The Great "Cocktail" Pianists - The Best of the Bunch

Nothing adds more elegance to a party than a cocktailKyo Sakamoto. A few years before he died in 1989,
pianist tinkling away gently in the background. TheseCarmen Cavallero's band was one of the most
days you can flip through the phone book to find alistened-to groups in San Francisco.
good cocktail pianist to play at your wedding,Duchin and Cavallero's style of cocktail piano
engagement party or gala dinner. Most of them singinfluenced many young pianists. One of them was a
too, and they definitely take special requests. Modernyoung Polish-Italian called Wladziu Valentino Liberace,
cocktail pianists follow in the style of greats like Eddybetter known as simply Liberace. Quite early on it was
Duchin, Liberace and Carman Cavallero, among others.clear that the young Liberace would be a
Eddy Duchin was relatively young when he died atphenomenon. He learned the piano at age four. By
age 40, but in his short life he managed to carve aseven he was memorizing and replaying complicated
legacy as a truly unique and standout cocktail pianist.pieces. He was a lonely teen teased by his peers, so
He left his career as a pharmacist to concentrate onhe threw himself into his music. He played at every
his love for music, particularly the piano. Despite havingevent that would pay, even strip clubs and cabaret
no formal training, his engaging personality, good looksbars.
and charm helped him achieve popularity at the CentralLiberace developed his signature showman style
Park Casino. It was a swanky nightclub more than aslowly. He moved away from playing competitions to
casino, and eventually Eddy took the lead in theputting on his own shows. He started by tentatively
orchestra.mixing classics with the pop music of the moment.
Eddy Duchin was a household name by the mid-30's,Then he started adding dialogue, interacting with his
and today he's known as one of the first pianists toaudience and even taking requests. By the mid-1940's,
lead an entire orchestra. His son, Peter Duchin, followedLiberace was the talk of show business. His act
in his father's footsteps. Peter became anbecame more flamboyant and entertaining. His
accomplished pianist in his own right and is activelycostumes and custom-made pianos with sequins were
involved in the American arts and culture scene.fantastic, but he never allowed his showiness to
Carmen Cavallero earned himself the nickname "Poetovershadow his music. Even after his death in 1987,
of the Piano" for the way he played. His style wasmusic critics still describe him as a potent,
typical of what many contemporary cocktail pianistsextraordinarily talented performer.
aim to sound like: tinkling, rippling melodies, classic mixedThe first cocktail pianists were interesting because
up with a little pop. He also experimented with Latinthey were different. They broke away from playing
music and jazz. He quickly became the lead solostilted classics to halls of stuffy aristocrats. Cocktail
pianist in a group he joined, but then left to form hispianists made the music their own, using their creative
own five-piece band in 1939. It proved so successfultalent to produce something original and entertaining.
that the group was expanded in the early 1940's.They communicated with their audiences, making them
Carmen and his band toured across America, finding afeel like part of the performance rather than removed
favorite spot at San Francisco's Mark Hopkins Hotel.from it. The first cocktail pianists like Duchin, Cavallero
Carmen's popularity skyrocketed with the release ofand Liberace did us a favor when they set piano
Sukiyaki, a song first made popular by Japanese singermusic free.