Scott Dennis will record tunes by Syracuse native Jimmy Van Heusen

By Russ Tarby

Contributing Writer

Scott Dennis may be singing in the dark, but he’s swinging on a star.

The 50-something Syracuse-based vocalist lost his sight 10 years ago due to a gradual failure of his optic nerve. “I used to be able to sight-read music fairly well,” he recalled, “but I’ve always relied more on my ear.”

So last year, after retiring from his day job at M&T Bank, Dennis released his debut disc and plans to follow up this year by waxing a collection of memorable melodies by the late, great Jimmy Van Heusen, including “Swinging on a Star.”

Meanwhile, Dennis keeps up his chops by vocalizing every week with The Rhythm-Airs big band as well as jamming with veteran pianist Phil Klein.

The Rhythm-Airs perform every Wednesday evening, at the Camillus Elks Club, 6117 Newport Road, just north of the village of Camillus. Led by trumpeter Maureen Clum, the orchestra plays for dancers from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission costs $6 per person or $9 per couple, and food and drinks are available; 672-3106.

“Maureen really does a great job with the band,” Dennis said. “And I’m totally psyched about the addition of new drummer Joe Cortini, He’s a superlative drummer with a real feel for jazz that makes him ideal for the big band sound.”

And Dennis also sits in every Thursday at 1 p.m. with Phil Klein at Artist Pianos, 5780 Celi Drive, in East Syracuse; 446-5660.

“Working with Phil is such an incredibly wonderful experience I have to pinch myself sometimes,” Dennis said. “Over the past couple of years he and I have developed almost a common musical mind.”

Klein, a member of the Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Fame, has about 2,000 songs at his fingertips and Dennis has about 250 to 300 standards memorized, so the twosome never lacks for material. “And Phil has so many fabulous stories and bits of trivia about all of the tunes, their composers and the various people who have performed them, it’s always a great time.”

Last autumn, the duo performed a sell-out show at the First Universalist Unitarian Church, and they hope to schedule more such concerts this summer and fall.

In recent years, Dennis has studied voice with another Sammys Hall of Famer, jazz chanteuse Nancy Kelly, who not only coached him but also produced his first record, a 10-tune disc called “Close Your Eyes.” To accompany him, Scott hired three of the area’s best jazzmen — keyboardist Dave Solazzo, bassist Mike Solazzo and drummer Jimmy Johns.

On the recording waxed at Syracuse’s SubCat Studio, Dennis’s rich baritone does jubilant justice to chestnuts like Arlen and Mercer’s “That Old Black Magic” and Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things.” Dave Solazzo nearly steals the spotlight with his ever-inventive piano breaks on uptempo numbers such as “Hey There” and “Sunday in New York.”

Mike Solazzo adds a hip bass solo to the slightly suggestive title tune, and Mike and drummer Jimmy Johns kick off “Just One of Those Things” with a nifty bass-and-cymbal intro.

It’s Dennis’s singing that’s most in focus on the disc, however, and he demonstrates a flair for improvising on a fascinating version of Kern and Mercer’s “I’m Old Fashioned,” intriguingly embellished with Jimmy John’s Caribbean rhythms and Dave Solazzo’s kickin’ keys.

Dennis sells the CD at his gigs and has even sold several over the Internet. “Someone from Berlin, Germany, even bought one,” he said, “and that just blows my mind.” The album continues to enjoy regular airplay on WAER and on the “Night Owl Lounge Show” Sunday nights on WVOA.

“I have to admit that it’s still a total rush to hear myself coming out of a radio,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over that!”

To keep the good vibes going, Dennis plans to raise money online via GoFundMe to support his next recording project, tentatively titled “The Boys from Syracuse — Scott Dennis sings the music of Jimmy Van Heusen.”

“Actually, it was my New Year’s Resolution that I would be in a studio recording something by the end of 2016, so that’s the goal,” he said. “I’m very excited about this because, with Van Heusen, I have so many tunes to choose from and a whole lot of Syracuse pride. Yes, I really am proud of Syracuse.”

Dennis is the son of Joanne Britton of Baldwinsville.

To buy a copy of “Close Your Eyes,” email Scott at [email protected], or call 422-4226.