Anthony Strong
| Anthony Strong | |
|---|---|
 Anthony Strong, London 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
29 October 1984 Croydon, Surrey |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Naïve Records (France) |
| Website | www.anthonystrong.com |
Anthony Strong (born 29 October 1984) is an English jazz singer, pianist and songwriter.
Early life
Strong was born in Croydon, to parents Pat and Roger,[1] and educated at Whitgift School, the Royal Academy of Music, the Purcell School and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studied a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz piano.
Musical career
During his final years as a music student, Strong gained a reputation as a side-man and session musician, performing with Charlotte Church, Michael Bolton, Marti Pellow, and Jocelyn Brown, and appearing regularly on television shows.
In 2009, Strong recorded his debut album Guaranteed!, written with Guy Mathers and Jamie Pullen and featuring eight originals and a version of "I Won't Dance", with performances from singer Natalie Williams, vibraphonist Lewis Wright and double bass player Tom Farmer of Empirical. The album was championed by Sir Michael Parkinson on BBC Radio 2 ("I think he's got a real talent, this boy…")[2] and Bob Sinfield on Jazz FM.
In 2011, he appeared on Friday Night Is Music Night with actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company[3] and on BBC Radio 2's New Year's Eve special at the Savoy Ballroom, where he performed "Baby, It's Cold Outside" as a duet with Paloma Faith.[4][5] He was the piano player for Adrien Brody in the 2011 Super Bowl commercial[6] Stella Artois's "Crying Jean". Strong also took on an understudy role as Jerry Lee Lewis in the West End musical Million Dollar Quartet,[7] during which time he released his second record, Delovely, a five-track EP of standards with one original by Strong and Mathers, "Going Nowhere".[8] Strong and Mathers's songs are published as an occasional series in Areté.[9]
In 2012 Strong released "Laughing in Rhythm" (a duet with actress Jessica Hynes for the charity Children in Need), embarked on a tour of 25 European cities and performed on the Harald Schmidt Show on German television.[10] He is particularly associated with the city of Paris, where he supported BB King at Le Grand Rex and played twelve shows at Le Duc des Lombards.[11]
In January 2013, it was announced that he had signed a recording contract with Parisian label Naïve Records, and released "Stepping Out" in the Spring of 2013. After the London launch, UK newspaper Metro hailed Strong as "a major new talent" and, in France, he was featured in daily national newspaper Le Figaro. After a performance on breakfast TV show 'MorgenMagazin', “Stepping Out” reached Number 1 on the iTunes and Amazon jazz charts in Germany.
In 2015, he released his album "On a Clear Day". [12]
References
- ↑ , Biography published on Anthony Strong's official website.
- ↑ , Recording 'My Favourite Things' Sir Michael Parkinson, BBC Radio 2.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2011-09-15., Recording from BBC Radio 2
- ↑ , BBC listing
- ↑ , Radio Times listing
- ↑ , YouTube Stella Commercial 'Crying Jean'
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2011-09-14., Million Dollar Quartet London, official site.
- ↑ , Jamie Cullum Fan Blog.
- ↑ , Areté magazine
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2478102/
- ↑ http://www.ducdeslombards.com/scripts/concert.php?id_prog=3546
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/may/27/duc-des-lombards-jazz-club-paris-anthony-strong