Tony DeSare Performs at Hotel Nikko San Francisco This Weekend

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein are thrilled to welcome singer, pianist and songwriter Tony DeSare to Feinstein's at the Nikko for two performances only - tonight, October 25 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, October 26 (7 p.m.). Located within Hotel Nikko (222 Mason Street, San Francisco), Feinstein's at the Nikko presents a wide range of entertainers from stage and screen all within an intimate 140-seat cabaret setting.

Tickets for Tony DeSare range in price from $40-$50 and are available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com. There is a $20 food and beverage minimum per person inside the showroom which guests can use towards cocktails as well as a variety of small plates crafted exclusively for Feinstein's at the Nikko by Executive Chef Philippe Striffeler, through Restaurant Anzu. Cheese and dessert platters will also be available in the showroom.

The New York Times called Tony DeSare "Two parts young Sinatra, one part Billy Joel, meshed seamlessly." The Wall Street Journal followed that with, "DeSare is one third Bobby Darin, one third Bobby Short and one third Bobby Kennedy."

This year, Tony has put together a brand new show for his opening at 54 Below in New York City beginning the first two weeks of October. The show is entitled: Tony DeSare; My Generation (The Contemporary American Songbook).

Everyone knows the brilliance of the Great American Songbook - which has been performed for many years, and in many different ways. But that songbook has been expanding beyond 1955- and now is the time to celebrate other writers who created iconic music in the past half century. Singer, pianist and songwriter Tony DeSare has labeled this the Contemporary American Songbook, and it is a way of inducting the many great songs and songwriters into the already defined Songbook list which includes Gershwin, Berlin, Porter and Kern. DeSare's new show will celebrate the genius of writers like Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Carole King, and Michael MacDonald, as well as 'adopted' American songwriters like Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Barry Gibb.

At the performances in New York and San Francisco, DeSare will be celebrating the release of his new CD project with Yamaha, entitled "A Lot To Say".

Tony was born and raised in Glens Falls, New York to a musical family and began singing and playing professionally at 17. By the time DeSare started college, he had opened for visiting headliners and built a large regional following playing to packed houses. The Tony DeSare trio was one of the most popular bands in central New York State while DeSare attended Ithaca College. DeSare and his band continually sold out shows in clubs and showcases throughout upstate New York. He took first place in the "IC Showcase," a college sponsored national battle of the bands and was a semi-finalist in the MasterCardActs, a national talent search for college performers.

Shortly after moving to New York City in 1999, DeSare was cast as the star of the long running Off-Broadway musical smash, Our Sinatra, in which he was praised by Variety for his "dapper charm." In the fall of 2002, he performed at the legendary Apollo Theater where he first met jazz guitar icon Bucky Pizzarelli. Since then, Bucky has continued to perform with DeSare's band around the country. He was also featured in New York TV personality Bill Boggs's Off Broadway show Talk Show Confidential at the John Houseman Theater.

DeSare - whose third CD "Radio Show" was released by Telarc Records earlier this year - was named a "Rising Star" Male Vocalist in the 2009 Downbeat Critics Poll. He has won critical and popular acclaim for his concert performances throughout the United States as well as in Australia, Japan and Hong Kong. In January, launched an international tour with three weeks at the Algonquin Hotel's Oak Room in New York, two weeks in London, then continues on to cities such as Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle, St. Louis and Palm Beach. DeSare composed and performed the title theme to "My Date With Drew," an independent documentary feature film about a guy who has 30 days and $1100 to get a date with Drew Barrymore. It has been featured on "The Tonight Show," "The Today Show," Playboy Magazine, Entertainment Weekly and Premiere. The film - awarded top honors at the New York Gen Arts Festival, the HBO Comedy Arts Festival and the Vail Film Festival - was released in theatres nationwide in 2005. The movie's theme song, "If I Had Drew," is featured on his debut CD.

DeSare's noted versatility enables him to headline a variety of venues. He has performed at major jazz rooms like Birdland and the Blue Note with his quartet; posh nightclubs like the Café Carlyle and Feinstein's at the Regency; with his big band in concert halls like Jazz at Lincoln Center; or with a 60-piece orchestra.

Tony DeSare is an official Yamaha artist for the Yamaha Entertainment Group.

All seating at Feinstein's at the Nikko is cabaret style and available on a first-come, first-served basis within the section purchased. Guests who purchase the prix-fixe dinner at Restaurant Anzu will receive a complimentary section upgrade (subject to availability) and get to choose their exact seat locations within the upgraded section.

Guests of Feinstein's at the Nikko can enjoy a variety of food and beverage options before performances. Kanpai Lounge, located in Hotel Nikko's lobby, offers light cuisine, a full bar and specialty cocktails. Restaurant Anzu, Hotel Nikko's intimate restaurant located on the second floor, serves sustainable California cuisine enhanced with Asian flavors. Restaurant Anzu will also offer Feinstein's at the Nikko guests a special three-course prix-fixe dinner ($45 per person) prior to all performances. Reservations can be made by calling (415) 394-1100.

Tickets for Tony DeSare range in price from $40-$50 and are available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

For additional information on Tony DeSare, visit www.tonydesare.com.