Piano Bar fun at Confirmation party

At the party after Gabry's niece's confirmation there was a piano player. He was so loud you could hear him three floors down when you entered the building. Upstairs, he jauntily played some Italian standards, ragtime, and other songs to a roomful of folks who hardly acknowledged him, despite the near-deafening volume. While some folks were singing along from their seats, eventually, the singing began in earnest.

Gabry and Ludy were having fun singing Italian songs. I got to hear "Volare" in the version that is popular over there (different from the Dean Martin version heard in the US). And then the piano player started playing something I recognized that had English lyrics so Gabry pulled me into the room to sing. That was weird, to sing a song I know in front of folks who, for the most part, couldn't understand what I was singing. (An important side note is that most of the songs on the radio in Italy are in English. When I was in Rovigo with Gabry, we were out with a guy from the theatre company and they sang me a little medley of songs I never would've imagined they would know. It's a little terrifying to know some of the songs that were exported over the years...)

The piano player started chatting me up. His name was Charlie and I don't think he could've been more of a stereotype of a piano bar piano player if he tried. He's from Milan and he's been playing piano for nine years. Unfortunately, he could play the songs in the key in which they were written rather than in a sing-able key. He also jumped through the song rather than play it all the way through. And he played everything at a rapid pace that made it difficult to follow, especially when I was trying to remember lyrics at the same time as trying to keep up with him.

Overall, it was fun, but it made me miss Rod and The Alley in Oakland. Rod really is a gem! I didn't realize how spoiled I was to sing with him. I can't wait to get home and go enjoy an evening at The Alley.