Since his New York debut in 1984 at the Presbyterian Jazz Society’s Second Sunday Jazz series, the singer has continued to pursue dual careers. As New York State’s Fair Housing Officer by day he helps establish fair housing policy statewide. At night he performs with some of the best and has played with Frank Foster, former leader of the Count Basie Orchestra, Clark Terry, Benny Powell, Jon Hendricks, Lionel Hampton, Betty Carter, Milt Jackson, and Tony Bennett.

Usually Day fronts his own group consisting of piano, bass, percussion, and guitar. His New York engagements have included The Blue Note, The West End Gate, The Village Vanguard (guest artist with pianist Dorothy Donegan), Visiones, St. Peters’ Concert Series. The Victoria Theater, Harlem Week, Programs on the Plaza, One Penn Plaza Summer Concerts, The Karavan, Greenstreet’s, Al Defimio’s, and a number of other venues including Cancun, Mexico and the Jazz Club in Havana, Cuba

Herb Boyd, jazz critic for Downbeat Magazine and the New York Amsterdam News wrote in a 1996 article profiling the singer-songwriter, “Dennis Day is a versatile stylist who has an easy and distinctive style reminiscent of Brooke Benton, Marvin Gaye, or the Platters’ great lead singer, Tony Williams, depending on the mood or the music. Judging by his latest recording project, he has an obvious knack for composition, too.”

Day even tried his hand at a third career – that of an actor. His range is wide. He started as an extra appearing in Eddie Murphy’s “Boomerang” and he played, to critical acclaim, Pontius Pilot in the Chicago and New York productions of the Passion Play, Jesus of Nazareth.  The Chicago Tribune called the Steve Muncie production of the play “a lavish Cecil B. D’Mille conception scaled to Broadway dimensions, impressive, with live camels, horses, and a cast of hundreds.” In New York City the New York Bible Society has each year since 1991, presented a radio broadcast of an Easter Sunday Passion Play it produced for Christian Family Radio that features the voice of Dennis Day as Pontius Pilot on WMCA AM radio.

Studies still occupy Day also. He has started work toward a masters degree in Jazz Performance at the Manhattan School of Music.

Day’s most recent recording project was completed in Chicago and features the great alto sax player, the late Art Porter, Jr. Day remains optimistic about his music. “I’ve paid my dues and I still enjoy what I do as long as others do as well. I’m not concerned about fame of stardom. God has given me a gift and He has the last note on this stage anyway.”

Valerie Gladstone, a New York City-based writer, contributed to this biography. Ms. Gladstone is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Arts and Culture Section