On December 31, 2013 we marked the end of the year with a grand send off in style at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in The Georgian. This was the eleventh consecutive New Year's Eve that my bands have played at the Olympic Hotel since 2002. This goes back to before The Fairmont took over the property in 2003 when we played for the last New Year's Eve celebration as a Four Seasons Hotel. In 2004 there was a break as The Fairmont transitioned from the former ownership its first year. Since 2005 we have played for the Gala Dinner in The Georgian and have brought in the New Year ever since.
By popular demand the celebration has expanded to open up for two dinner seatings. There is an early first seating from 5pm-8pm, and the Gala Dinner from 9pm-1am. For the first seating we had my jazz trio entertain the dinner guests. I had two highly outstanding musicians with me. John Hansen who is a regular guest artist for Jazz in The Georgian played the Kurzweil piano. Woodwinds and tenor saxophonist Tony Rondolone played the flute for much of this set.
The first seating brought couples and families with children who could celebrate a nice early dinner and go home in time to ring in the New Year at midnight. The guests were attentive and appreciative of the music. It was a pleasure and delight to play for all the nice folks and a wonderful way to start the night.
Here is a video of a song that I feel captured the essence of the evening. This is a beautiful standard called Polka Dots and Moonbeams.
Polka Dot and Moonbeams
The Gala Dinner Event closed out the year with an elegant supper that featured dancing throughout the evening. The jazz trio became a quintet. In addition to Tony, John, and myself, vocalist extraordinaire Kelly Eisenhour and superb drummer Brian Kirk joined us for the main event. We started off the dinner sets with classy well known standards from the Great American Songbook. Folks loved to dance to the romantic ballads. As the midnight hour approached we stepped up the intensity and launched into classic rock and pop from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. The champagne was poured for all the guests and the countdown to 2014 ensued. With the stroke of midnight the band struck up Auld Lang Syne and the balloons tied high in the ceiling came raining down along with the cacophony of party favors and horns from the happy revelers. The guests kept dancing right up to the very end of the set a full hour after midnight.
It was a great evening of celebration and fun, and a wonderful way to end the year. In 2013 we had many great performances with the many musical guests throughout the whole year for Jazz in The Georgian. I'm looking forward to more terrific playing with many of Seattle's finest jazz instrumentalists every Friday and Saturday nights. Happy New Year!
Dinner and live jazz music resume in the northwest's premier dining room The Georgian on Friday, January 24.
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Jazz in The Georgian every Friday and Saturday nights, 6pm-10pm at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University Street, Seattle, Washington 98101, 206-621-7889.
For booking inquiries of Emmanuel del Casal Jazz Ensembles,
please write to emman@smoothgroove.net
Or, call us at 1-866-771-2500.
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