Marc Bosserman

This one is not the “usual suspect” song list. It’s a list of various songs that I think I’ve got a reputation for busting out at the right moment with a twist.

Of course since I’ve been playing for years I’ve had to learn a lot of the standards that everyone knows.

And I love standards, heck, they aren’t standards for nothing. I’m talking about “Misty” and “Girl From Ipenema” and “Route 66″ etc…

But the ones that always evoke the little “ahhhhs”….and “what was that song? ” are the other ones I like toss in….

For instance I do a version of Tom Petty’s “Free Falling” that is really cool. I think people like that “I’m Free….” part.( mind you we’re talking solo piano)

And I tend to pick out songs that I love like Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” and “Don’t Give Up” . I could do more Peter Gabriel. I love his songs.

I also do Tracey Chapman’s ” Fast Car” and. Ok I did learn a Radiohead song, I’m playing “  High and Dry”.

Some other stuff in that category are Cat Stevens. I have played most of the “Tea for the Tillerman” record and anyone who likes Cat Stevens usually loves Cat Stevens.

Would you believe solo piano versions of… ” The Joker” Stever Miller Band. Or how about “Stairway to Heaven”? That started as a joke when people would request it and I just basically love that song like about 99 percent of all earthlings.

“Wonderwall” another great tune. And “The Way It Is” By Bruce Hornsby.

Songs I basically love. I do some Billy Joel too of course you can’t play the piano and not play “Pianoman. ”

But I also love some of the album tracks like “Through the Long Night” and  “Honesty”.  Same with Elton John. I play “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” as well as a ton of others.

Extreme is a heavy metal band but they did this amazing song called “More than Words “.

Ok and people always comment on or ask me the name of ” A Song for You” It’s a Leon Russel song that has been covered by a million people and just has that vibe.

Those are some of them. It occurs to me that I could sit here and mention Burt Bacharach and all kinds of stuff that probably doesn’t get done all the time but, is really cool…..but I’ll spare you.

And of course I mix it all in with ” Don’t get Around Much Anymore” and ” Night and Day” which I do pretty killer ’cause I really love them too.

But that will give an idea. I didn’t think about it much until a guy came into the Parkway Grill and sat in the Bar where I was playing and ate because he said something like “you’re the guy who plays all the contemporary tunes mixed in with Standards” And I thought, “that’s cool, I guess I am”.

I learned ” Sister Christian” once for a private party… but that’s another story.

Hey gotta go learn some tunes. I want to learn “New York Minute”… see you later.

Marc

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