Piano World Home Page Forums Fun Stuff! - Parties, Tours, Projects & More... Forum Members Parties, Tours, Cruises, & Meetings Tomorrow's LA Piano Party

WoooHoooo I'm getting excited.

I'm not much of a cook.
I think I may make Garlic-mashed-potatos; people seem to like that.
Maybe I'll bring some wine too.

What are you bringing?
Or is pot luck supposed to be a surprise?

Kenny:

Joy:

This will inspire me as I peruse my cookbooks....

Well, I usually do a dessert. So I walked into my local Costco (I mean one of my local Costcos! Can't believe there are so many in OC) and found fresh cherries from Chile. So I'm making fresh cherry pie (Billy boy, Billy boy).

penny

Fresh cherry pie! Lovely. That's an incentive for coming. I'll make a dessert too.

Well, I'll have a meat lasagna and a veggie lasagna. Additionally I'll have some non alcoholic (diet and regular) drinks. I've also made (yeah, that's right, made!) a chocolate cookie/candy. I haven't eaten them all yet!

Oooooooouuuuuh. I've got Piano Party envy. I'll be thinking of you all.

Good luck JohnC, I'm sure it's going to be a big success. Looking forward to new pictures.

Bernard, I bought a digital camera recently. If I don't totally screw it up we'll have plenty of pictures!

I can't WAIT to hear all about the party! And see the pictures! Kenny - are you bringing your guitar? Jodi

Count me in for a salad. I have some Mandarin oranges still on the tree so I will section them up and bring them as well.

85 degrees today in So Cal, more good weather forecast for tomorrow. Lots of food, new friends, old friends and a Steinway grand.

How can it get any better?

Well, I tasked Norbert with bringing Elton, or Ray Charles back to the party.

What, no Billy Joel? Is Norbert really coming? You guys will love him, he is such a hoot. Wishing I could be there. Jodi

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy party! Let the good times roll , and be sure to tell us all about it!

Norbert will be here!

Well, Elton and Ray are appearing at the Pond tonight in some concert that I think is related to NAMM.

Norbert went to the concert tonight. He has his assignment! He's welcome to bring the Piano Man if he runs into him!

Well?

Updates?

Pictures?

Gossip?

Menu?

Program?

Casualties?

It was the best yet!

Everyone is getting more relaxed as we get to know each other.

The piano was, really, to die for.

More later, gotta run.

Wait till you see what happened under the Steinway!!!!!

I thought maybe everyone was still partying! Or maybe they're still sleeping it off. We left just after 10 (had to get the little ones to bed) and the party was just getting started.

As for the who, we had a lot of PW "members," friends, groupies, a lurker and a European piano manufacturer (I'll keep you in suspense for a while over THAT one!). Norbert was our one member from far away, and he didn't make it until 9:30 or so. I begged him to play before we had to scoot and what a treat! Of the "regulars," there were Kenny and his posse (four friends who don't play but come to admire us no matter how poorly we play), Steve and his daughter Kim, who treated us to the only ragtime I heard that night, Niles, Joy with Rick Clark on arm (what a CUTE couple), Friday with family and me and mine. We were joined by newbie Briguy65 (who had the foresight to bring nametags) and John, a lurker who is about to buy a piano (and just in time, the poor guy can play and deserves a step up from his digital).

The piano was superb, and anyone who's hung around here long enough knows I'm not a huge fan of Steinway. But this is what Steinway can do when treated well. It's a 1901 B restored (and I do mean total restoration including everything) three years ago. It had a very sunny, even tone. Reminded me of my piano (if only I could have the longer bass strings!).

JohnC is a man serious about his pasttimes. He has one heck of a piano and one heck of a bike. My husband didn't know which one to drool over first!

For food, we had lasagnas, garlic mashed potatoes, curried cauliflour, an Asian eggplant dish brought by Joy along with brocolli rabe with oyster sauce (yum), pasta with homemade marinara from Niles (fresh tomatoes, not canned), salad, rolls, some chocolate bars-almond roca-like thingie JohnC made that everyone raved over (they were right), a Snickers cake and a pathetic cherry pie, perfect in every way except for the importe tapioca that would not soften! I scooped out the cherries, rinsed them off and dumped the rest of it down the drain. Oh, the pain!

As I said, Norbert came in late with "Oleg," who very sweetly played a song from "Lion King" ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight") for the two 4-year-olds in attendence. I'm not sure if everyone caught the last name. I believe it was Sauter!

more later ...
penny

Matt,

I'm sure others will fill in various details, and gee, I have no idea what 'gossip' may be floating around- but I will say that for me the highlights were the piano performances by Niles and Norbert.

Who would have thought Norbert was a wailin' Blues man (among a lot of other repetoire)??

Oh, yes, another nice surprise was the appearance of Ulrich Sauter- who accompanied Norbert.

John C was a great host with a great 1901 Steinway that was like new with a new soundboard and everything.

A Lurker even showed up...... buwahahaha.

And it was a gas to realise that I had given advise over the years to a few of the attendees, and I received some very nice comments about the outcomes.

Regards,

Rick Clark

Yes, it was Ulrich Sauter, who, according to my third edition Piano book runs the Sauter family business. What a treat.

I'm off to the show. More later.

Blush, blush, me with my bad spelling (make that hearing!). Should've checked The Piano Book first!

BTW, my husband wants to have the next piano party!!!!!

penny

Any leftovers? I'll pay the shipping!