Johnny Morris Playing Great Jazz Piano on Mondays at Backstreet Bistro

Johnny Morris is back playing everyone's favorite standards at Backstreet Bistro on Monday nights from 6:00pm until 9:00pm to the delight of all lovers of the "Great American Songbook".  My appreciation for Johnny's playing and singing skills increase every time I go to hear him.  Don't make the mistake of thinking that Johnny plays "Elevator Music".  Johnny is a superb Jazz pianist who has played with some of the greatest Jazz performers in the country.  He toured with The Buddy Rich Band for years including many sessions with  him at Birdland in NYC.  The great Alto Sax man, Cannonball Adderley, tried repeatedly to get Johnny to tour with him,  but Johnny like the venues he was playing in NYC at the time.

Tonight Johnny was in fine form, playing great standards beautifully, singing the lyrics we all love and to top it off, telling wonderful stories about his experiences with many favorite musical giants of the past who performed with him.

You just can't find venues like Backstreet Bistro where you can have an intimate dinner on the outside terrace and listen to some of the best sounds this side of heaven!  Please do your self a favor and go hear Johnny's wonderful performance every Monday at Backstreet Bistro in Palm Desert.

Continuing my effort to attach music to my postings, I recorded a video of Johnny playing the great standard "Stella By Starlight" live at Backstreet Bistro in Palm Desert.  I apologize for the poor visual in the "YouTube" as I am still in the learning stage of movie making. I thought the sound was ok.

Johnny Morris is Back At Backstreet Bistro on Mondays

There is good news for all lovers of great piano music and the best songs from the "Great American Songbook". Johnny Morris has started his 3rd season at Backstreet Bistro and plays from 6:00 to 9:00 every Monday night.  Johnny Morris is highly respected by all of the best musicians in California and for good reason.  He can play everything from accompanying vocalists or leading a swinging band or Dixieland band.  But I think Johnny is at his best playing and singing the great songs from the "Great American Songbook".  Tonight was Johnny's season opening Monday night at Backstreet Bistro and the outside terrace was crowded with fans who love the music Johnny plays and sings.  Johnny has one of the best musical memories of any performer I have seen. During his performance, he repeatedly asks the audience for requests and without hesitation plays the tune without reference to any sheet music.  But what is even more impressive is that Johnny can sing the lyrics of these songs without hesitation!  Johnny Morris is a polished professional performer but his mastery of the piano did not come over night.   Johnny has spent his entire adult life honing his musical skills.  During his career, he was musical director and played with Kai Winding regularly at the New York Playboy Club.  He also toured with the Buddy Rich quintet traveling around the world including Brazil, the Far East and India.

The setting at Backstreet Bistro could not be better.  Having dinner outside on the Terrace with Johnny at the Keyboard ten feet away playing some of your favorite songs is priceless.  And the food and service at Backstreet is also tops!  

For your listening enjoyment, I have found a "YouTube" video of the Buddy Rich Quintet playing "B.R. Blues" with Johnny Morris on Piano.

Exceptional Musicians Name Their Top Ten Songs, Chapter One: Johnny Morris

                                                                             

Johnny Morris Shares His Top 10 Favorite Songs

I always had an interest in knowing the top 10 songs of my favorite musicians. I knew it how difficult it was going to be for them to put together a list of their favorite songs. You should try and then you will appreciate how difficult this task can be.  The problem everyone has is picking only 10 songs from their personal list of hundreds. I thought it would be interesting to ask some of the best musicians I know to choose their top 10 songs. 

I asked several world-class musicians to imagine what if they were limited to hearing and playing only 10 songs for the rest of their lives, what songs would they pick. This blog is the first of a series of posts that will let us see the top 10 favorite songs of some outstanding musicians. I hope you will share your comments with me.  Also, if there is any musicians who I have not contacted, as yet, who would like to publish their top 10 favorites, please let me know.

Most of my readers know Johnny Morris as one of the most accomplished pianists performing today. Johnny is a Steinway artist and one of the most caring people you will ever meet.  Anyone who has heard Johnny perform knows that he has a deep love for the songs from the "Great American Songbook". Johnny has the ability to play hundreds of great songs from memory including singing the lyrics. I expected Johnny's list to include some of the greatest songs ever written, and I was not disappointed.

Johnny is currently performing Mondays on the terrace at Backstreet Bistro from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.  Having dinner with Johnny playing many of the great songs from his personal list is about as good as it gets.  Johnny is also scheduled to perform with his trio at the Steinway Society Jazz event on April 12, 2014 at So Cal Piano located at 74111 Hwy. 111 in Palm Desert. This is the second Jazz concert Johnny has performed for the Steinway Society, and it's sure to be sold out. Call 760-341-4130 for reservations.

                                   Johnny Morris' Top 10 Favorite Songs

1. How Do You Keep The Music Playing

2. Stella By Starlight

3. My One and Only Love

4. All The Things You Are

5. Here's That Rainy Day

6. Spring Is Here

7. Invitation

8. Emily

9. Skylark

10. The Way You Look Tonight

Johnny Morris Delights Audience At The Steinway Society Jazz Concert

                                                             

Johnny Morris

Roger King, Drums, Johnny Morris, Piano and Danny Flahive Bass

The Steinway Society of Riverside County presented one of their many concert events at SoCal Pianos in Palm Desert on Sunday January 26th. The Steinway Society of Riverside County was founded in 2002 by Ruth Moir who still is the president of the group. We all know that when times get tough, the first cuts school districts make are in the arts program especially the music programs. Today, most elementary schools have no music in their classrooms. The same is true for many middle and high schools who struggle even to maintain some kind of basic music development program for their students.  This is why The Steinway Society of Riverside County was created to address these problems by providing interactive music education classes, hands-on instrument training and live performance programs designed to engage, educate and inspire children to reach for their dreams. The Society has been extremely successful in achieving their goals with their music programs touching over 20,000 children every year through exposure to music. This is an organization worthy of our support as their entire income is generated through donations. You can make a donation by visiting their web site at: www.steinwayriverside.org.

Performing today was the always wonderful piano player Johnny Morris who brought two other fine musicians with him, Roger King on Drums and Danny Flahive on Bass.  Johnny Morris has been playing for residents in the Valley for years and every time he plays, he just amazes his audiences with not only his great playing ability but his remarkable ability to select the greatest songs out of the "Great American Songbook". In addition, Johnny without the aid of any charts, plays every song requested by his audience. He calls this "Try to stump the piano player". He asks the audience to name any song they want him to play and Johnny has the ability and mental quickness to beautifully play all the songs. Another Johnny Morris secret is that he has the ability to sing the lyrics for most of these songs from memory. In the many times I have heard him perform, I cannot remember anyone stumping the great Johnny Morris. If you have not heard Johnny play recently, you can hear him again at the Backstreet Bistro every Monday night starting a 5:30 PM. He is one of the greatest piano players of standard music living today, and you can hear him right here in the Valley every Monday.

Roger King works as a private lender during the day and then becomes a world-class Drummer in the evenings.  He has a great sense of performance and did an outstanding job today without the benefit of any charts or rehearsals. Roger plays with Carolyn Martinez every Thursday night at Vicky's.  The third member of the group was Bassist Danny Flahive. This is my first experience hearing Danny play and he is nothing short of terrific. Johnny gave Danny lots of room for solos today, and he sparkled.

There were a couple of major-league performers who came by today to support Johnny Morris and the Steinway Society. One of the greatest Harp players playing today, Ron Kalina played a couple of terrific ballads with the trio to the delight of the standing room only crowd. Also performing and having some fun was world famous piano player, Bill Marx. Bill and Johnny played a duet while continually changing seats and it was very funny. Bill is always a treat to hear and is always supportive of any event that helps develop music for children. In addition today was a trio of student Trumpet players who were just a delight. They did a great job of performing the classic "Satin Doll" with the trio.

Ron Kalina

Johnny Morris and Bill Marx

Hannah Morgan, Thomas Nole and Riley Hertz

The President and Founder of The Steinway Society of Riverside County, Ruth Moir

Johnny Morris Plays The Great Standards Exactly Like the Composers Would Have Played Them Only Better!

Johnny Morris

Johnny Morris

Johnny Morris

Johnny Morris & Earl Knauss

I wanted to hear Johnny Morris play piano for quite a while but never had the opportunity until Tuesday March 27.  Johnny has been playing and singing at The Sandbar Restaurant in La Quinta for many years. After hearing Johnny play a couple of great Hoagy Carmichael gems, "The Nearness of You" and "Stardust" it was very clear why The Sandbar keeps Johnny playing year after year.  He plays standards like he wrote them and for good reason.  In addition to being a talented pianist, Johnny is also an acclaimed published arranger sought after by both singers and pianists. He wrote major arrangements for "Steinway's Most Popular Piano Solo Series".  He recently performed as the musical director for the sold out, highly acclaimed Derrik Lewis' Musical Chairs' production of "Polka Dots & Moonbeams" presenting the songs of Jimmy Van Heusen at the Indian Wells Theater in Indian Wells. While Johnny feels very comfortable playing for the locals that call the Sandbar home, he also is very much at home playing in some of the most upscale restaurants in New York City like the Oak and Edwardian Rooms in the Plaza, the Hotel Carlyle and the Rainbow Room. La Quinta calls itself "The Gem of the Desert" but now I know there is a second gem in the desert, Johnny Morris!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be at a party with Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II, Ira Gershwin and George Gershwin playing the piano?  Well now you don't have to wonder, get over to The Sandbar Restaurant on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday, sit back, close your eyes and listen to the wonderful sounds of Johnny Morris.

As is the custom in the desert, there is always someone who wants to sing and tonight was no exception.  Tonight's guest singer was Earl Knauss who sang a few songs along with Johnny's wonderful playing.  If I was a singer, and I am not, I would want Johnny Morris playing for me! It doesn't get any better.