Music Style Swing,Jazz,Blues

Artist History Drew Anthony a singer whose talent does not stop with a voice. He is a natural born entertainer, “when on stage he is like a fish in water” said N.Y.U. Professor and Tenor John Kuhn. He pursues his career with a passionate determination; he is “setting the standard” according to the Connecticut Post. Since he received his B.F.A. from the Mannes College of Music Jazz Division, he has established himself as one of the finest singers in the Tri-State area. He has produced his own show that is successful on many stages ranging from the Shubert Theater to the Foxwoods Resort & Casino. He has recorded 3 CDs, the first of which is entitled “You don’t know me”, which includes blues pianist Junior Mance on the title song. He has the first CD of his continuing series “On The Road” completed. His latest CD "The American Standard" was recorded live at Danny's Skylight Room in NYC. The Drew Anthony Show “On The Road” has been seen on local television stations throughout the state of Connecticut. He has concertized at the Jazz Spot and Danny's Cabaret in New York City, Yale University's Sprague Memorial Hall and the famous Shubert Theater in New Haven CT. Drew Anthony has studied voice with internationally known recording artist Jackie Paris, vocalist Richard Harper, and with Munich’s Bavarian State Opera tenor, John Kuhn. Drew Anthony has sung in ensembles with Benny Powell, Arnie Lawrence, Chico Hamilton, and has recorded with the blues pianist, Junior Mance. He has also sung with the popular jazz recording artist Sheila Jordan, and was privileged to sing at the legendary Blue Note with the Charles Tolliver Orchestra. He displayed his vocal versatility when he sang with the Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra under the direction of noted percussionist Bobby Sanabia at the Nuyorican Poets Café in NYC. Drew Anthony, a singer who has gained the respect of many veteran jazz musicians with his patience, hard work, and musicianship, is also capturing audiences with a true vocal talent and stage presence that is unmatched by most singers today.

Instruments Voice

Albums You Don't Know Me, On The Road 1999, A Promise, The American Standard.

Press Reviews Connecticut PostThursday, September 30, 1999Crooner set to SwingNorth Haven native Drew Anthony has the look, demeanor and voice that could be an Italian answer to Ricky Martin.But instead of aspiring to pop/rock fame, the young crooner has opted for a musical path far from the mainstream—singing jazz and swing standards.“I know what I’m doing is not that popular, but I truly believe I should be doing this music,” Anthony said.His grandmother introduced Anthony to the music of Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Nat “King” Cole at an early age.“Basically this was her music and we used to sing all the songs together,” Anthony said.Like most teen-age musicians, Anthony joined a Top 40-dance band and played regional clubs.Uninspired by the music he was playing, he left North Haven to attend New York City’s prestigious Mannes College of Music, Jazz Division.“Seeing all these young people taking these standards so seriously got me hooked again,” Anthony said.His jazz teachers confirmed what Anthony already knew—that he was destined to perform these songs.“My teachers told me that I sang these songs like I was born when they were composed,” Anthony said.Added Anthony, “I have a talent for getting the lyrics out there in a sincere way.”Talent aside, Anthony has a genuine love and respect for this music.“I’d like to bring this music unchanged to people of my generation and younger,” Anthony said. “I’m confident that if I have the right opportunity I can make anybody enjoy this music.” In July, Anthony landed a weekend gig at the Intermezzo Niteclub at Foxwoods Resort Casino. He made such an impression that the casino booked him through the end of the year.“It’s the perfect environment for me and the kind of music I’m doing,” Anthony said.Anthony said it’s a challenge to find venues that suit his style and music.“I only select the nice places because I want to be seen and perceived as an act with integrity,” Anthony said. “I want to be taken seriously.”Anthony puts a lot of energy into planning his live show, which he usually divides into several thematic acts.“I organize each set to be a show in itself,” Anthony said. “I have to come with a reason [for myself] why I’m choosing the songs I chose.”Because of comparisons to Sinatra, Anthony is wary of performing too many songs by the legendary singer.“I don’t want people to get the impression that I’m trying to sound like Sinatra,” Anthony said. “I’m just opening my mouth and singing the words the way I feel them.”You can catch the young crooner when he plays the Intermezzo Niteclub at Foxwoods Resort --Christine M. Cooney........................Amici MagazineMay 1999Carving out niche in music—his wayIf one were to ask North Haven’s Drew Anthony how to get to Yale’s Sprague Memorial Hall, “practice and determination” easily could be the response, and he might add, “by way of Manhattan.”Sure, it would be a trite, hackneyed answer. It’s also the plain, unvarnished truth, for there are few shortcuts to artistic excellence, as opposed to, say, popularity.Drew Anthony’s performance in October at one of New Haven’s musical centers was especially meaningful since it marked his most significant engagement in Connecticut after years of fine-tuning his talents in New York, where he has captured compliments from strangers and praise from peers that includes his mention in the same sentence with Frank Sinatra by internationally hailed recording star Sheila Jordan.Adulation and acclaim animate any artist, and Drew Anthony (his professional monicker does not include the familial surname) is not an exception. His motivation, though, exceeds those considerations, for a variety of reasons.On the list is the acceptance that his forte of jazz-swing-ballads is not in SRO demand, and that there is such a wealth of performers that it’s difficult to get a hearing from the barons of the business.“The music I like, is what you see,” Drew Anthony noted. “Another way to say it, I’m doing what is seen as old-fashioned.”His repertoire are the songs that have become standards and are usually associated with the likes of Sinatra, Bennett, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Armstrong, Eckstine, the recently deceased Joe Williams.“I’m not looking to become a big star,” he continues. “I do have a dream: perhaps one day to be accepted as carrying on the tradition of singing the standards, which Tony Bennett is doing since Sinatra’s death.”Drew Anthony’s admiration for the pop classics is rooted in the musical education he got as a youngster, primarily from his grandmother Marie Antoinette Rossetti Carrano, who played the guitar and organ. “She and I would always get together and sing Nat King Cole and Sinatra songs.”It is to “Old Blue Eyes” that Drew Anthony is most often likened. He is not always flattered by the reference. “When people tell me I remind them of Sinatra, I consider where (the praise) is coming from. When a musician says it, I consider it a big compliment.” It was a big honor too, he said, when he won the Sergio Franchi Music Scholarship in voice performance.Over the course of his New York apprenticeship, a resume that lists the highly regarded Mannes College of Music, Jazz Division, enough peers have sung Drew Anthony’s praises to keep his dream from withering on the vine. Whether he achieves it, only time—and the vagaries of the modern music industry—will tell. This much is certain: Before Drew Anthony is done, he will have made many new friends for the music that lifted Sinatra, Bennett, Vaughn, Fitzgerald, et al., high above their fellow entertainers.That is, of course, a legacy worthy of note.--Connie Lepore

Location North Haven, CT - USA

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