Darryl Tookes To Open For George Benson

New Jersey, NJ. (Top40 Charts/ Society of Singers Chapter East) - On Friday, April 27th Darryl Tookes will open for George Benson at the Bergen New Jersey Performing Arts Center. During the concert, Mr. Benson will be presented with the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation "Satchmo Award" by the Society of Singers Chapter East.

Darryl Tookes is a prolific composer and creative musician, who is highly regarded throughout the music world as a truly original artist. He is a pianist with a unique style, a singer with seemingly limitless range and command, and a writer whose music is beyond category. Mr. Tookes emerged on the scene as a solo recording artist in 1989 with his hit song and video, Lifeguard. During his vast career he has sung at Carnegie Hall with Roberta Flack, recorded and toured with Sting, and performed at the White House for President and Ms. Clinton. Mr. Tookes sang on the PBS Television show Great Performances with Leonard Bernstein conducting West Side Story, and on the Soulful Messiah with Quincy Jones. He has also worked with Dave Grusin, Aretha Franklin, Laurie Anderson, Carly Simon, Blondie, Luther Vandross, Gerry Mulligan, Korn, Cristina Aguilera, Patricia Kaas, Elton John, Diana Ross, Chic, Juan Gabriel, Ole Edvard Antonsen, and many others.

After opening for George Benson, the Darryl Tookes Band will be doing a tour of the northeast to promote their new CD, Journey To The Hieros Gamos (William Heaton Records). They will be performing at Silvermine Tavern in Norwalk, CT on 4/28/07; followed by a concert in tribute to Duke Ellington on the anniversary of his 108th birthday at the First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, CT on 4/29/07; Boston Tennis & Racquet Club on 4/30/07; and Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar on 5/1/07. Joining Tookes will be band members Rolando Grooscors on guitar and vocals, Rodolfo Zuniga on drums, Mike Bordelon on upright bass, Johnny James on soprano and alto Saxophone, Jean Caze on trumpet, and Maribel Diaz on vocals and percussion.