Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009

From Sin City to St. Louis: Perry Danos is coming home

COLUMBIA -- Fresh off two sold-out shows in Las Vegas, Perry Danos is ready to bring the glitz of Sin City home when he performs Saturday night at the Falls Reception and Conference Center here.

"It's an honor to come to St. Louis and get back to my Midwest roots," says the Chicago native who now makes his home in Nashville but bills himself as "the new voice of Vegas."

"St. Louis is known for its love of the arts, and I'm excited to share my music with such an eclectic community. It's a high-energy show with a 10-piece band, and I'll sing everything from Sinatra to soul to original songs I've written."

So, get ready for a night of good food and stirring music when the Falls throws open the doors at 6:30 on this much-in-demand entertainer who has worked with a galaxy of stars from Wayne Newton and Leon Russell to Charlie Daniels and Three Dog Night.

Tickets are $55 (or 10 for $500), which includes open bar, dinner and show; they must be reserved by Friday by calling (888) 538-7778. Show-only tickets for $25 will be sold at the door. The Falls is at 300 Admiral Weinel Blvd.; for more information, go to www.seethefalls.com.

If you've never heard of Danos, it's probably high time you became acquainted -- especially if you enjoy the Great American Songbook.

For his first 30-plus years, Danos honed his talents in the Windy City, fusing his Greek heritage with the boundless array of musical sounds heard there -- rock, blues, jazz, R&B, you name.

"Chicago is filled with good-timin', working-class people who just have a different hunger for music," he says. "They're not a 'listening' audience; they're an interactive crowd of movers and shakers."

In 1995, he moved to Nashville, and his career took off.

In addition to performing around the city, he has appeared in music videos for Shania Twain, Randy Travis and Gretchen Wilson. He can be heard on countless national TV and radio commercials for Toyota, Coke, Ford, Disney and Budweiser, just to name a few. And, he has had the privilege to entertain top political figures, including George Bush, Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

He says his voice blends the smoothness of Tony Bennett with "a bit of the heart-on-sleeve grit of Rod Stewart." He says it's his mission to bring those qualities to all of his performances.

"Tony's timing and phrasing are impeccable, and you can actually hear joy in every note he sings," says Danos, who prides himself on his musical ear. "This may be subtle to the average listener, but I love the listening experience of the music. Rod has rock 'n' roll soul, (but) he's a convincing performer whether performing the rock tunes that made him famous or the Great American Songbook."

Danos hopes his own joy shines through on his latest jazz release, "Swinging' on the Moon," which includes songs ranging from Sam Cooke's classic "You Send Me" to the Beatles "The Long and Winding Road" and Stevie Wonder's "Lately." He says it features songs he truly loves and songs that are most requested when he performs.

"And, rather than the songs being 'produced," I was able to record them exactly the way I hear them," he said. "(But) I'm not reinventing the standards. I'm just adding my brand to the translation."

Now, just in time for the holidays, Danos released "This Christmas" late last month.

"The holidays have always held a special place in my heart," he says. "I'm happy to share my favorite tunes to help get people in a cheerful spirit."

For a sample of his music and more information on Danos, go to www.perrydanos.com.