Anthony Strong - Stepping Out (2013)

Tipped as the next jazz superstar from England, singer-pianist Anthony Strong marked his arrival on the international scene with his 2011 EP release 'Delovely', which reached #1 on the UK jazz charts, and the accompanying video 'Cheek to Cheek' which has been seen around the world. After a scholarship to The Purcell School of Music, Anthony funded his four-year jazz degree at the world-renowned Guildhall School of Music by gigging in London and quickly built up a reputation as an in-demand session musician. Anthony also spent 9 months in the West End as Jerry Lee Lewis in the show 'Million Dollar Quartet'. The 28 year old London jazz singer-pianist has signed a worldwide recording deal with iconic French label Naïve, the deal capping an exciting year which began with a Paloma Faith duet on BBC Radio 2 s New Year s Eve broadcast Live From The Savoy . The album features standards (Cole Porter's Too Darn Hot, Irving Berling's Stepping Out With My Baby, My Foolish Heart, My Ship), covers (L-O-V-E, Stevie Wonder's Overjoyed), and new compositions by Anthony. His band on Stepping Out has serious jazz credentials, featuring UK musicians of the calibre of Brandon Allen, Callum Gourlay, Nigel Hitchcock and more, but Strong's potential audience stretches way beyond the normal jazz vistas. With Michael Bublé firmly ensconced in TV chat show land, the road is open for a successor. With his characterful vocals and superb skills at the keyboard, Strong's future looks as shiny as his shoes.