Tony Campbell is the youngest saxophone player inducted to the Pittsburgh Jazz Society’s Hall of Fame in 2010. His musical journey began in the Hill District in 1973. At the age of 13 Tony joined a band called The Deltones.
In 1979 Tony attended Berklee College of Music, came back to Pittsburgh in 1982 and enrolled in The University of Pittsburgh under Dr. Nathan Davis. At the age of twenty-two he recorded and toured with Roy Ayers.
Later that year he joined Roger Humphries and RH Factor. Tony moved to New York City in 1990 and landed a 16-week U.S. tour with Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies as lead alto player in a 10-piece orchestra.
From 1993 until 2000 Tony Campbell took his talents to cruise ships as a lead alto player and Musical Director performing with artists like Ben Vereen, Marvin Hamlisch, Jack Jones, Diane Carroll, Maureen McGovern, Neil Sedaka, Phyllis Diller and many others.
In 2000 Tony came home and started teaching and joined Roger Humphries Big Band as lead alto player. He also started his own band called Tony Campbell and Jazzsurgery.
In 2005 he recorded his first CD as a leader, called T.C.B. II Taking Care of Business. Tony joined the Poogie Bell band in 2005 and worked until 2009 when he began teaching music at the middle and high school level until 2013. His second CD Eastside was recorded in 2013 and features Sean Jones, Roger Humphries, and Dwayne Dolphin among other great Pittsburgh musicians.
Currently, Tony is performing, recording, producing, teaching, and holding Jazz Jam sessions that feature some of the best young up and coming talent in the Pittsburgh region.
His mission is to keep the great American music of jazz going on forever for all to enjoy and experience as he does.
