Doing cocktail and dinner music - no idea what to do

[Robert****]

We are playing for a police ball here in town on Saturday. We are playing for the dance, 9pm to 1am. They want some cocktail hour and dinner hour music too, and it's looking like it's just me and the drummer for that... the bass player can't make it and our singer can't sing for that many hours without losing her voice.

So, I guess we will be jamming! Any suggestions on what to play?

I'm thinking just some jazz standards, blues tunes, latin and whatever else I can just comp through. Throw in little melodies here and there.

It's just background music, but we don't want to look like complete fools either...

[SuperSwede]

Why not "Bad boys" and "911" in jazz versions..

[sunvalleylaw]

lady of impanema? Or you could do portions of "So What" by Miles, or the like, and throw in guitar versions of some show tunes like "Over the Rainbow" and "Wonderful World", songs that have nice, strong recognizable melodies to riff on a little. Doesn't have to be too original. People like comfortable music while eating.

[Robert****]

I really suck and chord melody playing, so it would have to be just playing the chords, and people can whistle the melody!

SS, yeah sure, and maybe I Fought The Law And The Law Won?

[sunvalleylaw]

Loop the chords then play over them?

or stuff like this?





"All Blues" would be fun for your drummer, I would think.

[progrmr]

[Robert****]

Looping with a drummer is tricky to do, I find. The drummer really needs to hear the loop well, otherwise we might get out of sync and that is terrible... I have tried it before with catastrophic results.

I wish my looping devices had just a click output, so he could get it in his own monitor or in-ear monitor.

[piebaldpython***]

I Shot The Sheriff should be the hit of the nite.

[Eric***]

Loop the chords then play over them?

I agree that this seems like it would be a good option. Maybe you could spend a few minutes with your drummer and see if you can get it to a workable point. If you make it percussive enough on the rhythm, perhaps it could work like a click track. I doubt your drummer would like that, but you might be able to get a reasonable compromise that would make cocktail hour a lot easier.

As far as songs go, it seems like your ideas are about the same as mine when I first saw this thread.

[marnold***]

"Raining Blood" comes to mind.

[SuperSwede]

"Raining Blood" comes to mind.

Yeah, nothing fits a nice dinner better than some good old slayer (in jazz version no less)

[Robert****]

I wish I had studied some Joe Pass.... my chord/melody playing is unfortunately a bit... well the expression "like utter crap" comes to mind...

[otaypanky***]

That's a full plate. But if anyone can pull it off I think you're the guy ~

[Ch0jin]

Looping with a drummer is tricky to do, I find. The drummer really needs to hear the loop well, otherwise we might get out of sync and that is terrible... I have tried it before with catastrophic results.

I wish my looping devices had just a click output, so he could get it in his own monitor or in-ear monitor.

Wow, Me too. I've tried twice to jam with loops and a drummer and without a click track or some kind of monitor it just doesn't work. I'd like to be able to MIDI clock a real drummer, but I think we are a few years away from that yet....

[oldguy]

"The Girl From Ipanema". That's a pretty good standard from way back when. Bossa Nova, boss.

Take an elevator ride, there should be some ideas there.

[Lev]

Any chance you could get another guitarist to sit in for an hour and play some backing chords? I'll do it for you if you pay the return air fare!

[Robert****]

Problem solved. I hired a piano player... He's flying solo and we can relax and show up later.

Thanks for all suggestions though!

[sunvalleylaw]

Solo piano works for cocktail hour. I am sure it takes the pressure off. Enjoy the weekend!