Lou Walinsky, Jazz/Pop/Classical Pianist

If you're looking to hear anything from lush ballads to stride piano, soft rock to extraordinary Chopin pieces, swingin' jazz standards to Broadway tunes, please check out Lou's audio and video samples and consider him for your next special event. (For a different kind of variety, consider having a 2 to 5 piece jazz ensemble: more about that later).
Along with being a competent, engaging, and experienced pianist – as testified by the feedback of his clients - here are some of Lou's unique qualities:
1. He has the knack and the desire to "play the party," i.e. to be touch with the ambiance that you would like to have, and then to help create that ambiance through the choice and style of music selections and through his presence.
2. He is able to play different genres of piano music authentically. He spent many years training as a classical pianist as well as a jazz pianist. He has performed in pop and jazz bands, accompanied classical, jazz, and pop singers and given numerous solo concerts. He is still actively learning, continually expanding his repertoire and skills, and is always happy to learn any special music requests that are not already in his repertoire.
3. He will work with you flexibly to ensure that the flow and success of the party are his top priority. For instance, with the formality of the gigmasters bidding process, the number of breaks and the amount of time per break seem very rigid. But sometimes the flow of the party works better if the musician doesn't take the breaks exactly as prescribed. He understands this and does his best to be in sink with the ebb and flow of the party.
4. He will also work flexibly with you in terms of the cost. He understands that these are demanding times. If you like what you see and hear on his site but you can't quite swing the amount that he has bid (even though he aims to be competitive), feel free to get in touch with him and let him know that you need a price adjustment. He will do his best to accommodate you.
....and back to the jazz ensemble referred to above: In addition to his solo work, Lou has assembled an extraordinary group of musicians that can come out with him as a jazz duo, trio, quartet and quintet, depending on the occasion. The personnel includes some of the most experienced and talented jazz artists in the Philadelphia area. Please listen to the My Romance audio sampler to get an idea of his group's sound.

• After the Lovin’ - Engelbert Humperdinck
• Ain’t Misbehavin’ - Fats Waller
• Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now - The Supremes
• All by Myself - Celine Deon
• All I Have to Do is Dream - Everly Brothers
• All My Loving - Lennon/McCartney
• All of You - Cole Porter
• All Shook Up - Elvis Presley
• April in Paris - Vernon Duke
• As Time Goes By - “Casablanca”
• At Last - Etta James
• Baby I Need Your Lovin’ - The Four Tops
• Bad Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
• Ballade Op. 23 G Min (Excerpt) - Chopin
• Bennie and the Jets - Elton John
• Black Orpheus - Luiz Bonfa
• Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Presley
• Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino
• Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - The Andrew Sisters
• Breaking Up is Hard to Do - Neil Sedaka
• But Not for Me - George Gershwin
• Bye Bye Love - Everly Brothers
• C’est Magnifique - Cole Porter
• Can You Feel the Love Tonight? - Elton John
• Can’t Help Falling in Love with You - Elvis Presley
• Can’t Smile Without You - Barry Manilow
• Chantilly Lace - The Big Bopper
• Cheek to Cheek - Irving Berlin
• Come Fly with Me - Frank Sinatra
• Come Rain or Shine - Harold Arlen
• Desafinado - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Don’t Be Cruel - Elvis Presley
• Donna - Richie Valens
• Dream Lover - Bobby Darrin
• Earth Angel - Aaron Neville
• Embraceable You - George Gershwin
• Endless Love - Lionel Richie
• Evergreen - Barbra Streisand
• Fly Me to the Moon - Frank Sinatra
• Foggy Day - George Gershwin
• For the Longest Time - Billy Joel
• From a Distance - Julie Gold
• Girl From Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis
• Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston
• Have I Told You Lately? - Van Morrison
• Hello Dolly - “Hello Dolly”
• Hello Young Lovers - “La Vie En Rose”
• Here There & Everywhere - Lennon/McCartney
• Hey Jude - Lennon/McCartney
• Honeysuckle Rose - Fats Waller
• Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
• How Am I Supposed to Live Without You? - Michael Bolton
• I Believe in You and Me - Whitney Houston
• I Can’t Stop Lovin You - Ray Charles
• I Dreamed a Dream - “Les Miz””
• I Get a Kick Out of You - Cole Porter
• I Got It Bad - Duke Ellington
• I Got Rhythm - George Gershwin
• I Just Called to Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
• I Love Paris - Cole Porter
• I Write the Songs - Barry Manilow
• I’ve Got You Under My Skin - Cole Porter
• I’ve Grown Accustomed to her Face - “My Fair Lady”
• Ice Castles - Marvin Hamlisch
• If I Were a Bell - “Guys and Dolls”
• If I were a Rich Man - “Fiddler”
• Impossible Dream - “Man of La Mancha”
• In the Mood - Glenn Miller
• Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
• It Don't Mean a Thing - Duke Ellington
• It’s a Lovely Day Today - Irving Berlin
• Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
• Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
• Lady - Lionel Richie
• Laughter in the Rain - Neil Sedaka
• Linus and Lucy (Charlie Brown Theme) - Vince Guaraldi
• Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
• Love Walked In - George Gershwin
• Love Will Keep Us Together - Neil Sedaka
• Lullabye of Birdland - George Shearing
• Mack the Knife - Bobby Darrin
• Mame - “Mame”
• Maple Leaf Rag - Scott Joplin
• Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet
• Master of the House - “Les Miz”
• Memory - Barbra Streisand
• Mercy Mercy Mercy - Josef Zawinul
• Michelle - Lennon/McCartney
• Misty - Erroll Garner
• Moanin’ - Bobby Timmons
• Music of the Night - “Phantom”
• My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
• My Funny Valentine - Rodgers/Hart
• My Life - Billy Joel
• My Romance - Rodgers/Hart
• My Way - Frank Sinatra
• New York New York - Frank Sinatra
• New York State of Mind - Billy Joel
• Night and Day - Cole Porter
• Nine to Five - Dolly Parton
• Nobody Does it Better - Carly Simon
• Nocturnes - Chopin
• Oh Lady Be Good - George Gershwin
• On the Street Where You Live - “My Fair Lady”
• One - “A Chorus Line”
• One in a Million You - Sam Dees
• Out Here On My Own - “Fame”
• Over the Rainbow - “Wizard of Oz”
• Partita BbMajor - J.S.Bach
• Pennies from Heaven - Bing Crosby
• Piano Man - Billy Joel
• Preludes - Chopin
• Put Your Head on my Shoulder - Paul Anka
• Putting on the Ritz - Irving Berlin
• Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets
• Rockin’ Robin - Bobby Day
• Satin Doll - Duke Ellington
• Seasons of Love - “Rent”
• Send in the Clowns - Stephen Sondheim
• Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John
• Someone to Watch Over Me - George Gershwin
• Something About the Way You Look Tonight - Elton John
• Somewhere - Bernstein/Sondheim
• Sonata in E Major - Scarlatti
• St. Thomas - Sonny Rollins
• Stand by Me - Ben King
• Star Dust - Hoagy Carmichael
• String of Pearls - Glenn Miller
• Take The A Train - Ellington/Strayhorn
• That’s What Friends Are For - Burt Bacharach
• The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
• The Rose - Bette Middler
• The Way You Look Tonight - Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields
• They All Laughed - George Gershwin
• They Can’t Take That Away from Me - George Gershwin
• Think of Me - “Phantom”
• This Could Be the Start of Something New - Steve Allen
• Tie a Yellow Ribbon - Tony Orlando
• Time After Time - Jule Styne
• To Life - “Fiddler”
• Under the Boardwalk - The Drifters
• Walk on By - Burt Bacharach
• Waltz Opus 39 No.1 - Brahms
• What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
• What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? - Michel Legrand
• What I Did for Love - “A Chorus Line”
• When I Fall in Love - Nat King Cole
• Whole New World - “Alladin”
• Willkommen - “Cabaret”
• Wind Beneath my Wings - Bette Middler
• Witchcraft - Frank Sinatra
• Yesterday - Lennon/McCartney
• YMCA - Village People
• You Are The Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder
• You Can’t Hurry Love - The Supremes
• Your Song - Elton John
• CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SONGS
• Angels We Have Heard on High
• Away in a Manger
• Baby It's Cold Outside
• Blue Christmas
• Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
• The Chipmunk Song
• The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting...)
• Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
• Deck the Hall
• Do You Hear What I Hear?
• Feliz Navidad
• The First Noel
• Frosty the Snow Man
• God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen
• Good King Wenceslas
• Hallelujah Chorus
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
• Here Comes Santa Claus
• A Holly Jolly Christmas
• There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays
• I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
• I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
• It’s Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas
• Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
• Jingle-Bell Rock
• Jingle Bells
• Joy to the World
• Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
• March of the Toys
• Merry, Merry, Christmas, Baby
• The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
• My Favorite things
• Noel! Noel!
• Oh Christmas Tree
• Oh Come All Ye Faithful
• Oh Holy Night
• Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
• Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Santa Claus if Comin’ to Town
• Silent Night
• Silver and Gold
• Silver Bells
• Suzy Snowflake
• This Christmas
• Toyland
• The Twelve Days of Christmas
• Up on the Housetop
• We Need a Little Christmas
• We Three Kings of Orient Are
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
• What Child is This?
• While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
• You Make it Feel Like Christmas
• You’re All I Want for Christmas
• CHANUKAH HOLIDAY SONGS
• Al Kol Eleh
• Am Yisrael Chai
• Artze Alinu
• Bashana Haba’a
• Bei Mir Bistu Shain
• Beltz
• Channuka Oy Channukah
• Choson Kale Mazel Tov
• David Melech Yisrael
• Der Rebbe Elimelech
• Dodi Li
• Esa Einei
• Erev Ba
• Erev Shel Shoshanim
• Hava Nagila
• Hana’ava Babanot
• Hevenu Shalom Aleichem
• Hine Ma Tov
• I Have a Little Dreidel
• Jerusalem of Gold
• Kol Dodi
• Ma’oz Tzur
• Od Yishama
• Oifn Pripitchik
• Ose Shalom
• Pappirosn
• Pitchu Li
• Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen
• Shalom Aleichem
• Shein Vi Di L’Vone
• Simon Tov
• Tumbalalaika
• Tzena, Tzena
• Ush’avtem Mayim
• Y’did Nefesh
• Yismachu Hashamayim
• Zemer Atik

Anniversaries, Bachelor Parties, Bachelorette Parties, Banquets, Birthday Parties, Children's Birthday Parties, Celebrations, Christenings, Christmas Parties, Church Services, Clubs, Cocktail Parties, Community Events, Conventions, Corporate Functions, Dinner Dances, Festivals, Fund Raisers, Funerals, Graduation Parties, Grand Openings, Picnic, Private Parties, Proms, Restaurants, Reunions, Weddings, Wedding Ceremonies, Wedding Cocktail Hours, Wedding Receptions...and more.

• We thoroughly enjoyed having Mr. Walinsky and his associate play at my mother's 60th birthday party. We hired them as a duo on keyboard and stand-up bass. Mr. Walinsky coordinated with his associate and he was very easy to work with, making the reservation process simple. Everyone at our party commented on how much they enjoyed the music and how it added to the atmosphere of the party. I would definitely recommend for him for any special occasion. Thanks so much, Lou, for helping make this party special! -- Julie B, Hershey, PA, 3/10/2012
• We are very happy we booked Lou for our event. He was a great choice for our cocktail party and brought it to another level of sophistication. He showed up on time, and was very professional. His music is lively and we received many compliments. We would definitely hire him again. -- Jeff S, Bryn Mawr, PA, 11/5/2011
• I loved working with Lou! He was extremely responsive to all my emails. He played the artists I requested (Paul Simon, James Taylor, Billy Joel, etc) and did a fantastic job. He showed up early, was very talented, and very friendly to guests. I would highly recommend. -- Angela M, Philadelphia, PA, 6/25/2011
• Lou's performance at our wedding was wonderful! It was lovely to hear him playing during the cocktail hour. Thanks so much! -- Carly V, Philadelphia, PA, 4/22/2011
• I am so glad I hired Lou to play the piano at my husband's 60th birthday party in our home. I requested jazz background music, and he delivered! Having Lou made our party very special - the perfect addition! He was on time, professional, pleasant, charming, easy to work with, and very talented. Everyone enjoyed his music and I wouldn't hesitate to call him again. -- Gail W, Elkins Park, PA, 3/11/2011
• Lou played at our holiday party this year and he was a total hit! He arrived early and created the perfect atmosphere and kept our guests happy and entertained. His repertoire is outstanding and he's completely prepared, I could not have asked for more. -- Megan M, Philadelphia, PA, 12/9/2010
• Lou played piano for my dad's 80th birthday party at my home. My dad said that having Lou there was "the icing on the cake" of a wonderful surprise party. Lou accommodated all of our requests for ragtime, swing and other 40's music as well as some more contemporary pieces that we asked for. Lou arrived early to set up and was willing to drive 2 hours to get here for a 2 hour performance. We all enjoyed his performance and he made the party complete. -- Karen H, Pottersville, NJ, 7/10/2010
• This is the second time we've hired Lou for an event and he was great! He knows just the right music to play for a cocktail hour. He's very friendly and professional. We'd definately hire him again! -- Kristin C, Princeton, NJ, 5/8/2010
• My overall experience with Mr. Walinsky (Lou) was great. He is very professional, from being on time and ready to go during the time my guests were arriving, throughout the affair and until the very end when the last guest left. He was prepared with the music I requested and everyone enjoyed listing to his selections. I would very much recommend him to any of my friends and would consider him for any function of mine in the future. -- Elizabeth R, Cinnaminson, NJ, 11/22/2009
• I can not express how wonderful it was to work with Lou. Not only was he professional and personable, my dughter's wedding reception took place during the flash flooding in Ivyland where 5 inches of rain fell in less than an hour. The front of the Spring Mill Manor was under four feet of water and there was Lou wading in from the parking lot and still arrived on time and did a fabulous job! He was the best and we want to thank him for providing the perfect touch for our cocktail hour. And he even managed to stay dry!!! -- Jane M, Ivyland, PA, 6/13/2009
• Lou did a great job. He was very professional in all aspects of the event. He played a wide range of music and was very accommodating. I would certainly use him again. -- James D, Paoli, PA, 8/24/2008
• Lou was fantastic! His music was a pleasure to listen to. A true professional. He was very flexible & accomodating. I would love to have him back for another event. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a pianist. -- Melissa K, Springfield, PA, 5/10/2008
• Lou has been in touch with us throughout the planning process and was accomodating to our needs during both the ceremony and the cocktail hour. He has performed with great professionalism and class. Our experience with Lou was great and our guests loved his tunes as well. -- Anna L, Philadelphia, PA, 4/5/2008
• Lou handled our party perfectly. He is personable, flexible and accommodating. Our guests were comfortable enough to try and sing with his accompaniment. He smiles, he tells stories and he is just a nice guy to have around. We needed and extra 1/2 hour, no problem even though the weather was becoming a bother. His collection of music is large, his transits from piece to piece that lends continuity to and works out a theme. Lou is a good guy to have at your party. -- Jonathan K, Pikesville, MD, 12/15/2007

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