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A short list
of piano entertainers and great American composers of popular piano
music and songs; Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, George M
Cohan, W.C. Handy, Jelly Roll Morton, John Philip Sousa, Joplin, Zez
Confrey, James Scott, Eubie Blake. At parties, weddings or bars, piano
entertainers often play song hits, showstoppers, jazz, blues standards,
show tunes, rags, novelty numbers and encores on solo piano.
Examples of different styles of piano entertainers and how they perform their gigs:
"Instrumental
only": the professional piano/keyboard player plays strictly
instrumental music, which is usually classical, semi-classical, or
"easy listening"; this type of piano entertainment is often found in
hotel lobby lounges or "fine dining" restaurants.
"Only the musician sings": the professional piano/keyboard player sings to his/her accompaniment, usually on microphone."
"Sing-along":
patrons surrounding the piano/keyboard sing as a group, usually without
any microphones, often preferring "standards" and "show tunes."
"Dueling pianos": usually on stage with two grand pianos, each played by a professional player who sings and entertains."
"Open mic":
individual patrons sing (on microphone) to the accompaniment of the
professional musician; in some ways, this type of piano bar is like
karaoke, except that the music is live and dynamic."
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