Ann Hampton Callaway was born on may 30th 1959 in Chicago. Her father is John Callaway, Chicago's legendary TV and radio journalist, and an acclaimed author, moderator and speaker. Her mother, Shirley Callaway, a superb singer, pianist and one of New York's most in-demand vocal coaches, was recently featured at New York's Town Hall, singing with Ann and her sister Liz. Ann resides in New York. She lives by the creed best expressed in the Andre Gide quote: "Art is the collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does, the better."
Ann Hampton Callaway is one of the finest singer-songwriters of our time. The statuesque performer dazzles music lovers as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, and educator. Her talents have made her equally at home in jazz and pop as well as on stage, in the recording studio, on TV and in film. She is best known for starring in the hit Broadway musical Swing!, and for writing and singing the theme to the internationally successful TV series, The Nanny. Ann is a devoted keeper-of-the-flame of the great American songbook. She brings fresh and original interpretations to these timeless classics and works to uphold the canon by writing songs with Cole Porter, Carole King, Barbara Carroll and others. Her spontaneity, intelligence, and soulful charisma have won her a diverse fan-base including such notables as Barbra Streisand, Clive Davis, Carly Simon and Wynton Marsalis.
Ann Hampton Callaway is one of the finest singer-songwriters of our time. The statuesque performer dazzles music lovers as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, and educator. Her talents have made her equally at home in jazz and pop as well as on stage, in the recording studio, on TV and in film. She is best known for starring in the hit Broadway musical Swing!, and for writing and singing the theme to the internationally successful TV series, The Nanny. Ann is a devoted keeper-of-the-flame of the great American songbook. She brings fresh and original interpretations to these timeless classics and works to uphold the canon by writing songs with Cole Porter, Carole King, Barbara Carroll and others. Her spontaneity, intelligence, and soulful charisma have won her a diverse fan-base including such notables as Barbra Streisand, Clive Davis, Carly Simon and Wynton Marsalis.
The New York Times writes, "For sheer vocal beauty, no contemporary singer matches Ms. Callaway." Ann attributes her voice and love of music to her mother, Shirley, who throughout her childhood sang and played torch songs, Gershwin and German lieder at the piano. Of the uniquely musical household she says, "I didn't know it at the time, but we were sort of the Von Trapp family of Chicago." After a music teacher discovered her unusually mature soprano voice, Ann was encouraged to study classically, honing the pitch-perfect control and expressive three-octave range she is known for. While her voice teachers suggested she could have a career in opera, Ann eventually realized that she would be happier singing the music she most loved. Inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder, she was fascinated by the challenge of drawing these threads together into her own original singing style.
Ann’s new Telarc recording, "At Last", arrived at stores in February 2009. The album is a collection of jazz standards, versatile pop songs and a couple original tunes, each woven together to create a narative that is perhaps as cinemtic as it is musical. At Last is the followup to her 2006 Telarc release, Blues in the Night. Prior to that, she recorded Slow (released on Shanachie), a pop-inspired album that garnered high critical acclaim. Ann has recorded two popular holiday CDs: Holiday Pops! with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops and the solo This Christmas (Angel/After 9). Her recording Signature (After 9) features the signature songs of the great jazz legends of the 20th century, performed with pianist Kenny Barron and guest artist Wynton Marsalis. Other recordings include Easy Living (After 9), To Ella with Love (After 9), After Hours (Denon), Bring Back Romance (DRG), Ann Hampton Callaway (DRG) and the award winning live recording, Sibling Revelry (DRG). She has also been a guest artist on over forty CDs.
Ms. Callaway's honors include a Tony Award nomination for best Actress in a Musical for her work in Swing!, and the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut. She has garnered an unsurpassed fourteen awards from The Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs, two Backstage Bistro Awards, The 2005 Nightlife Award, The Johnny Mercer Songwriter Award and The Norman Vincent Peale Award For Positive Thinking.
Click here to enjoy Ann singing "Body and Soul"
Reference - OMA
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