Dennis Rowland

All Music Guide:

Dennis Rowland is still best-known for his association with the Count Basie Orchestra but he has been working hard in recent years in building up his solo career. He remembers hearing Joe Williams' "Every Day" with Count Basie on record regularly when he was five or six and it made a strong impression. Rowland worked as both an actor and a singer locally for a few years in the mid-'70s. The young singer was in Williams' spot during the last seven years (1977-84) of Basie's life, touring the world with the classic orchestra. After that period ended, Rowland worked as an actor on stage, settled in Phoenix, Arizona and began recording as a leader for Concord in 1995.

Trying to branch beyond the swing/blues/standards repertoire, Rowland's second Concord album (Get Here) had some R&B-ish numbers and selections open to the influences of pop and funk. His main strength, however, rests with his swinging style and appealing voice which is best displayed on his third Concord disc, Now Dig This, a tribute to Miles Davis.

Wikipedia:

Dennis Rowland is a jazz vocalist born and raised in Detroit, MI. Having grown up in a household of jazz enthusiasts, Rowland developed an appreciation for Jazz music at an early age. At the age of five or six Rowland heard the vocals of Joe Williams of the Count Basie Orchestra, which has influenced his approach to singing ever since. Rowland's voice is rich and deep, and throughout the early 1970s, Rowland worked Detroit's local jazz and acting scene. In 1977 Rowland was hired by Count Basie as a vocalist on his tours, filling the same role his idols Joe Williams and Jimmy Rushing had occupied for so many years. For Rowland, it was a dream come true and he would tour with Basie for the following seven years. During his time with Basie, Rowland had the chance to share the stage with such icons as Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett. Rowland was seen recently as Jimmy Baker in the film Real Gone Cat by film director Robert Sucato. He currently resides and performs regularly in Phoenix, Arizona.

December 19, 2012 Dennis Rowland is hospitalized at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix after suffering a severe stroke.