01/08 - Sunday Brunch :: 10-2pm :: Tony Jefferson Duo
Tony Jefferson (vocals)
Joe Tranchina (piano)
Tony Jefferson, a New York native, attended the Berklee College of Music on scholarship in 1984 and placed third in the Thelonious Monk International Drum Competition in 1992. Tony has performed and recorded with many jazz artists including: Kenny Drew Jr., Lonnie Smith, John Abercrombie, Lou Donaldson, Frank Wess, Eddie Harris, Don Friedman, Cyrus Chestnut, Mark Whitfield, Jerry Bergonzi, Joey Calderazzo, Freddy Cole, Hank Jones, Benny Golson, Cedar Walton, Nancy King, Ernestine Anderson, Annie Ross and the Westchester Jazz Orchestra, Cameron Brown (Danny’s Calypso and The Here & Now), Paul Beaudry and Pathways (Jazz Ambassadors Tour for Jazz at Lincoln Center).
Tony has appeared at many jazz festivals around the world and is an active player on the New York music scene. He has been a guest clinician in high school and college workshops and has taught Masters classes nationally and abroad.
After many years as a world class drummer, Tony Jefferson has segued into the world of singing. His diverse experience as a drummer and his passion for woodwinds led him to explore musical realms that inform his approach to singing.
Some of Tony’s recent vocal performances have been: The Kitano Hotel in New York City, The Princeton Jazz Festival in New Jersey, Storm King Art Center, NY, The Dobbs Ferry Summer Music Festival, NY and the Hopper House in Nyack, NY.
Tony has stepped out from behind the drums to sing as a guest vocalist at the Iridium, Smoke and the Blue Note in Manhattan. Tony has also been highlighted as a guest singer in Cameron Brown’s band “Hear & Now” with vocalist Sheila Jordan and clarinetist Don Byron. “Not only is Tony a wonderful drummer, he is also a wonderful singer with a very original sound.” ~Sheila Jordan
“I've had the pleasure of listening to Tony Jefferson's vocal tracks, and I was thoroughly entertained with his effortless swing and attractive tone quality." ~Marion Cowings
“ On his debut CD as a singer you can hear Tony Jefferson’s lifetime experiences as a seasoned musicianas well as the history of great jazz singers emanating throughout his performance.” ~Alvester Garnett
“Tony Jefferson's rendition of Jimmy Van Heusen's ‘But Beautiful’ is fabulous. Jefferson is a special talent equally skilled in the art of jazz drumming and singing. I feel EVERY phrase he sings. Do yourself a favor: put ‘But Beautiful’ on repeat, or if you have a playlist of ballads - add it." (Review of ”Paul Beaudry & Pathways” CD) ~Jerome Jennings