(Naive)

Anthony Strong is a singer right out of the great crooner tradition. His new recording Stepping Out  features nice contemporary arrangements of classic standards delivered with great confidence and vocal suave. Strong also showcases his writing chops, adding 4 of his own compositions to covers of gems by Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Stevie Wonder, Victor Young and Kurt Weill, among others. The singer, who also plays piano, is joined by an excellent assemblage of musicians, including Sebastian De Krom on drums, Chris Allard on guitar, Calum Goulay and Tom Farmer on bass. The tracks are augmented throughout by string and horn section on various tunes, enhancing the brightness of the production even more.  Strong certainly lives up to his name as a talent .