Meet Terry Anthony

We had the good fortune of connecting with Terry Anthony and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Terry, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success in music was the environment I grew up in. My father, Al Anthony, was a professional saxophone player during the great big-band era of the 1940s, and from a very young age I was surrounded by serious musicians. I heard the sound of great bands, great arrangements, and great discipline long before I ever thought about music as a career.

My father played lead alto and worked with several of the major orchestras of the time. He was also the saxophonist who performed the famous solo on “Opus in Pastels,” a recording from the Stan Kenton repertoire that musicians still talk about today. Growing up around that level of musicianship gave me an early understanding of what real artistry sounded like.

I spent a lot of time on the road with my father, listening to some of the best players in the business. Those experiences were my first classroom. I learned not just how to play notes, but how to listen, how to blend with other musicians, and how to respect the craft. That foundation shaped everything that came afterward.

Later in my own career, I had the privilege of working with some extraordinary artists and performing in a tradition of American music that still means a great deal to me. I spent four decades performing on and off with Frank Sinatra and Sinatra Jr., experiences that taught me about professionalism, phrasing, and the musical standard and discipline that stays with you for life.

The music business has changed over the years, and the era that produced those great big bands has mostly passed on. But the music itself hasn’t lost its value. If anything, it’s more important than ever that someone keeps that knowledge alive.

That’s one of the reasons I enjoy teaching today. Through my lesson studio, Learn with a Legend, I’m able to pass along the musical ideas and traditions that were given to me. I work with students who genuinely want to learn—not just how to play an instrument, but how to understand the language of music.

For me, success now isn’t only about the career I had. It’s also about making sure the music continues to live through the next generation of players.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Music has always been both the stage and the classroom for me. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and later a Master’s in Performance while studying in Boston—what was then known as the Boston Conservatory of Music, now part of Berklee College of Music. That formal training gave me the technical and theoretical foundation that every serious musician needs.

But most of my life was spent doing what musicians love most—playing. Touring, recording, and performing with some remarkable artists kept me on the road for years. When I was home in Massachusetts, I also taught music in the public schools and served as assistant band director for the Boston College marching band. Teaching was never separate from performing for me—it was simply another way to pass along what the music had given me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a good friend came to town for a week, it would probably be a musician. So after a day on a boat, fishing, this is more or less how I’d do the evenings. Nothing fancy or over-planned—just good music, good food.

Monday –
I’d start the week with dinner at Casa D’Angelo Ristorante. It’s a classic Italian place with a beautiful room and a relaxed atmosphere. Some nights you’ll hear a piano player working through standards while people enjoy dinner and a good bottle of wine. It’s not a big show—just the kind of place where music and conversation belong together.

Tuesday…head over to Blue Jean Blues.
Tuesday nights there lean toward jazz, and blues. The room has been around long enough that good musicians tend to find their way onto that stage. It’s intimate, the crowd actually listens, and every now and then the second set turns into something special.

Wednesday – Up to Boca
Wednesday night, head north to The Funky Biscuit. It’s one of the best listening rooms around here. They bring in touring acts and top-notch players, and the sound is always good. When the band is cooking, it’s a great place to be.

Thursday – Piano Bar in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
I like to go up to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and have dinner at BVR restaurant and Piano Bar. It’s a cozy little place with a terrific chef and a piano player who really knows how to hold a room. Great food, great music, and the kind of evening where you end up staying longer than you planned.

Friday – Real Jazz Listening Room
Friday I’d make the drive out to All That Jazz Café. If you want to hear musicians stretch out and play real jazz, this is one of the places in Broward where that still happens. Small room, great players, and people who come there because they actually want to hear the music.

Saturday – Arts Garage
Delray Beach. Serious listening space. These guys are the real deal. The “cat’s”.
No talking!! Excellent listening experience. Bring your respect for the art.
Best left to serious music lovers..so yeah…my visiting friend will love it.

Sunday – Easy Brunch and Music
By Sunday…. slow things down. Somewhere along Las Olas or the beach find a place with brunch and a piano or a small jazz trio. Nothing complicated—just good food, a little music, and the ocean nearby. Casablanca Cafe is a favorite.

That’s about how I’d show someone the local scene. South Florida has a lot of great musicians hiding in small rooms, and if you know where to go, you can hear some wonderful music any night of the week.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
If I were giving a shout out, I would dedicate it to my dear friend Frank Sinatra Jr. We spent many years working together and became like brothers along the way. In some ways we understood each other in a unique way—we were both sons of legendary musicians, and we both grew up inside that world.

Frank was a wonderful musician and a serious student of music. People sometimes forget how deeply he understood arrangements, phrasing, and the traditions of the American songbook. Working with him taught me a great deal, not just about performing, but about respecting the music and carrying forward the standards that defined that era.

Over the years we shared a lot of stages, a lot of travel, and a lot of conversations about music and life. Those friendships are one of the greatest gifts this profession can give you.

So if I were offering a shout out, it would certainly go to my “brother” Frank Jr. for the friendship, the music, the bus rides, the laughs, the short days and long nights, and the many years we spent keeping that great tradition alive.

I’m grateful that music brought our lives together the way it did. And I miss him.

Website: https://learnwithalegend.com

Instagram: terryanthonysaxophone

Facebook: Learn with a Legend

Image Credits

Terry Anthony with The Sopranos, Sinatra Jr and core orchestra members and various well know musician friends