On January 3, 4, and 5, the Houston Symphony begins the new year with Sinatra and Beyond, a program featuring pianist, crooner, and Houston favorite Tony DeSare. The Symphony’s Eric Skelly recently spoke with Tony about performing with orchestras, the legacy of “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” and more.
Eric Skelly: When did you start working with symphony orchestras?
Tony DeSare: Even though my passion is for jazz piano and singing, I grew up playing violin and was concertmaster of my high school orchestra. Performing with a symphony was an aspiration of mine ever since I started to get serious about music. My first opportunity came when I played the Dakota jazz club in Minneapolis. The artistic director from the Minnesota Orchestra was there and gave me a shot. Then conductor Jack Everly hired me to be part of his big Irving Berlin revue as a member of a five-person cast. Since then I’ve had the privilege of working with scores of orchestras; it’s my favorite thing I do now.
ES: How does the process of putting together a show with a full orchestra compare to working with a jazz orchestra or combo?
TD: An orchestra pops show requires a lot more planning and attention to detail, most obviously because everyone needs something compelling to play on stage. The textures and sounds available in the symphony palette are so complex and beautiful; you have to find the right approach to best serve both a song and the strengths of a traditional orchestra. I work with great arrangers and also arrange some of the material myself, so I know that really what makes a show is the quality of the arrangements.
ES: Can you recall your earliest memories of Frank Sinatra and encountering his music?
TD: Well, as a child I knew him as the old guy in the tux who sang “New York, New York.” It wasn’t until my mid-teens that I truly discovered the greatness of his art. My mom brought home a CD of Frank Sinatra in his peak 1950s Capitol Records era. It changed my life. I was captivated by everything…the sound of his voice certainly, but also the quality of the arrangements, the songs, and even how great those old recordings sounded. I was hooked from then on.
Don’t miss Sinatra and Beyond on January 3, 4, and 5! Learn more & get tickets.
