Anthony was awarded music scholarships at Whitgift School of Music and The Purcell School of Music. He began gigging in London to fund his Guildhall School of Music degree. This earned him a reputation for being a highly-respected session musician who has played with Marti Pellow and Beverley Knight. In the West End, he performed 9 months as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet. He was a huge hit with theatre-goers, including Rod Stewart, who returned the next day to tell Anthony that his performance was “f***ing incredible!” When I was young, music was not something I had a passion for. We didn’t have a piano at home so we would visit our Grandparents, where I would spend the entire time playing the piano. I would greet my family and want to start playing as soon as possible. I learned everything in C major without a radio. I learned every single song I wanted to play in C major! Although it’s strange to look back, it taught me a lot about basic diatonic harmony. When it came to “having lessons”, I already had a basic understanding of simple harmony by just playing by ear. Anthony graduated from Music College in 2008. He decided that Anthony’s music should be the main stage. He began performing in London’s pubs and clubs after writing several songs with Guy Mathers, his lyricist. Anthony’s unique interpretation of jazz standards was paired with his own songs and he quickly gained a following of musicians. He has since played at Pizza Express Jazz Club, The 606 Jazz Club, and the Ronnie Scott’s house band. His debut album ‘Guaranteed!’ His debut album, “Guaranteed!” was released in summer 2009. The band included 8 of his closest friends, who were some of the best jazz musicians in London. Natalie Williams, a friend and singer, made an appearance. Over 300 people crowded into the Shoreditch House private members club, and the panicking bar manager closed the doors and turned away the rest. BBC Radio 2 and Jazz FM picked up Strong’s music and gave them many prestigious performances, including a sold-out show at London Jazz Festival 2010 and support by American trumpeter Chris Botti. Anthony’s debut performance at festivals in France and Spain, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia in 2011 was paved by his EP “Delovely”. Six sold-out shows at Paris’s legendary Duc Des Lombards club were also possible thanks to this release. For the BBC’s star-studded broadcast of New Year’s Eve Live from The Savoy Ballroom, London, Anthony was invited to perform with Paloma Faith and Tony Christie. He also supported BB King at Le Grand Rex Theatre. Anthony signed with Naive in autumn 2012 and began to arrange and record his new album. It features, among others, Australian trumpeter James Morrison and British saxophone legend Nigel Hitchcock. He is also joined by drummer Sebastian De Krom, bassist Tom Farmer and a horn section. The album, “Stepping Out”, is now available. It features both classic jazz songs as well as swinging originals. from http://www.anthonystrong.co.uk
