Judi Marie Canterino & Friends

Judi Marie Canterino is "a breath of fresh song."
On her first CD, entitled "Gee, Baby", one reviewer called her "as exciting a singer/swinger as I've encountered since the heyday of Anita O'Day."

Her two new CD's, featuring such jazz greats as Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Hustin Persons, and Clark Terry, are being readied for release.

Judi Marie brings to the stage a unique jazz style that is steeped in a rich musical history. Beginning her musical training at the age of seven with the classical piano (she performed at the Juilliard School of Music through her thirteenth year), she then turned her studies to voice, training classically through high school.

At the age of 19, Judi became interested in jazz singing, and was introduced to the late Lennie Tristano, an innovative jazz pianist and genius in his field, with whom she began studying. As part of her jazz training, Judi would listen to Tristano perform at the Half Note, a club that presented the finest jazz musicians of the day. The Half Note, owned by Sonny and Mike Canterino (whom Judi later married), was a mecca for jazz notables and home to such vocalists as Tony Bennett, Anita O'Day, Billie Holiday and even Judy Garland (who sat in one night not knowing it would be her final appearance).

Judi Marie would sit in at the Half Note with jazz greats like Zoot Sims, Al Cohen, Wes Montgomery, Buddy Tate, Bud Johnson, Jimmy Rushing, Van Dickenson, Major Holly, Milt Hinten, Doc Cheatham, Roy Eldridge, Ross Thompkins, Bobby Hackett and others. Judi's singular vocal style can be attributed to the mentorship of these great musicians, plus the influences of singers like Jimmy Rushing, Billie Holiday, Maxine Sullivan, Rosemary Clooney, Anita O'Day and of course, Sinatra.

Judi has appeared at the New York Hilton, New York's Fortune Garden Pavilion, Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair, New Jersey, Wave Hill in Riverdale, New York, Trios in Riverdale, New York, The Helen Hayes Theater in Nyack, New York and is currently singing weekly at several locations in New York. She has been working with jazz greats Warren Vache, Scott Hamilton, Norman Simons, Chuck Folds, Clark Terry, Mark Shane, Rio Clemente, Joe Cocuzzo, Phil Bodner, Spanky Davis, Bucky Pizzarelli, the great Doc Cheatham and Red Richards, Kenny Daverne and Kenny Asher, composer of songs from "The Muppet Movie", including "Rainbow Connection" and others.

Judi's voice has been heard on international radio and as a guest performer on the Jim Lowe Radio Show in New York.

Judi Marie Canterino most recently finished a sold-out run at Feinstein's at the Regency in New York.