newbie question

hi, i'm a newbie to this group and wondered if any of you had advice on the top 10 pieces to know for a cocktail pianist situation? And if you'd had any good/bad experiences working on cruises.

1 As time goes by 2 Misty 3 Falling in love again ( Marlene Dietrich sp?) 4 Summertime 5 Can't help falling in love ( elvis) 6 Across the universe ( beatles ) 7 Superman ( five for fighting ) 8 Moonlight Serenade (Mr Miller) 9 If ( Bread) 10 Twilight time / Smoke gets in your eyes. The trick is to be flexible and go with the mood of the audience but you must enjoy what you play as the audience will pick up on your vibe. I have never done a cruise but I have done trillions of restaurants. Gary.

<< I have never done a cruise but I have done trillions of restaurants. >>

Tell us about your experiences in the Ceramic Room at White Castle, Gary?

If I'm not mistaken, White Castle sells those little tiny hamburgers. Here in Atlanta we have Krystal. They are known for causing you to have to quickly visit the 'porcelain throne'...... Most fast food restrooms I've ever been in were lined with ceramic. So I imagine the 'Ceramic Room' is a reference to their restroom.

Larry Fletcher Pianos Inc Atlanta GA Dealer/technician

Doing the work of three men.....Larry, Curly, & Moe Want to visit another piano related messageboard? Go to the piano discussion group on my website:
Http://www.pianosinc.net

I'll save Dave from having to explain his own joke. White Castle was a chain of fast food restaurants before the coming of McDonalds, Wendys, etal. They were generally located downtown (in the days before shopping centers when you went downtown to shop) and were characterized by inside wall construction of white ceramic tile. They looked a bit like a public restroom I guess.

Gerry 'Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your

White Castle 'hamburgers' were commonly known as 'belly bombs' when I was growing up. They had a unique flavor that in no way resembled that of a regular hamburger. Many people (myself included) loved them and could eat them by the sackful. They cost $0.14 per (circa 1965 or so). As I got older my digestive system could no longer handle the stress.! They began to have the effect that Larry describes. They could be a physics strudy project for Christof P. in his area of specialty.

Regards, Chris

To add a little. In the thirties the hamburgers were a nickel each and, as Larry says, they were pretty small. But they had lots of fried onions and were plenty greasy, i.e. tasty. The company was family owned for years. In those days there wasn't much of a restaurant to them. They were located on street corners and the buildings were maybe 20 x 20 feet and the outside walls where white (maybe tile). They would have coupons in The Chicago Tribune which you could cut out and use to get special deals. We kids loved them just as much as kids love McDonalds today. TS

Hey! What about Sweet Lorraine and Autumn Leaves?

Hello,

Others have made excellent suggestions. I have found that people request 'Linus and Lucy' by Vince Guaraldi also known as 'The Charlie Brown Song' quite frequently. Don't learn 'Charlie Brown' expecting them to know it as it is a completely different song, but maybe for your own pleasure.

It has been mentioned before, but for me the number one requested song has been 'The Girl from Ipanema.' After playing the song for the millionth time I know I can play it in my sleep. In fact, you should probably be able to play most of the standards in you sleep because people will want to talk to you while you play.

Jon Parker Jazz Pianist Denver Colorado, USA

Hey, I put in Autumn Leaves. I don't know Sweet Lorraine, though. Gerry