Piano music for wedding reception

April 29, 2004 7:48 AM

Looking for suitable songs to be played on unaccompanied piano at a wedding engagement party. Ideal requirements include one or more of the following: romantic, classy, lounge/cocktail, film soundtrack, 1920s-1960s. Thanks!
posted by carter to (11 comments total)

Some of the more obvious candidates here are Frank Sinatra, Cole Porter, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, and so on. It would be nice to have some obscure stuff in there along with the standards.
posted by carter at 7:51 AM on April 29, 2004

Louis Armstrong's "A Kiss To Build A Dream On" might be nice on piano.
posted by GriffX at 8:32 AM on April 29, 2004

Vince Giraldi's "The Great Pumpkin Waltz." It was my wedding song. It fits all your criteria.

Actually, a lot of his stuff from Charlie Brown would work. Maybe not Linus and Lucy though, unless you've got a pair of twins who like to bob their heads back and forth.
posted by bondcliff at 8:47 AM on April 29, 2004

Nice cool bossa nova/samba: Agua de Beber, Corcovado, Girl from Ipanema, Insensatez... You can look at Stan Getz or Joao Gilberto CD's for song names/ideas. That's what I would have at my wedding, anyway ;)
posted by contessa at 8:54 AM on April 29, 2004

you mean aside from "As Time Goes By"?

Here's a nice list.
posted by Vidiot at 9:50 AM on April 29, 2004

debussy's clair de lune
posted by heather at 10:01 AM on April 29, 2004

I Couldn't Live Without Your Love by Petula Clark
posted by ArsncHeart at 10:33 AM on April 29, 2004

A friend of mine played "Here Comes the Sun" in place of the wedding march on the piano at our friends wedding. It was rad.
posted by trbrts at 11:12 AM on April 29, 2004

Carter: Jerome Kern's "Wedding Bells Are Calling Me" comes to mind. Any Kern ballad is ideal, as played by professional lounge pianists everywhere since Pop began, because the melodies are so rich and heartbreakingly beautiful. They also affirm themselves delightfully even in a crowded, chatter-filled room. A Kern-only programme would make, I think, a lovely statement (or any other great romantic composer from the period you suggest: Richard Rodgers; Irving Berlin; George Gershwin; Harold Arlen; Cole Porter; Harry Warren et caetera).

Examples: "All The Things You Are"; "The Way You Look Tonight"; "Isn't It Romantic?"; "I'm Old-Fashioned"; "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"...

Here's Todd Peach's excellent list of Kern songs and lyrics.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 11:40 AM on April 29, 2004

"As time goes by" was the first thing that sprang to mind here too Vidiot. If you're feeling a bit wicked you can always slip in "Making Whoopee". Instantly recognisable and fun if the bride and groom don't mind a bit of gentle teasing.
posted by fvw at 11:54 AM on April 29, 2004

Wow, thanks y'all! Miguel, thanks for the J Kern link, we have "Smoke gets in your eyes" on the short list (one of my favourite versions is by Bryan Ferry). "The Girl from Ipanema is one I would never have thought of, contessa. And the cocktail piano link is great, Vidiot. But thanks to everyone; keep 'em coming; this is a musical education that I am in dire need of! (I just thought of Nina Simone's "My baby just cares for me," which is a good piano number I think.)
posted by carter at 2:26 PM on April 29, 2004