John the Piano Man
- Garfield, AR
- Pianist
John F. said “I have had the pleasure of working with John and I highly recommend him for events and parties. He is great with the kids and his magic keeps them entertained.”
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The River Katz is one of the area's premier high quality bands, playing a variety of Jazz, Ballads and Show tunes. The sultry voice of Lanita Chastain, reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald, carries one on a fantastic journey of music you love. Bring that favorite someone for a night of romance and the River Katz will set the mood!
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Price Range: Contact for rates
Gig Length: 60 - 180 minutes
The 'River Katz' consists of 4 members. The band has an extensive repertoire of jazz standards (Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Diana Krall) as well as original and modern songs. The 'to die for' tone of a jazz guitar combines with keyboards to make great swinging melodies shine and very thoughtful and soulful solos.
Stage/Setup Requirements:
We provide our own sound and stage equipment. For larger halls professional sound techs are required
Set/Song/Sequence List:
An extended knowledge of most all standards and many modern classics as well.
Things you should know about Lanita.
She’s performed everywhere – Started singing in church at a very young age; won vocal competitions all thru junior high and high school in the 70’s; sang in numerous gospel groups alongside her husband in the late 80’s and 90’s; member of the Fort Smith Chorale; has performed at various functions at civic centers and has performed concerts in support of the Girls Clubs of America.
Most recently, Lanita performed with the Dr. Ronald Myers Trio at the Fort Smith National Museum of History, celebrating the birthday and legacy of Fort Smith bandleader, Alphonso Trent.
While she has written a few tunes, it is her desire to preserve the jazz legacy left us by those who have paved the way ahead of us. She is thrilled to sing the jazz standards and bring the music to life again. She loves and honors the legends of jazz. One would swear they were listening to Ella Fitzgerald, or more currently, Diana Krall. She is every bit as good 'live' as she is “on Memorex.”
With a band like the River Katz backing a voice like that, one is sure to be amazed. Al 'Doc' Grzech on keys is superb, playing piano with his right hand and bass with his left. Drummer Curtis Moore is great with the brushes. Ron Chastain on guitar rounds out the band with a nice rhythm and crisp clean leads.
Misty, Autumn Leaves, A Foggy Day, Spooky, Popsicle Toes, Fly Me To The Moon, Wave, Meditation, When Sunny Gets Blue, many more.
Lanita Chastain | Jazz Singer |
Ron Chastain | Jazz Guitar |
Curtis Moore | Drummer |
Al Grzech | Piano/Keys |
Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Diana Krall
John F. said “I have had the pleasure of working with John and I highly recommend him for events and parties. He is great with the kids and his magic keeps them entertained.”
Kiki M. said “Absolutely amazing ensemble! I am so thrilled with this group. It was everything that I could have hoped for. They go above and beyond and made it an…”
Melissa G. said “We booked Ryan for our Awards Banquet dinner. His trio team provided the PERFECT background music during our dinner time. Everyone enjoyed it and commented…”
Kelley E. said “Such a nice sound. Fit the occasion perfectly.”