Campise's first release on the Heart Music label, First Takes, also traveled to #3 on the Gavin charts. Campise's third album, Ballads, Blues, and Bebop, was voted best album of the year by both Michael Point of The Austin American Statesman and Hilarie Grey of JazzTimes. Campise's fourth album, Ballads, Blues, Bebop and Beyond was voted one of the top ten albums of 1994 by Rick Mitchell of Request Magazine and Jay Trachtenberg of the Austin Chronicle. Campise was voted Best Horn Player and Best Jazz Band at the 1995 Austin Music Awards during South By Southwest.

Tony Campise is genuine, and completely free of pretention. He brings distinct and original voices to every instrument that he touches. He can make his tenor subtone with the power and depth of Ben Webster, moan like Dexter Gordon, and growl and flutter-tongue into the altissimo in the tradition of Junior Walker. His alto can rip through bop changes like a hot knife through butter, soaring up to a fourth octave D that will chill your spine. Whether he's crying a melancholy melody on bass flute or singing the blues in his uniquely down-and-dirty vocal style, the effect is soulful and brilliantly original.