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Deana Martin is a world-class entertainer who is equally comfortable with a celebrated symphony, at a legendary concert hall or on an intimate cabaret stage with a swinging jazz quintet. She’s a New York Times best-selling author, a gifted actor, a vocalist of incredible depth and passion and a licensed pilot. When talent is part of the family pedigree it can sometimes be difficult for an artist to forge an individual path, Deana Martin has successfully navigated that tricky terrain.
Deana’s latest album, Swing Street is a collection of songs which capture the essence of this consummate entertainer who is equally at ease performing Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia On My Mind,” as she is singing Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.” Swing Street was recorded at Capitol Records Studio A in Hollywood and features a cast of preeminent LA musicians under the batons of legendary arranger and conductor Patrick Williams and Chris Walden. On this, her fifth album release, Deana also pays tribute to three men who helped guide and encourage her performing career: Uncles Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra and, most certainly, her Dad, Dean Martin. The album is an elegant mix of jazz and blues inspired songs.
Deana’s smash 2013 release, Destination Moon, offers her distinctive take on jazz and pop classics, including the song “True Love,” a duet with her father. “To record that song with my Dad,” says Deana, “was an incredible highlight in my life and another dream come true. When we listened to the playback I was thrilled to hear how beautifully our voices blended together. It’s an unbelievable memory that I’ll carry with me forever.”
Destination Moon followed Deana’s 2006 top ten hit CD Memories Are Made Of This, her acclaimed holiday collection, White Christmas, and Volare, which entered Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums chart at No. 22 and Billboard’s Heatseeker chart at No. 7.
In concert, Deana brings her best-selling recorded repertoire to life with an engaging stage show that keeps the busy entertainer on the road 280 days a year, performing in a variety of venues from major Las Vegas showrooms to intimate jazz clubs to symphony halls, accompanied by some of the country’s most prestigious orchestras.
Among the projects she is most passionate about these days, is seeing her best-selling book, Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughters Eyes, become a movie. Joe Mantegna is slated to direct the film with Jennifer Love Hewitt set to star as Deana. Actress/writer Bonnie Hunt is writing the screenplay. Speaking of her Dad, Deana says, “My dad would always say ‘Deana, when you dream, dream big, because dreams do come true. There’s nothing you can’t do, honey, if you really set your mind to it and work hard.’ And that’s exactly what I do, because knowing that he believed in me has always given me the strength and determination to shoot for the moon!”
Armed with an abundance of talent, a dedicated work ethic and a buoyant personality, Deana was determined to step out from her famous father’s shadow and launch her own successful entertainment career. Deana received her formal education from Dartington College of Arts in the United Kingdom. She has amassed a wealth of stage experience including roles in Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Six Rms Riv Vu and The Tunnel of Love. Her first major break was in the National Touring Company of Neil Simon’s play, The Star Spangled Girl with Jimmy Boyd and George Hamilton.
Deana’s acting career expanded into film with the 1968 western “Young Billy Young” co-starring Robert Mitchum and Angie Dickinson. Her movie career continued with staring roles in “Strangers at Sunrise” with George Montgomery and “A Voice in the Night” with Vitto Scotti. In addition to her work as an actress, Deana also signed a contract with Reprise Records and scored hits singles with the “Girl of the Month Club” and “When He Remembers Me” produced by Lee Hazelwood.
Deana has a beautiful, evocative voice that brings out the best in a song and she puts that amazing set of pipes to good use on her new album, Swing Street. “We recorded in Studio A at Capitol Records, the same room my Dad and so many other music legends recorded. You can feel the electricity in the air the moment you walk into that room.”
Returning to the famed Studio A as an artist in her own right is special to Deana. “When I was a very young girl, I remember sitting in Studio A with my mom, watching my dad record “Memories Are Made of This,” which became his very first #1 hit. Those are memories indeed that I will never forget.”
Swing Street was produced by Deana’s husband John Griffeth. The orchestra is a who’s who of the best Hollywood musicians. Among them are: Gene Cipriano, Bob Sheppard, Don Shelton, Tre Henry, Sal Lozano, Wayne Bergeron, Bob McChesney, Andy Martin, Ray Brinker, Jason Lee and Deana’s pianist and music director, Rick Krive.
Whether writing a bestselling memoir, touring the world or working on a new record, Deana Martin approaches every endeavor with the same commitment to excellence and passion. She could easily rest on her laurels, but that’s not something she ever plans to do. “I love entertaining people,” she says. “It’s what I was born to do.”
Deana and her husband John Griffeth divide their time between Beverly Hills, CA and Branson, MO.
For more information on Deana Martin, her career and upcoming concert appearances, please visit her website at: DeanaMartin.com
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