The Carpenter Center Hosts Lush Nights of Inspired Jazz with Vocalist Tierney Sutton and Pianist Tamir Hendelman (Sept. 30/Oct. 1) and Vocalist Gretchen Parlato and Her Quartet (Oct. 2)

For immediate release
September 21, 2026

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of California State University, Long Beach presents three nights of lush, intimate jazz on the Center’s cabaret stage, beginning with a two-night engagement with Grammy-nominated vocalist Tierney Sutton and acclaimed pianist Tamir Hendelman on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Thursday, Oct. 1. On Friday, Oct. 2, singer-songwriter Gretchen Parlato and her quartet celebrate the recent release of her new album The Wise Ones. 

Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman – Sept. 30/Oct. 1
With a musical relationship going back over twenty years, Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman bring an intimacy and new warmth to reimagined songs by George Gershwin, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Johnny Mercer, Peggy Lee, Paul Simon, among others. Pianist Tamir Hendleman has arranged, recorded, and performed with legends including Barbra Streisand and Natalie Cole. Tierney Sutton is not only a nine-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist but also an educator with deep L.A. ties, having taught for over a decade at USC’s Thornton School of Music and served for six years as Vocal Department Head at Los Angeles College of Music in Pasadena. She has also mentored a new generation of singers, including Gretchen Parlato, who appears one night after Sutton and Hendelman’s performances.

Gretchen Parlato – Oct. 2
On Friday, Oct. 2, Gretchen Parlato performs with her touring quartet, reuniting with longtime collaborators Alan Hampton (bass, guitar, and vocals) and Mark Guiliana (drums), along with Gerald Clayton (piano). Parlato was the first-place winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition, and her work has garnered multiple Grammy nominations. The performance follows the release of Parlato’s new album, The Wise Ones, which weaves together jazz, R&B, and soul and features collaborations with Robert Glasper, Amber Navran of Moonchild, and Meshell Ndegeocello. The album also includes Parlato’s interpretations of songs by artists as varied as Stevie Wonder and Tears for Fears. The Guardian recently called The Wise Ones “Jazz album of the month.” This Spotlight Sessions performance is presented in partnership with KCRW.

Tickets are available at carpenterarts.org or by calling 562.985.7000, M–Th, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.  An optional dinner add-on is available for dining on stage immediately prior to Sutton and Hendelman’s Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 performances.

Event Details
Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman
When: Wednesday, Sept. 30, and Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at 7 p.m.
Venue: Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach, CA 90815
Tickets: $59–$69 at www.carpenterarts.org/event/tierney-sutton-and-tamir-hendelman

Gretchen Parlato
When: Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, at 8 p.m.
Venue: Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach, CA 90815
Tickets: $49 at www.carpenterarts.org/event/gretchen-parlato

Refreshments can be purchased and enjoyed from the cabaret stage. Additional ticketing information is available at carpenterarts.org/ticket-office. Press photos are available at carpenterarts.org/press.
 

Attendance and Parking Information

We advise patrons to visit our Frequently Asked Questions page at www.carpenterarts.org/faqs before any performance for the most up-to-date attendance information.

Convenient parking is available directly in front of the Carpenter Center in lot G12. All parking lots on campus, including lot G12, are operated by CSULB’s Parking and Transportation Services, who set all parking fees. The Carpenter Center does not earn any portion of the collected fees. Parking fees this season remain at $10 after 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and $10 all day on weekends. Additional parking information is available at www.carpenterarts.org/parking.

About the Carpenter Center

The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. Its 1,054-seat theatre gracefully accommodates large and small productions, including a season of performances showcasing emerging and established musicians, dancers, actors, speakers, comedians, and visual artists, as well as other artistic, educational, and cultural experiences that enrich lives, promote lifelong learning in and through the performing arts, and serve as a gateway between the university and the greater community.