Singer, pianist and songwriter Tony DeSare plans on making the most of his Halloween concert in Sioux City.

"I'll probably throw in 'Witchcraft' and a couple of other appropriate songs," he said, referring to the popular Frank Sinatra hit. "I'm not sure if I'll dress up in costume, but I may put something in my suitcase."

DeSare was born and raised in Glens Falls, N.Y. -- a place slightly larger than Storm Lake, Iowa -- to a musical family. He started violin lessons at 8, piano lessons at 11 and continued with both into high school. But DeSare wasn't a member of the high school choir.

"I had no time," he explained in an interview from his home in New York City. "In addition to the lessons, I was playing percussion in the concert band and piano in the jazz band."

DeSare began singing and playing professionally at 17. By the time he started at Ithaca College, DeSare had opened for visiting headliners and built a regional following.

"My parents were always supportive and didn't second guess I would have a career in music," he mused. "I think I was more concerned about my future since my degree is in business management."

With his violin and piano background, DeSare, 33, could have gone the classical or jazz route.

"I think the music chose me," he observed of his passion for tunes from the '30s, '40s and '50s. "My parents didn't listen to those standards, but when I was a teenager in the '90s, I discovered Sinatra almost by accident. I found his music to be more interesting to me than the pop music of that time -- that grunge music of Pearl Jam and Nirvana. I responded so much more to his sound."

In addition to touring, DeSare, who performs with a backing bassist and percussionist, composed and performed the title theme to a 2005 independent documentary feature film about a guy who has 30 days and $1,100 to get a date with Drew Barrymore. "My Date With Drew," was awarded top honors at the New York Gen Arts Festival, the HBO Comedy Arts Festival and the Vail Film Festival nationwide in 2005. The movie's theme song, "If I Had Drew" is featured on DeSare's debut CD.

Another song, "Let's Just Stay In," can be heard in next year's movie, "The Tooth Fairy," staring Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, Ashley Judd and Julie Andrews. DeSare received an e-mail from folks at 20th Century Fox asking if they could include the song in the movie.

"The song is from my second CD, released in 2007," he said. "I'm not sure what form it will take in the movie, but I guess it's during a romantic interlude between the Rock and Ashley Judd."

Despite previous success with his CDs and touring, DeSare speculated that 2009 was a banner year for him.

"It's been good for me making strides," he said. "I met Barry Manilow in Las Vegas and he called me a few months ago to congratulate me on my New York Times review."

The Times reported, "With his dark hair, bright brown eyes and toothpaste smile that rarely fades, DeSare is one of the most promising young male performers. He is a Sinatra acolyte in his early 30s who sings Prince as well as Johnny Mercer."

"I also met Paul McCartney," DeSare added. "I was playing at the Carlisle Hotel and he happened to walk in and see the show. He came up to me later, introduced himself and complimented me on the show."