poet Yehuda Amihai.
I prefer poems with broken rhythm that are associative because they are similar to Jazz.
