Acclaimed jazz violinist Tamara deMent will be performing at Paris Bistro on Sunday, May 5, starting at 6 p.m.

by Len Lear

If you love to hear violin music played by a master, you’re in luck because there is just such a world-class violinist who will be performing in Chestnut Hill twice in the near future. But you will be disappointed if you expect to hear one of the iconic violin concertos by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Mendelssohn or Paganini.

Instead, Tamara deMent, 34, of South Jersey, will be applying her violin magic — dark, resonant tone and lyrical improvisation — in the service of jazz at Paris Bistro, next to the Chestnut Hill Hotel on Sunday, May 5, starting at 6 p.m., and also on Sunday, July 7.

At a young age, deMent began studying with Philly’s distinguished violin teacher, Julian Meyer of the Temple University Preparatory Division. Why, then, a transition to jazz?

“When I was very young, my favorite composer was Tchaikovsky because I loved the Nutcracker ballet,” deMent explained. “Now I love to listen to Dexter Gordon and Wes Montgomery. I’m also a bit hooked on a record by Dave Douglass called ‘Charms of the Night Sky.’ Violinist Mark Feldman is on it, and he’s incredible.

“My listening journey is ongoing, though, so perhaps I’ll have to let you know my true favorites at the end of my life. I was drawn into (jazz) by other musicians I happened to meet while on the job. Tim Lekan, a great bass player who lived at the shore, took me under his wing and taught me a lot about language and how to play over changes. Around the same time, I had the great fortune of hearing Diane Monroe, a great violinist, perform in my area. Her playing was very inspiring to me and led me to seek this music out.”

deMent spent most of her childhood in Chestnut Hill. She studied violin and attended elementary school at the Evan Thomas Institute on Stenton Avenue. When she was 12, her parents moved to South Jersey’s Galloway Township.

She graduated from Stockton University with a BA in 2003 and has lived in Burlington County for the past three years. She taught music at Holy Spirit High School in Atlantic County for four years but is now freelancing and teaching privately.

deMent lived at the Jersey shore for several years and played mostly during the tourist season in Atlantic City and Cape May. Since her move to Burlington County, however, most of her work has been in Philadelphia and Central Jersey. She plays every week at a French restaurant in Asbury Park called Pascal and Sabine.

Since deMent has also played at restaurants and for weddings, I asked what it is like to play for people who are not really there to listen to your music and are engaged in conversation while you are playing as opposed to playing on a stage where the audience is actually paying full attention to you.

“It’s always great to play for a listening audience,” deMent replied, “but I actually love playing in situations where people aren’t giving me their full attention as well. It gives me leave to experiment or try new tunes. One thing I don’t like, though, is when people point their phones directly in my face while I’m playing. It’s a little distracting.”

deMent’s husband, Behn Gillece, is an acclaimed vibraphonist and composer who was named the “Downbeat Rising Star” on vibraphone for 2018. He also teaches music at Rowan University and has been a sideman on more than 30 recordings. Do the two of them ever play together professionally?

“We play together a lot in our downtime,” she said. “At work we play together when the situation is appropriate for our instruments, but Behn keeps a very busy schedule and isn’t always available.”

What is the best advice deMent ever received?

“My very wise violin teacher, Larry Grika, told me not to compare myself with others. He said that you can never tell in which direction the branches of a tree will grow. I found that particular aphorism very comforting.”

Which talent that deMent does not have would she most like to have?

“I won’t lie by saying I never covet other kinds of talent, but I’m more secure than I used to be. I prefer to focus on honing my skills and growing as a musician rather than worrying about what I can’t do.”

What is deMent’s most treasured possession besides her violin?

“My socks.”

In her upcoming Paris Bistro dates, deMent will be joined by Chris Simonini on organ, Dan Hanrahan on guitar and Grant MacAvoy on drums. According to MacAvoy, “I say this with no reservation, Tamara is worldclass.”

Visit deMent's website for more information. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com