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I was born in East Harlem, N.Y.
on December 25, 1958. In 1966, we moved to the Bronx, and being
the new kid on the block, I walked back and forth to school alone
for the first few weeks. I heard a recording of Frank Sinatra
singing "My Kind Of Town," and to pass the time on
my new daily trek, I would sing the song to myself over and over.
After a few days, I decided I needed another song and began to
explore the only Sinatra album we owned at the time, "A
Man And His Music." This was the beginning of my addiction,
not only to Sinatra, but to that whole world of standard songs
and singers. |
I always knew that I wanted
to sing, but thought I had plenty of time to take lessons and
get started. When I finally reached 35, I knew I had to get started
or regret it for the rest of my life. So I got started. I stopped
smoking, had a deviated septum repaired and started my lessons.
After six years of studying with Cindy Varrichio, at Varrichio
Studios in Highland Park, N.J. and then two more years with the
late Rod Hausen at the New Jersey School Of Performing Arts,
in Fords, N.J., I finally got the nerve to get on stage at a
karaoke bar. I became friends with Artie Leandro and Lorri Cropley
of "Almost Original Karaoke," and performed a few shows
with them for friends and family members using pre-recorded music.
- By April 2002, I felt I was ready
to try singing with live musicians, so I called my friend John
Ruta, a great tenor saxophone player from Queens, N.Y., and asked
him to keep his ears open for a trio or quartet that might be
looking for a singer. He said he would and then suggested that
I come to visit him when he rehearsed with the big band he was
working with. He said, "You could sing a song or two and
see what it feels like to sing with a 17 - piece big band."
I jumped at the chance and that's when John introduced me to
trumpeter Joe Battaglia, the founder and leader of "The
New York Big Band." I sang three songs that night and Joe
invited me to return to future rehearsals. Two months later I
was standing in front of the orchestra, dressed in a black tuxedo,
singing "Summer Wind" in the outdoor garden of New
York City's "Tavern on the Green."
- As Frank Sinatra would say, "Now
that's class, boy."
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Since then, I've made a CD, acted in a short film, joined The Friars Club, performed with The Symphony Orchestra of Guayaquil, Ecuador, and recorded "The Danny DeVito Limoncello Song."
But my fun time is on Saturdays, singing at "The Carnegie Club."
I was introduced to Mark Grossich, owner of the club, by a mutual friend, Lou Carvell, in February 2003. After serving as a substitute for the usual singer of their Saturday night Sinatra tribute, I became the headliner in November 2004, and changed the show title to
"Sinatra Songs."
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There are too many people that
need to be thanked for helping me in my short career, and I wouldn't
even try to mention them all for fear of leaving anyone out,
but one person has to be acknowledged. My older brother Jerry,
now nicknamed "Swifty Lazar," has been tireless in
trying to promote me. He's introduced me to friends and acquaintances,
helped me get bookings in restaurants, clubs, and private parties,
and is still telling everyone he meets that they should go to
see my shows. He always watched out for me when we were kids.....and
he still does. |