Also Available in Berwick upon Tweed, Morpeth, Hexham, and Alnwick
Performing as a Pianist in Northumberland
My name is Eugene Portman and I always enjoy traveling to Northumberland and working as a pianist in the area. The county has the lowest population density of all the counties in the UK and this means that the region is mostly rural. A lot of the venues are in stunning locations and consist of lovely country pubs, castles and country house hotels.
I play the piano for all types of events in Northumberland, but weddings are the thing that usually bring me to this lovely county.
The Music
Northumberland gives me quite a lot of opportunity to perform as a jazz pianist and this is my preferred genre of music. I play all the old jazz standards that were made famous by people like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. To explain, I have adapted these songs to my jazz piano style which is based on the great jazz pianists of the past. These include Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner and George Shearing.
During my travels around Northumberland, I play the piano for a lot of weddings and this means that I have to be versatile. Playing jazz is not enough. As well as jazz I have to be well versed in many other styles of music so that I can provide music for every part of the wedding day. In fact, very often I am expected to perform a different style for each part of the day. For instance, classical music is very popular for ceremonies while jazz is definitely a favourite for drinks receptions. Also, music suitable for a wedding breakfast would necessarily be a good choice for the evening reception.
Luckily I have immersed myself in many styles of music over the years and I play a wide variety of music. The styles I play include rock, Latin, blues, pop, classical, jazz, and sing-along.
My Work as a Sing-along Pianist in Northumberland
A recent trend has meant that I am now being booked as a sing-along pianist in the Northumberland area. This has quickly become something I really love and it is really great to see people singing along and enjoying themselves. This sort of thing usually suits informal events and parties, but occasionally a sing-along can be a feature of more formal gatherings such as weddings. When I perform at a sing-along event I provide all the song sheets and I dress like an old fashioned pub pianist. This outfit includes a Bowler hat, a grandad shirt, a waistcoat, pocket watch, etc.
Please see the page HERE for more information. Alternatively, you can visit www.uksingalongpianist.co.uk and find out when I’m next performing as a sing-along pianist in the Northumberland area.
Other Line-ups
Northumberland presents me with a lot of work as a solo pianist, but I can provide other line-ups. These line-ups range from duos and trios right up to a five-piece jazz band. Here is the full range of line-ups I provide:
a) Duo – piano and vocals or piano and bass
b) Trio – piano, bass and vocals or piano, bass and drums
c) Quartet – piano, bass, drums and vocals or piano, bass, drums and sax
d) Five Piece Jazz Band – piano, bass, drums, sax and vocals
If you contact me I can help you find a line-up which will match both your budget and available space at your chosen venue.
Whether you book me as a soloist or the full jazz band, I will try to give the music a feel-good quality. Hopefully, this quality will make the music sit comfortably in any social occasion. Furthermore, I hope that it will add colour to your event without drowning conversation.
I am a frequent visitor to Northumberland as a pianist. Here are some of the towns I cover.
- Allendale Town
- Alnmouth
- Alnwick
- Amble
- Ashington
- Bamburgh
- Beadnell
- Bedlington
- Belford
- Bellingham
- Berwick-upon-Tweed
- Blyth
- Corbridge
- Cornhill-On-Tweed
- Cramlington
- Craster
- Haltwhistle
- Haydon Bridge
- Heddon-on-the-Wall
- Hexham
- Holy Island
- Morpeth
- North Sunderland
- Otterburn
- Ponteland
- Prudhoe
- Riding Mill
- Rothbury
- Seahouses
- Widdrington
- Wooler
- Wylam