Jazz Vocalist Eric van Aro Releases 'I'm Not Anyone' as Sammy Davis Jr. Tribute

With his interpretation of the hit song "I'm Not Anyone," internationally acclaimed singer Eric van Aro (http://www.ericvanaro.com) adds new emotional layers to an old favorite and pays a touching tribute to the legendary entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. Starting September 14, van Aro's record label and Production Company, Eraki Entertainment, is making the new single available to music lovers as a digital track on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/im-not-anyone-feat.-fabio/id544790607), CD Baby.com (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ericvanarofeatfabiogiann) and other digital stores.

"I'm Not Anyone" was written by Paul Anka for Sammy Davis Jr. as an anthem to self-determination. In a 2007 Billboard article, Anka listed the song among his personal favorites of the works that he had created, in part because Davis was such a great friend and inspiration.

In the new interpretation, van Aro honors the song's message of independence by not being content to imitate the original. With the famed Italian pianist Fabio Gianni, he breaks the song down to its piano-and-singer foundations in order to create innovative personal touches and new depths of meaning. The new version has received high praise from many individuals in the music and radio industry with disc jockeys in the United States, United Kingdom and Italy uniformly calling it "excellent."

As a member of a family of musicians and artists that stretches back eight generations, van Aro has always felt a deep connection to musical tradition, and growing up in show business gave him the opportunity to closely observe and know many major artists. Both Anka and Davis were good acquaintances of his mother, the Italian singer Caterina Valente, who took the photograph of Sammy Davis Jr. that is featured on the record sleeve.

Davis cast a special spell on the young van Aro. "If there is one thing Sammy Davis Jr. has taught us, it is to be yourself and do your own thing," van Aro said. "This is a song about empowerment, about believing – above all else – in yourself."

The intimate style of his version of "I'm Not Anyone," so different from the song's typical grandiosity, proves that van Aro has learned that lesson. The tune starts with a classic jazz piano opening, courtesy of Gianni, and van Aro begins singing softly, giving the impression that he is conducting a personal "conversation" with each listener. The song's intensity slowly swells until van Aro's vocals are a full, rich outpouring of sound, and Gianni's playing matches the heightened volume and emotional intensity. The two dial down the intensity only to have the music build once more. The vocals end with van Aro softly singing "I am free," and the track fades with an even softer melody from the piano.

After working in theater and with live concerts for several years, van Aro founded Eraki Entertainment in 1998. He has released several albums, including 2001's "From the Heart"; "Friends" from 2005, which established van Aro as one of the most accomplished singers on the jazz scene; and the 2008 release "Desert Motel." In 2010, he released the songs "Jazz", "UR" and "Evil Games" in collaboration with the Beats4life label.

"I'm Not Anyone" is available for $0.99 on CD Baby and iTunes. Interested parties can review the entire song before buying at Eraki Entertainment's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ErakiEntertainment.

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