Hoots & Annie - Country/Rock (Duo - Trio - Band)
- Auburn, CA
- Country Band
- 28 Verified Bookings
Elvia G. said “They played for my daughter's 40th birthday party and did a great job! We enjoyed their choice of music and sound.”
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Rick Esterling's baritone voice and rhythmic stride piano style combine to create emotive, toe-tapping renditions of some of the very best music from the 20th century. As comfortable playing soft instrumentals from background shadows as he is center stage under the spotlight singing and hosting your event or special occasion, Rick shares his passion and enthusiasm for many genres and styles of music at every performance.
This man is TALENTED. He literally was blasting through pop, classic rock, oldies, new hits, billboard top 100, and more, without regard for time or space. I swear I was taken back in time, but also felt like I was even more in the present moment. There isn't a better pianist and showman out there in the Placer County area.
Not only that but this man is a great conversationalist and I highly recommend him for any occassion.
Classy professional and well versed in music.
Response from Rick Esterling:
Thank you very much for such a kind and generous review, Noah! I love playing at The Fountains especially because of the direct and intimate interactions with the audience that the venue provides. I hope they sign me up for the Summer Music Series again next summer and I very much look forward to playing more of your and your lovely wife's favorites.
Cheers!
We hired Rick for my 60th Birthday Party and he made the party a total success. The music was perfect and he knows so many songs he took requests from the guests which made it a lot of fun. He was kind enough to let my nephew get up and sing along with him, and the guests loved it. Rick provided great songs, dancing, and he is genuinely a nice guy. I would totally recommend Rick if you want to wow your guests and take your event to the next level. He is totally a professional from beginning to end and we are so happy Rick was available to join us for my 60th.
Response from Rick Esterling:
Thank you for the very kind words, Beth! Your family, friends, and guests are wonderful partiers and musicians. What great tastes in music they all have and what a fun time we had with all their song selections. Please thank Stephen for all the singing, and everyone especially John for all the dancing! Also, thank you for generously sharing your delicious food and drink with me, and for a location in the shade and for every accommodation an entertainer could hope for. It was a party to remember and I am thrilled to have been a part of it, and I can't wait for our musical paths to cross again soon!
Rick made my birthday gathering even more fun by giving my guests songs to sing along too and we were in awe of the huge list of songs he knew how to play and sing too as well! He was on time and did not require any help packing up. He was all around a nice person and talented and we hope to hire him again some day for another event! One last thing, we were indoors at a brewery and the air conditioning was unfortunately lacking, even my guests agreed as we were fanning ourselves, and not once did Rick complain! My regret is that I was having so much fun that I forgot to offer him a meal or pizza.
Response from Rick Esterling:
You and your guests were a blast to play for and with at your birthday party, Tanya. So much fun and so many singers who treated me like I was one of the old gang.
Thank you for having me. I can't wait to do it again next year if not sooner!
I attended Bender CEO’s retirement in Roseville, CA and Rick blew me away with his voice and presence! I will sing with him one day. All I have to do is hire him and scratch this off the fudgebucket list! Thanks for making Stephen’s retirement extra special!
Response from Rick Esterling:
Hi Dee!
What a wonderful event it was! The Sutter Club never fails as a venue for good times and great people and that evening back in November was no exception. Thank you very much for your kind words and generous compliments.
I remember talking to you briefly in between songs about our mutual love of music and am so pleased to make contact with you again! I hope our musical paths will cross again soon and we don't have to wait until your next party to make that happen; geography permitting, perhaps one day soon you could come to our home in Granite Bay for an afternoon of music and singing. Please feel free to email, text, or DM me on Instagram whenever it's a good time to set something up - we'd love it!
I hired Rick to play for a private family event. We truly enjoyed every song. Most importantly, from the minute Rick arrives, you feel like you have a friend in the house who plays and sings any genres. We will definitely have our friend, Rick, perform again.
Rick had our guests requesting their favorites and singing along with him. Whether it was background music or full participatory entertainment Rick delivered 100% and beyond. An incredible voice and a deep repertoire, we will definitely hire Rick for our next Gig.
Response from Rick Esterling:
Thank you, Dave! It was a pleasure and honor to play for your dad's 85th birthday. I loved the wide variety of music your guests wanted to hear and sing. Thanks for having me, I had a blast!
Rick did a fantastic job for my husbands surprise birthday party at Bacchus House. He is so versatile & we requested 50s music for this event which he played great. Saw him today at Sutter St. Amphitheater in Folsom - has such a wide range of music & great voice too! A must see or hire!! Juan & Judy A.
Response from Rick Esterling:
Hi Judy,
What a treat to hear from you! It was fantastic seeing you and Juan at my Folsom Amphitheater gig in May, and the other times we've bumped into you on Sutter St. Thank you for coming out, and for your generosity of thinking to leave such a kind and thoughtful review here. Can't wait to share some more 50s music with you two!
All the best,
Rick
Rick is fantastic and he can play and sing all genres. He is a nice person, punctual and and vocally gifted.
Response from Rick Esterling:
Thank you, Bob. Your family and guests were a wonderful group of music aficionados and singers! Had a blast and look forward to doing it again soon.
Rick Esterling is a Singing Pianist Extraordinaire. He has an immense repertoire of music that he plays and sings masterfully. He entertained a group of us at my 89th Birthday party. It was the best birthday party I ever had. He made it fun, fun, fun. I whole heartedly recommend him.
Response from Rick Esterling:
Thank you for the very kind words, Lou. Your party was delightful and your group of friends were wonderfully engaged with the music, requesting songs, and sharing anecdotes and music stories. What a fantastic time we all had! As my only piano playing guest, your performance was one of my favorite parts and you played it exceptionally well. Thank you for adding my music to your already perfect birthday party, I can't wait to play for and with you again.
I contacted Rick as I was planning a Celebration of Life for my brother. I was a bit lost as to how to plan for such an event and I wasn't even sure which songs to request. Rick got back to me very quickly with his condolences and with some ideas of how to plan for the event and pick appropriate music. I am so grateful for the time he took to send me suggestions and for the empathy he gave during such a painful time. Rick's communication is excellent. I never felt worried about his commitment to our celebration. On the day of the event Rick arrived early and prepared, and he blew everyone away with his music. The funeral home director, the officiant, the guests, my family - everyone mentioned how much they enjoyed listening to Rick play. I know my brother's celebration of life was made more beautiful thanks to Rick.
Response from Rick Esterling:
Lisa, it was my extreme honor to play for and be part of your brother's Celebration of Life. Thank you for everything you did to ensure the music I played would be relevant and meaningful to your family and friends, and to all of them for opening their hearts and arms to me and bringing my music into your intimate family circle. It was a Celebration of Life, indeed, and I am privileged to have been a part of it.
Very professional, accommodating great show overall.
Response from Rick Esterling:
Thank you, Suzanne! I had a great time performing at the Blue Parrot Lounge. I look forward to playing again soon, and visiting as a regular customer to see some of the other great musical artists you attract. Love your ambience and vibe!
I am the Activities Director for a retirement community. I booked Rick for our Happy Hour and our residents absolutely LOVED him! He showed up early to set up, played for a good 30 minutes while residents came in, and then played his set. He was absolutely phenomenal! I have had several residents come to me to request that he comes back, and I definitely hope that he does!
Price Range: $500 and up
Gig Length: 120 - 360 minutes
Languages: English
My level of engagement with your audience is entirely up to you and whatever your venue demands. I am as comfortable playing soft instrumentals completely in the background as I am singing and encouraging rowdy crowd-participation sing-alongs, dancing, and guest singers.
Rick Esterling's baritone voice and rhythmic stride piano style combine to create emotive, toe-tapping renditions of some of the very best music from the 20th century. Raised mostly in Alabama, Rick has musical roots in southern rock, honky tonk, country, easy listening, R & B, pop, Mississippi blues, classic rock, Tin Pan Alley, jazz, big band, and swing. Rick enjoys the music of John Phillips Sousa as much as John Williams as much as John Prine, John Denver, Johnny Cash, John Fogerty, and Jon Bon Jovi.
Some favorite artists old to new: Irving Berlin, Billie Holiday, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Beatles, John Denver, Eagles, Carpenters, Chicago, Elton John, Billy Joel, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson.
My small and intimate setup consists of a Yamaha P-125 Digital Piano, JBL PRX One Column Array Tower PA, BeatBuddy, MIDI Maestro, TC Helicon Harmony Singer 2, and Brightech Sparq LED Arc Floor Lighting.
For larger venues up to 500 people, swap out that mixer with a Behringer XR-18 Digital Mixer, Two 2000W QSC K12.2 Speakers, and a 3000W Turbosound iQ15B subwoofer.
I have an optional 40" Keyhole Grand Piano Shell that adds a significant boost of class and ambience to any occasion.
September 16, 2023 • 4:00pm - 7:00pm | Birthday Party |
August 05, 2023 • 7:30pm - 8:30pm | Birthday Party |
June 09, 2023 • 3:00pm - 4:00pm | Cocktail Party |
September 06, 2022 • 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Cocktail Party |
June 18, 2022 • 1:00pm - 5:00pm | Birthday Party |
May 08, 2022 • 11:30am - 12:30pm | Personal Occasion |
May 06, 2022 • 4:00pm - 5:00pm | Birthday Party |
January 15, 2022 • 11:00am - 12:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
December 01, 2021 • 6:30pm - 9:30pm | Restaurant/Bar Event |
April 17, 2021 • 7:30pm - 9:00pm | Birthday Party |
October 02, 2020 • 3:00pm - 4:00pm | Retirement Community Event |
See my YouTube channel bio or my Instagram profile for a link to my current schedule and full 1500+ song list: (link hidden)
Two sample set lists follow. The first was a set list for a recent show of Rock, Pop, and Easy Listening hits consisting of songs mostly from (phone number hidden)0, and the second list I've used as a baseline for Meet and Greets, Cocktail Hours, or Dinner Parties and is comprised of jazz standards mostly from (phone number hidden)0. These are only small representations of my comprehensive master list. Another meaningful measurement is I can play Rock and Pop shows for 12 - 15 hours, Country shows for 4 - 6 hours, and Cocktail Jazz music for 10 - 12 hours without repeating. Most shows I play are some combination of all these categories with emphasis on one more than the others.
Most musical performances average 12 - 15 songs per hours so even these short lists exceed what I have time to play in any three or four hour performance, especially if I'm engaged with the audience telling song anecdotes and taking requests.
SAMPLE SELECTION OF ROCK AND POP SONGS
Amie (1972)
Another Brick In The Wall (1979)
Baby Grand (1986)
Baby, I Love Your Way (1975)
Bad Moon Rising (1969)
Bennie And The Jets (1973)
Boot Scootin' Boogie (1990)
Born on the Bayou (1969)
Boy Named Sue (1969)
Brain Damage (1973)
Brandy (1972)
Can't Find My Way Home (1969)
Can't You See (1973)
Careless Whisper (1984)
Cold (2020)
Comfortably Numb (1979)
Copperhead Road (1988)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love (1979)
Dance, The (1989)
Day-O (Banana Boat Song) (1956)
Down On The Corner (1969)
Dream Weaver (1975)
Drift Away (1973)
Drops Of Jupiter (2001)
Easy (1977)
Feel Like Making Love (1975)
Folsom Prison Blues (1957)
For What It's Worth (1967)
Get Together (1967)
Have You Ever Seen The Rain (1971)
Hey Bartender (1955)
Home Sweet Home (1981)
Honky Tonk Women (1969)
Hotel California (1976)
I Told You So (1988)
I Want You To Want Me (1982)
I'm No Angel (1987)
Imagine (1971)
Jailhouse Rock (1958)
Johnny B. Goode (1958)
Just The Two Of Us (1981)
Keep Your Hands to Yourself (1986)
La Grange (1973)
Landslide (1975)
Let Her Cry (1994)
Live Like You Were Dying (2004)
Long As I Can See The Light (1970)
Lookin' Out My Back Door (1970)
Love Potion No. 9 (1964)
Mack The Knife (1958)
Mary Jane's Last Dance (1993)
Me And Bobby McGee (1971)
Midnight Rider (1970)
More Than Words (1990)
Mr. Blue Sky (1977)
Mustang Sally (1966)
Neon Moon (1991)
New York State Of Mind (1976)
Paint It Black (1966)
Paper In Fire (1987)
Piano Man (1973)
Piano Man (1973)
Pink Houses (1983)
Pride And Joy (1983)
Purple Rain (1984)
Remember When (2003)
Rock This Town (1981)
Rocket Man (1972)
Rockin' Robin (1958)
Route 66 (1946)
Santeria (1997)
Shake, Rattle And Roll (1954)
Shame On The Moon (1982)
She Talks To Angels (1990)
Shooting Star (1975)
Space Oddity (1969)
Spooky (1972)
Stray Cat Strut (1981)
Stuck In The Middle With You (1972)
Sweet Home Chicago (1936)
Sympathy For The Devil (1968)
Time (1974)
Tiny Dancer (1971)
Turn the Page (1972)
Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad (1977)
Wagon Wheel (1973)
Wanted Dead Or Alive (1987)
Way You Make Me Feel (1987)
What's Up? (1992)
Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy (1992)
Whiter Shade Of Pale (1967)
Wicked Game (1989)
Wish You Were Here (1975)
Wooly Bully (1965)
Your Mama Don't Dance (1972)
SAMPLE SELECTION OF COCKTAIL JAZZ & BACKGROUND STANDARDS
All Of Me (1931)
All The Things You Are (1939)
Alley Cat (1962)
Angel Eyes (1953)
Autumn Leaves (1945)
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home (1919)
Beyond the Sea (1946)
Birth Of The Blues (1926)
Blue Moon (standard) (1934)
Blue Moon (swing) (1934)
Blue Skies (1926)
C'est Magnifique (1953)
Ca, C'est L'amour (1957)
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (1927)
Closer Walk With Thee (1941)
Day in the Life of a Fool (Manhã_de_Carnaval) (1959)
Dream a Little Dream of Me (1931)
Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (1950)
Entertainer (1902)
Falling In Love Again (1930)
Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue (1925)
Fly Me To The Moon (1954)
For Sentimental Reasons (1946)
Girl From Ipanema (1964)
Glory Of Love (1936)
Good Man Is Hard To Find (1917)
Guilty (1931)
Heart And Soul (1938)
Honeysuckle Rose (1929)
How High The Moon (1940)
I Can't Give You Anything But Love (1928)
I Could Have Danced All Night (1956)
I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine (1950)
I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance (1932)
I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire (1938)
I Hadn't Anyone Till You (1938)
I Left My Heart In San Francisco (1962)
I Like The Likes Of You (1933)
I Love Lucy (1951)
I Will Wait For You (1964)
I Wish You Love (1942)
I'd Rather Be Blue Over You (1928)
I'm A Fool To Want You (1951)
I'm Glad There Is You (1941)
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (1935)
I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair (1949)
I'm Old Fashioned (1942)
I'm Popeye The Sailor Man (1933)
If I Didn't Care (1939)
In The Mood (1939)
Isn't It Romantic (1932)
It Had To Be You (1924)
It Only Hurts For A Little While (1956)
It Only Takes A Moment (1964)
It Was A Very Good Year (1961)
It's A Blue World (1940)
It's Now Or Never (1960)
It's The Talk Of The Town (1955)
L-O-V-E (1965)
La Vie En Rose (1945)
Lady Is A Tramp (1937)
Lady's In Love With You (1939)
Let It Be Me (1960)
Let There Be Love (1940)
Let's Face The Music And Dance (1936)
Like Someone In Love (1944)
Long Ago (And Far Away) (1944)
Love Is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu) (1968)
Love Is Here To Stay (1938)
Love Letters In The Sand (1931)
Love Your Spell Is Everywhere (1929)
Lullaby Of The Leaves (1932)
Mean To Me (1929)
Memories Are Made Of This (1955)
Miss America (1955)
Mister Sandman (1954)
Mister Touchdown (1950)
Misty (1954)
Mona Lisa (1950)
Month Of Sundays (1949)
Moon River (1961)
Moonglow (1934)
More (Ti Guardero Nel Cuore) (1962)
Music To Watch The Girls Go By (1967)
Music, Maestro, Please (1938)
My Blue Heaven (1927)
My Foolish Heart (1949)
My Funny Valentine (1937)
My Romance (1935)
Nearness Of You (1938)
Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You) (1931)
New York New York (1977)
Night Is Young (And You're So Beautiful) (1936)
Oh, How I Miss You Tonight (1925)
Ol' Man River (1927)
On A Slow Boat To China (1948)
Over The Rainbow (1939)
Papa Loves Mambo (1954)
Paper Doll (1943)
Paper Roses (1960)
Peace In The Valley (1937)
People Will Say We're In Love (1943)
Puttin' On The Ritz (1929)
Red Roses For A Blue Lady (1948)
Release Me (1954)
Rockin' Chair (1929)
Satin Doll (1953)
Save The Last Dance For Me (1962)
Seems Like Old Times (1945)
Sentimental Journey (1944)
She's Funny That Way (1929)
Side By Side (1927)
Smile (1936)
Solitude (1935)
Somebody Loves You (1932)
Somewhere Along The Way (1952)
Spanish Eyes (1968)
Speak Softly, Love (1972)
Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year (1944)
Stardust (1927)
Stompin' At The Savoy (1933)
Stormy Weather (1933)
Strangers In The Night (1966)
String Of Pearls (1945)
Summertime (1935)
Sway (1954)
Take The "A" Train (1939)
That Old Feeling (1937)
That's Amore (That's Love) (1953)
There! I've Said It Again (1945)
There's A Small Hotel (1936)
These Foolish Things (1935)
This Love Of Mine (1941)
Tiny Bubbles (1967)
Topsy (1938)
Tuxedo Junction (1939)
Unforgettable (1951)
Very Thought Of You (1934)
Walkin' My Baby Back Home (1930)
Way You Look Tonight (1936)
We'll Meet Again (1939)
What A Wonderful World (1961)
What'll I Do? (1923)
When I Fall In Love (1952)
When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You) (1928)
Whispering (1920)
You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You (1946)
Ray Charles for soulful inspiration but I only very loosely play his style
Floyd Cramer
Elton John
Billy Joel
Nat King Cole
Booker T & The MGs and their progeny Blues Brothers for all their combined R&B covers, and also those songs' original artists
Billy Powell from Lynyrd Skynyrd
Bob James (& David Sanborn) for jazz appreciation and chord flavors but I only loosely play this style
Bare minimum space required: 6' x 4'
Power outlet within 50' (or battery powered for a fee)
I have everything else
Elvia G. said “They played for my daughter's 40th birthday party and did a great job! We enjoyed their choice of music and sound.”
Jeannie R. said “Would hire Daniel again! He is professional, talented and paid attention to every detail. Numerous compliments from people who attended. Thank you, Daniel…”
Sabrina Z. said “Punctual and very flexible with requests and different genres. Great evening and will definitely hire her again.”
Morgan H. said “Krista was so easy to work with, very accommodating and punctual- she even satisfied the obscure music requests. She has such a great presence and exceptional…”