ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY
Ann Hampton Callaway is one America's most gifted and prolific artists. A leading champion of the great American Songbook, she's made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host and producer. Voted by Broadwayworld.com as "Performer of the Year" and two years in a row as "Best Jazz Vocalist," Ann is born entertainer. Her unique singing style that blends jazz and traditional pop, making her a mainstay in concert halls, theaters and jazz clubs as well as in the recording studio, on television, and in film. She is best known for Tony-nominated performance in the hit Broadway musical "Swing!" and for writing and singing the theme song to the hit TV series "The Nanny." Callaway is a Platinum Award winning writer whose songs are featured on seven of Barbra Streisand's recent CD's. The only composer to have collaborated with Cole Porter, she has also written songs with Carole King, Rolf Lovland, Amanda McBroom and Shelby Lynn to name a few. Callaway has shared the stage with great artists from many genres- George Shearing, Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, Dr. John, Liza Minnelli, Betty Buckley, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Audra McDonald, Harvey Fierstein, Ramsey Lewis, Kurt Elling and Michael Feinstein.
Callaway's live performances showcase her warmth, spontaneous wit and passionate delivery of standards, jazz classics and originals. She is one of America's most gifted improvisers, taking words and phrases from her audiences and creating songs on the spot, whether alone at a piano or with a symphony orchestra. Ann has been a special guest performer with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood and has been featured at many of the Carnegie Hall tributes. She has sung with more than forty of the world's top orchestras and big bands, and has performed for President Clinton in Washington, D.C. and at President Gorbachev's Youth Peace Summit in Moscow. Callaway performed with her sister, Broadway star Liz Callaway, in their award-winning show Sibling Revelry at London's Donmar Warehouse. Their act "Boom!," a critically acclaimed celebration of the baby boomer hits of the 60's and 70's, was recorded by PS Classics which debuted in the top 25 on Billboard Jazz. Ann was featured in the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade telecast watched by 6 million people singing Emmy Award winning song "Yes, Virginia." Her symphony shows "The Streisand Songbook," "The Linda Ronstadt Songbook," "Diva to Diva," and "Broadway with the Callaways" are always in demand. Callaway's performances and recordings have garnered her The Theater World Award, 15 MAC Awards, several Bistro Awards, The Mabel Mercer Award, The Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriting and The Blanton Peale Award for Positive Thinking. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote, "For sheer vocal beauty, no contemporary singer matches Ms. Callaway."
Ann's new CD, Jazz Goes to the Movies, featuring the Ted Rosenthal Trio with special guest Jimmy Greene, debuted at #12 on the Billboard Jazz Chart and has been in high rotation across the country, notably on Siriusly Sinatra. Her other recent recordings have also met great critical acclaim - The Sarah Vaughan Project: Live at Dizzy's, The Hope of Christmas, At Last, Blues in the Night, Slow and Signature. She has recorded two popular holiday CD's - Holiday Pops! With Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, and her solo CD, This Christmas. Ann's other recordings include Easy Living, To Ella with Love, After Ours, Bring Back Romance, Ann Hampton Callaway, and the award-winning live recording Sibling Revelry. Callaway has also been a guest performer on more than forty CD's including Kenny Barron's CD The Traveler.
Ann's dream of working in film, TV and radio has been realized in several projects. She made her feature film debut opposite Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon in the Robert De Niro film "THE GOOD SHEPHERD", performing the standard "Come Rain or Come Shine". She recorded "Isn't It Romantic?" and "The Nearness of You" in Wayne Wong's "LAST HOLIDAY", starring Queen Latifah. Ann wrote songs for the upcoming movie musical "THE MAN WHO SAVED PARIS" starring Stanley Tucci and can be heard singing her original song "Pourquoi" in the soundtrack of "BLIND" starring Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore. And, as a part of her mission to keep the American Songbook thriving, she has produced and hosted two TV specials Called "Singer's Spotlight With Ann Hampton Callaway" with guests Liza Minnelli and Christine Ebersole for WTTW National which dovetailed into her NPR radio series "This is Cabaret" with talk of an upcoming podcast.
Ann devotes much of her time to philanthropic causes, both as a singer performing in numerous benefits, and as a songwriter composing songs in times of need. In September 2005, Ann performed her original composition "Let the Saints Come Marching", written to honor Hurricane Katrina victims, on a national TV broadcast on the Fox News Channel. Her song "Who Can See the Blue the Same Again?" was released earlier in 2005 as a single, paying tribute to the tsunami survivors and raising much needed money for The Tsunami Fund of The PRASAD Project. In the aftermath of September 11th, Ann composed the rousing anthem, "I Believe in America", which she performed on Larry King Live and released as a CD single. Just days after the tragedy, Ann heard an 8,000 year old prayer from the Rig Veda and composed the world renowned "Let Us Be United". Ann recorded the song with Kenny Werner, The Siddha Yoga International Choir and five-year-old Sonali Beaven, who sang in honor of her father who lost his life on Flight 93. It was released on CD and DVD and its proceeds continue to benefit Save the Children and The PRASAD Project. Ann released the single of her Platinum selling peace anthem "At the Same Time" as well as her stirring gun control anthem "Thoughts and Prayers" both available on i-Tunes, Spotify and Apple Music.
Ann's father was Chicago's legendary TV and radio journalist, John Callaway. Her mother, Shirley Callaway, was a superb singer, pianist and one of New York's most in-demand vocal coaches. Ann is married to Kari Strand and they share a historic home in Tucson where they recently relocated from New York. For more information about Ann's music and extensive touring schedule, go to www.annhamptoncallaway.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.