Dance Medley, Platinum Wine Lounge, 2022
For Sentimental Reasons - Rick Esterling, 2020
Biba Ristorante Italiano, Sacramento CA, left of center under the portrait, 2019
Zittel Family Amphitheater, Folsom CA, 2022
Zittel Family Amphitheater, Folsom CA, 2022
Zittel Family Amphitheater Promotional Poster, 2021
San Jose International Airport, 2019
Wine & Roses, Lodi CA, sitting in with the talented and gracious Kim Nejak, 2019
Woodbridge Crossing, Lodi CA, 2019
The Blarney Stone Irish Pub, Orangevale CA, 2023
Homesteader's Day Parade, Hot Springs MT, 2015
A piano for every occasion, 2021
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 rock and roll, honky-tonk, country, pop, jazz, sock hop, easy listening, R & B, Mississippi blues, southern rock, classic rock, Tin Pan Alley, 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.
14 reviews
Tammy B.
December 22, 2024We had Rick in our home for a Christmas party. What a kind, professional and fun gentleman to provide entertainment. Super flexible as far as what music he plays. He can read the room and just blend into the background or do piano bar type sing alongs or pull people from the crowd that might want to join him to sing. He even took the time to learn a special song for a dear friend of ours.
All of our guests just loved him!
If you are reading this Rick, thank you again for adding a special touch our party. It was a pleasure to have you in our home.
Hired as: Pianist, Singing Pianist
Rick Esterling
You are very welcome, Tammy, and thank you for your generous and kind words! I brought the music but you and your family and your fun guests brought the party. :-) Please thank everyone for all the requests and sing-alongs, Adam and Claire in particular for joining me and singing wonderfully, and of course Ryan for the new song request. My version still needs a little polish but I'm thrilled to add it to my repertoire for fans of The Boss to enjoy in my future shows.
Thanks so much. I'm already looking forward to our next event!
Michelle F.
August 10, 2024Our members loved him! His song choices are great!
Hired as: Singing Pianist
Rick Esterling
Thank you so much, Michelle! I had a great time playing at Lake of the Pines and loved all the crowd engagement and song requests from your wonderful guests. I can't wait to come back to do it again. Cheers!
Noah R.
September 26, 2023This 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.
Hired as: Pianist, Singing Pianist
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!
Beth P.
September 19, 2023We 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.
Hired as: Singing Pianist
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!
Tanya H.
August 7, 2023Rick 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.
Hired as: Singing Pianist
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!
Price range: $500 and up
Languages: English
Gig length: 120 - 360 minutes
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.
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Who May Prefer To Not Hire Me
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I am not a classically trained pianist, and my repertoire and playing styles mostly cover the several genres and styles of American music that existed from the 1920s until the mid to late 1980s including jazz standards, big band, swing, sock hop rock, rock, classic rock, folk rock, blues, R & B, easy listening, pop, classic country, and honky-tonk. I may not be the best choice for your event or party if you want classical music, chamber music, or more than a few pop hits from the 2000s or newer.
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.
Friday
Nonprofit Event
6:00pm - 9:00pm
•
Incline Village, NV
Tuesday
New Year's Party
8:00pm - 10:00pm
•
Reno, NV
Saturday
Christmas Party
5:00pm - 8:00pm
•
Carson City, NV
Thursday
Restaurant/Bar Event
5:00pm - 8:00pm
•
Auburn, CA
Saturday
Birthday Party
4:00pm - 7:00pm
•
Rocklin, CA
Saturday
Birthday Party
7:30pm - 8:30pm
•
Lodi, CA
Friday
Cocktail Party
3:00pm - 4:00pm
•
Roseville, CA
Tuesday
Cocktail Party
6:00pm - 7:30pm
•
Granite Bay, CA
Saturday
Birthday Party
1:00pm - 5:00pm
•
Orland, CA
Sunday
Personal Occasion
11:30am - 12:30pm
•
Granite Bay, CA
Friday
Birthday Party
4:00pm - 5:00pm
•
Granite Bay, CA
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
11:00am - 12:00pm
•
Auburn, CA
Wednesday
Restaurant/Bar Event
6:30pm - 9:30pm
•
Rocklin, CA
Saturday
Birthday Party
7:30pm - 9:00pm
•
Sacramento, CA
Friday
Retirement Community Event
3:00pm - 4:00pm
•
Sacramento, CA
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
Pianist