WINTER PARK, Fla. – Veteran jazz coverer Shawn Paris spends every Friday and Saturday night performing for nearby store and restaurant patrons as well as passerby in the Hidden Garden on Park Avenue.
Singing various songs by classic artists such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Louis Armstrong, Paris hits all of the right notes with onlookers who take the time to leave a tip as they come and go.
“He’s very entertaining,” said Judy, an observer in the garden. “He’s got a soothing and attractive voice. Almost like velvet.”
Judy’s daughter, who asked not to be named, added that the venue has a very “scenic, European feel; perfect for a summer night out.”
That seemed to be a feeling common to quite a few people as many stopped by the Hidden Garden to take a seat on nearby benches for a listen or to ask their significant other for a dance. Even a few young children stopped to break out their ballet moves to a cover of Frank Sinatra’s 1958 classic “Come Fly With Me.”
“I’ve actually been a professional singer since I was 12,” Paris said. “I used to sing with a 20-piece band, but I like the one on one interaction with my audience when I’m performing alone.”
The reason that Paris chooses to perform jazz covers rather than songs from any other genre is because it’s not only the music that he listens to on his own, but because it “takes people back to the simple life; before the internet and TV got in the way of things.”
“Jazz also seems to be coming back,” Paris said of the genre. “People like Michael Buble are really bringing it back to a younger audience...performing this music is like a dream to me.”
For examples of Shawn Paris’ musical talent, visit his myspace page at http://myspace.com/shawnchristopherparis
