Hinda Hoffman has had an unusual career because she did not start singing professionally until she was nearly 40. Hoffman was actually very interested in singing early on, loving the Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley record. But at 12 she suffered from a bad case of stage fright when she was asked to sing at a PTA meeting. She did not sing in public again for decades. In 1988, she took a jazz vocal class at the Blooms School of Jazz, and the following year she summoned up the courage to sit in at jam sessions and open mikes a few nights a week. Soon afterward, Hoffman started performing at clubs and has since become a fixture in the Chicago area. Inspired and cheered on by Sheila Jordan and Steve Allen, she has appeared at several festivals including the Amherst Jazz Festival and the Chicago Jazz Festival. Hinda Hoffman has recorded two self-produced recordings, You Are There and Moon and Sand, which feature her swinging on standards. ~ Scott Yanow