Tony DeSare, singer, pianist, and songwriter was honored by the Downbeat Critics Poll as a “Rising Star” Male Voice. His third CD Radio Show was published earlier this year by Telarc Records. His concert performances in the United States, as well as Australia, Japan, and Hong Kong have received critical and popular acclaim. He began an international tour in January that included three weeks at Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room, New York, and two weeks in London. The tour then moves on to Los Angeles, Boston (DC), Seattle, St. Louis, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle and St. Louis. “Let’s just stay in,” one of the original CD songs, will feature in the 20th Century Fox movie The Tooth Fairy. It stars Dwayne “The Rock”, Ashley Judd and Billy Crystal. The New York Times raved that DeSare was one of the best young male performers with his dark hair and bright brown eyes. He also has a toothpaste smile that never fades. He is a Sinatra acolyte, in his 30s, who sings Prince and Johnny Mercer.” USA Today reports that DeSare is part of a group consisting of neotraditional upstarts, including Harry Connick Jr., Michael Buble, and Jamie Cullum. Tony DeSare is a versatile performer who can cover both jazz and pop standards. He doesn’t overthink or smother the material. He is a popular young singer/pianist who has mastered classic songs and created original music. Tony’s sound is sensual, romantic, and swinging. But what really sets him apart is his ability create original material that is both fresh and harmonises well with the Great American Songbook. Tony can effortlessly transition from a George Gershwin standard to a modern classic by Phil Collins or Bob Dylan to one of his original songs. Tony’s 2007 album, Last First Kiss features a distinctive, sexy sound. It includes originals by Prince and Carole King, as well as classics such as “Kiss” or “I Feel the Earth Move”. Tony’s sidemen Mike Lee and Brian Czach, who play bass and drums respectively. It debuted at #5 in the Billboard charts, #3 on Amazon.com ranking, and #2 on iTunes jazz chart. Want You, Tony’s debut album, debuted at #16 when it was first released in May 2005. The CD features standards such as “Two For The Road”, “Just In Time,” or “I Wish You Love,” along with originals like “Marry Me”, “How I Will Say I Love You” and the title song. On national broadcasts of CBS Early Show, NBC Weekend Today, and Fox News Channel, he performed selected tracks from the CD. Tony wrote and performed the title music to My Date With Drew. This independent documentary features a man who has 30 days to meet Drew Barrymore and $1100. It was featured on “The Tonight Show”, “The Today Show”, Playboy Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Premiere and others. In 2005, the film was released nationwide. It won top honors at the New York Gen Arts Festival as well as the HBO Comedy Arts Festival (and the Vail Film Festival). His debut CD features the movie’s theme song “If I Had Drew.” Sam Arlen (son of Harold Arlen), personally selected him to perform at Birdland with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for the recent Harold Arlen centennial. Joe Piscopo, a former “Saturday Night Live”, presented his new big band show in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Tony was raised in Glens Falls (New York) by a musical family. He began performing professionally when he was 17. Tony had already opened for visiting headsliners by the time he started college and had built a large following playing to packed houses. Tony DeSare’s trio was a popular band in central New York State, and he attended Ithaca College. Tony and his band sold out every show in the clubs and showcases across upstate New York. He was a semi-finalist at the MasterCardActs talent search for college artists, and won the “IC Showcase,” a college-sponsored national battle of the bands. Tony moved to New York City in 1999 and was soon cast as the star in the Off-Broadway musical hit, Our Sinatra. Variety praised Tony for his “dapper charm” and he performed at the Apollo Theater in the fall 2002 where he met Bucky Pizzarelli, the jazz guitarist. Bucky has performed with Tony’s band all over the country since then. Tony was also featured on Bill Boggs’s Off Broadway Show Talk Show Confidential at The John Houseman Theater in New York. DeSare’s versatility allows him to headline at a variety venues. With his quartet, he has performed in major jazz venues like Birdland or the Blue Note; at posh nightclubs such as the Cafe Carlyle or Feinstein’s At the Regency; and with his big band at Jazz at Lincoln Center concert halls. Tony will headline major symphonies across the country for the 2009-2010 season. from http://www.tonydesare.com
