Music/Culture: Piano Bar

I can never resist sitting around a piano bar, especially in Palm Springs where they’re an institution. This year marks the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra.  That’s Life!

Sing us a song, you’re the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feelin’ alright – Billy Joel

For my birthday last week there were eight of us at Tropicale and after dinner six of us escaped to the piano lounge to hear a man with a story who has  been playing for over 40 years with renowned people such as Frank Sinatra.  Just a pianist and a bass guitarist playing familiar standard classics mixed with a little jazz which put me in the mood to order a cocktail I may otherwise never bother to order at home (especially since I don’t like the taste of liquor) and don’t even know what’s in most of the drinks. Something like an old fashioned because I like the name but I decided on a ginger martini.

The few cozy little tables that were set up around the piano and the music they were playing tempted us to want to linger longer. So there we were…

then on Saturday night I ended up at Melvyn’s piano bar (at the Ingleside Inn) to experience that same old fashioned feeling before leaving town.  The place was packed and when Melvyn (the owner who was in house that evening) found out I was from Vancouver he told me he recently had a private dinner with Jimmy Pattison (a local billionaire businessman) at the Frank Sinatra compound that Pattison stays at when in Palm Springs. I won’t mention some of the other things he said cause he’s been around a long time and he’s met everyone (photos of him with everyone from Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball to Cher take up at least one wall). Paintings of Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Dean & Elvis Presley from renowned celebrity pop artist Dan Tarantola are on another wall.

The evening was lots of fun. All ages enjoying campy, familiar, fun, feel-good upbeat tunes. I need to find me a piano bar at home.

If I were mayor it would be mandatory in every restaurant

cause I’m an uptown/downtown kinda gal!