KEN SLAVIN - JAZZ CROONER EXTRAORDINAIRE!
"When it comes to crooning in the classic jazz/pop tradition,
Ken Slavin has no peers" -- SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
Some folks compare him to a younger Tony Bennett, Johnny Hartman or Mel Torme. One reviewer dubbed him “Mr. Tuxedo Voice.” Texas Monthly says he’s one of the “Swing Set.” In reality, his voice,persona and performance style put him in a category all his own. But no matter how you describe him, there isn’t anybody on today’s music scene quite like jazz crooner KEN SLAVIN.
Long before the current crop of young interpreters of classic jazz and the Great American Songbook embarked on their careers, Ken was working the microphone in a town known more for rock, country and Tejano music than jazz. He literally has appeared everywhere from hamburger joints to formal concert halls, earning scores of fans and positive reviews along the way.
Ken is an exciting and naturally gifted singer and entertainer whose good taste and showmanship make him a first-class choice for nearly any setting. A late bloomer who began singing professionally at the age of 29, he was voted BEST VOCALIST by readers of The San Antonio Current two years running. He also has been named "Best Musician," "Best Lounge/Jazz Act," and nominated numerous times as "Best Male Vocalist" by the same publication. He has produced four CDs that have all received excellent reviews and airplay in the San Antonio metro area and abroad. His latest recording, "I'll Take Romance," is on playlists in several cities and on internet radio stations - and has been spotlighted on radio programs in Italy, Poland, New Zealand and France. Most recently, tracks from the album have made their way to national audiences coast to coast via Music Choice, the digital music service on Time Warner Cable, Comcast and all other major U.S. cable networks. He is featured in the category "Singers and Swing."
In 2009, Ken was honored as one of San Antonio's "Living Legends" in the arts and was invited to give a concert at the Carver Community Cultural Center's famous Jo Long Theater. Most recently, Ken was presented with the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 10th Annual San Antonio Summer Art & Jazz Festival at Crockett Park. The award is inscribed with these words: "The Advancement of the Education, Preservation and Promotion of Music Life Time Achievement Award is Hereby Presented to Ken Slavin for giving and sharing his spirit, his time, and his love of music in order to enrich and enhance the lives of others around him. You Make This World A Much Better Place!"
Ken's classy and fresh approach to the Great American Songbook has earned him the honor of opening for such jazz legends as The Four Freshmen, Eddie Palmieri, David Sanborn and Chico Hamilton, performing in concert with the internationally acclaimed Jim Cullum Jazz Band (known for its weekly National Public Radio Program, "Riverwalk, Live From The Landing"), and invitations to perform at private parties for Grammy Award winners Helen Reddy and Vikki Carr.
His unique interpretations of jazz, pop and foreign language classics (he also sings in Spanish and Italian), and his charismatic stage presence have made him one of San Antonio's favorite entertainers, from the "black-tie" set to the nightclub, lounge, college and festival crowds. He has even put his talents to work as an AIDS activist, producing concerts and a CD that raised more than $45,000 for the San Antonio AIDS Foundation.
He currently appears regularly at the upscale III Forks restaurant in the ultra-hip Second Street District of downtown Austin, does a monthly show at the fashionable Boardwalk Bistro - a popular San Antonio nightspot for jazz aficionados in Alamo Heights - and at A Tempo, a contemporary Mediterranean style seafood restaurant in San Antonio's historic Olmos Park neighborhood. He also has performed in several spots around the country, including New York, Dallas, Houston, Anchorage and Mexico City.
Ken is more determined than ever to make his mark beyond Texas on the jazz and cabaret circuits in the United States and abroad. Please peruse his website, watch his videos and listen to cuts from his CDs to learn first-hand why his fans call him "KEN SLAVIN: JAZZ CROONER EXTRAORDINAIRE."
