Diva Astounds Destin’s Sophisticated Audiences
By Chris Manson Nivember 21, 2003 Issue

Destin’s music scene has progressed far beyond the usual hordes of “Margaritaville” warblers, thanks to artists like Toni Drago. Backed by some of the finest musicians around—you never know who’s going to be sitting in—the Italian-American diva offers engaging interpretations of torch songs and jazzy uptempo numbers.

The black-haired beauty grew up in Fort Walton Beach before spending 15 years in Los Angeles acting in and writing music for films and television. “My family’s here, all my friends are here,” Drago said of the place she returned home to a couple of years ago. “I’m just now getting happy here.”

Drago attracts first rate musicians, people who have spent their whole lives perfecting their craft. Friday night at Soleil et Luna, guitarist Robert Orr from Auburn and Pensacola trumpeter Paul Bruketa joined her. Later, saxophonist Michael J. Thomas dropped by after a set with the DC Horns at Rutherfords 465. Cadillac Willy’s exceptional percussionist Louie Antoon augmented drummer Charles Pagano and bassist Davy Jones during the Sade favorite Smooth Operator.

Duke Ellington’s masterpiece Satin Doll featured superb solos from Orr and Jones while Drago danced with an admirer. “What are you in the mood for, romantic or fast?” Drago asked the packed house, and before the votes could be counted the band launched into a exhilarating My Sweet Thing. Drago’s accomplished singing was enhanced by some fun dance moves and a hint of Elvis Presley karate. She introduced her next number—the slow and sexy Cry Me a River—with the plea, “Gentlemen, if you want to get lucky, ask someone to dance.”

A bouncy take on The Song Is You—“If you can dance to this, we’ll give you a hundred dollars!”—gave the consummate musicians plenty of solo opportunities. Orr’s guitar shined once more on The Girl from Ipanema, and then it was the band’s turn to do their thing on Thelonious Monk’s timeless instrumental Straight, No Chaser. Drago returned to the stage—Orr’s gorgeous Guild guitar in hand—to wail away on a surprisingly funky Ode to Billie Joe.

Drago hopes Friday nights at Soleil et Luna will become a steady gig. Toni and Friends also appear Sundays from 8 p.m. until midnight at the Funky Blues Shack, where “musicians always come and sit in. It’s so cool!”

The vocalist says her repertoire has “a jazzy feel, but then I like to camp it up and have fun. The most important thing is to have the best musicians. It gives you more freedom.”

Drago loves jazz/blues singer Nancy Wilson—“not the one from Heart,” she quickly pointed out. She enjoys singing Wilson tunes like The Very Thought of You and All My Tomorrows. “I got turned on to her a couple of years ago,” Drago said. Her favorite Wilson album is Yesterday’s Love Songs, Today’s Blues.

“I love torch songs and funky rhythmic stuff. At Soleil, I’d like to give it a cabaret twist, feel the room. The room’s always different. You can’t play the same songs every night. I use different musicians all the time, and they always have a blast,” she said.

Drago’s future plans include finishing her screenplay. “I’d like to take it to Broadway. It’s an Italian mafia musical. I’m really into writing right now.” She has written numerous songs for movies, including the title track to the upcoming The Ghastly Ones. (“Campy fun,” she calls it.)

Among the challenges Drago and other musicians face is finding steady work during the slow season. “Some club owners lack vision, and they cater to tourists, not the locals. They need to be diverse and let the musicians play different kinds of music. I think they make enough money in the summer, the least some of them could do is employ their musicians through the winter as well,” she said.

“People underestimate the sophistication level of what audiences want to hear. Why not bring a little bit of big city here?”

Drago’s other passions include opera and singing in different languages. “I’m into astronomy big-time, too. Nothing pleases me more than to drink some wine and look at the stars with my telescope. One of my favorite authors is Carl Sagan. His non-fiction book Demon Haunted World is about the myths that people attach themselves to that science has dispelled.”

No scientific proof is necessary to deduce that Toni Drago is one of the most entertaining performers around. (Top)

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