There’s a real skill involved in piano bar entertaining and Chris Gillespie has clearly mastered it. He holds court at the legendary Bemelmans Bar at the prestigious Carlyle Hotel every Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 to 8:30 pm and, no matter where you’re heading off to, from there he sets you “in the mood” for good things to come.
He does so by drawing from the extensive Great American Songbook repertoire, which he has at his fingertips if someone should have a request, and also by stamping each carefully-chosen selection with his own unique sound and sensitive style.

On the night my husband and I were celebrating our anniversary by going to see Judy Collins at the Café Carlyle, we sipped our cosmos to the strains of “Love Is Here to Stay,” “These Foolish Things” and “Here’s to Life,” songs that instantly matched the feelings we ourselves were experiencing. That’s what it’s all about!

Gillespie set that romantic tone and enhanced the overall ambiance and chemistry of the room without being a distraction, and he kept us interested and entertained without our feeling pressured to necessarily respond.
Sensing what his listeners would most enjoy hearing, taking genial control of whatever situation might arise, knowing how to keep the party going and passionately loving what you do are key attributes that any piano bar entertainer must possess and it is what makes Chris Gillespie one of New York’s finest!

Lynn DiMenna
Cabaret Scenes
May 22, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org