Completely agree, there's no excuse to burn down artists when there is so much available like I said be creative, if you can't think of something better you're in the wrong business.
G
Guest
Guest
I play the exact same 20 songs at every event....
I know, I've seen your gig logs!
There has been twice this summer that I have been specifically asked to play only one artist during dinner (Sinatra and Buble) I felt kind of silly doing it but that's what they wanted.
I refine my dinner lists every couple of months and make slight changes at every event. I always build them around Sinatra and Van Morrison and try to pick the tempo up a bit as the dinner goes on. I do admit I play too much Sinatra in all the dinner lists but it seems to flow well as long as they aren't too close together
I know, I've seen your gig logs!
really, why mess with a proven formula,,, we only change it up because we get board with it.... the clients are hearing it for the first time... it's new and cool to them...
Thats what happened quite a bit for awhile. Kenny G was very popular, but I also played GRPs 10th Anniversary, Richard Elliot, Richard Clayderman and others. I also carried cassettes with prerecorded dinner music.
At many weddings I did play a variety of music, not just one artist.
G
Guest
Guest
really, why mess with a proven formula,,, we only change it up because we get board with it.... the clients are hearing it for the first time... it's new and cool to them...
It's BORED, not board (as in surf board?).
I love ya, Chuck.. how did the swap meet go?
Bit of trivia - I don't own a single Kenny G CD! DJ'ing for 5yrs now, and never got one - though I did have to purchase 'Wedding Song' for a ceremony once and I purchased the 'Wonderful World' version with Louis piped in because I liked it, but only played it a couple times.
As for the OP and Buble - he's innocuous enough, but honestly I can do without him. I actually specialize in Big Band and Jazz Standards from the 20's - 50's, so I have the original versions of any song he's sang, and they set up a far cooler vibe too. Awesome thing about that period of music too is that you had the writers, the songs, and then the artists and all the artists did "their spin" on each song.
So there's no shortage of versions and for every song Buble sings from that era I probably have 3-5 versions from the original artists back in the day, so those songs never have to get old and keeping it fresh is never a problem.
He's alright, but why settle for milktoast when you can have bread with FLAVA?!?
As for the OP and Buble - he's innocuous enough, but honestly I can do without him. I actually specialize in Big Band and Jazz Standards from the 20's - 50's, so I have the original versions of any song he's sang, and they set up a far cooler vibe too. Awesome thing about that period of music too is that you had the writers, the songs, and then the artists and all the artists did "their spin" on each song.
So there's no shortage of versions and for every song Buble sings from that era I probably have 3-5 versions from the original artists back in the day, so those songs never have to get old and keeping it fresh is never a problem.
He's alright, but why settle for milktoast when you can have bread with FLAVA?!?
And there's FAR too much good stuff from that era to rely heavily on Frank too... Mel Torme, Bing, ... and the gals... Dinah Washington, Kay Starr ('If I Could Be With You' is one of my fav up-tempo dinner songs - Playing it back-to-back with 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart' by Patti Page is AWESOME!), Rosemary Clooney, Dinah Shore, Doris Day, Jo Stafford.
Don't hint at a a vibe or an era with Frank and Dino - they're just the overplayed tip of a much larger iceberg. Discover all those gems and get those toes-a-tappin'!
Here's a sampler for some ideas in the genre:
Don't hint at a a vibe or an era with Frank and Dino - they're just the overplayed tip of a much larger iceberg. Discover all those gems and get those toes-a-tappin'!
Here's a sampler for some ideas in the genre:
K
Kirby Ball
Guest
Yeah they're all awesome. Whenever a couple tells me they want "Stuff like Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin" I take that as an unspoken mandate and open-license to play all types of artists from that era, and I only end up playing one or two Frank & Dean songs. Seems that a lot of guys/galls simply play a lot of Frank & Dean and use Buble to space them out? Seems like a waste of an hour to me!
Those songs from that era are really short and you can fit in a TON of stuff during cocktails and dinner and really take things for a ride. To sit on one or two male artists and throw in 'At Last' for good measure seems like a total waste to me!
Besides, there's nothing like the looks on the older folks' faces when they hear these songs and artists they probably haven't heard in 40+ years. It really animates them and is just a real cool vibe all around.
Those songs from that era are really short and you can fit in a TON of stuff during cocktails and dinner and really take things for a ride. To sit on one or two male artists and throw in 'At Last' for good measure seems like a total waste to me!
Besides, there's nothing like the looks on the older folks' faces when they hear these songs and artists they probably haven't heard in 40+ years. It really animates them and is just a real cool vibe all around.
I play the exact same 20 songs at every event....
Same here ..I put together a really good sequence back to back of great background dinner tracks & i usually run with that because i know it works well.I refine the list when needed for any improvements .
Occasionally where i have a crowd where i dont think that sequence will fit their tastes i change it around as need be.
I like Buble because I get a lot of gigs where Rat Pack style music is requested for dinner/cocktails.
it's nice to throw Michael in the mix...
it adds a "newer" sound to the mix
and the younger crowd appreciates something a bit more current than the other artists.
the only problem is, Buble's recordings are much cleaner sounding
so he makes the other guys sound like crap
it's nice to throw Michael in the mix...
it adds a "newer" sound to the mix
and the younger crowd appreciates something a bit more current than the other artists.
the only problem is, Buble's recordings are much cleaner sounding
so he makes the other guys sound like crap
K
Kirby Ball
Guest
If anything, Buble is exposing some of the youngsters to a sound that was before their time. With any luck, they'll start checking out the "old guys" who pioneered that swingin' vocal music.
I've got no axe to grind with either artist (Buble or Kenny G). But many times musical artists suffer a backlash to their recordings due to overexposure. YMMV
I've got no axe to grind with either artist (Buble or Kenny G). But many times musical artists suffer a backlash to their recordings due to overexposure. YMMV
He still does shows, but no MAJOR concerts...
he turned his focus to acting for a while
now, I see he is putting A LOT of his efforts to re-building the music scene in New Orleans after Katrina.
he turned his focus to acting for a while
now, I see he is putting A LOT of his efforts to re-building the music scene in New Orleans after Katrina.