Hotel Bethlehem launches monthly piano bar with CJ Steinway

What do Cole Porter, the Rat Pack, the Beatles, and Lady Gaga have in common? They’re all part of Pianist CJ Steinway’s reimagined concept for the traditional piano bar that he brought to the Lehigh Valley earlier this year.

Three days before last Christmas, CJ was knocking around a few holiday favorites at the grand piano in the lobby of the Hotel Bethlehem. A crowd gathered around to sing along, and this caught the attention of the Hotel's Director of Food & Beverage, Kathleen Brown.  She was looking for a new act for the Tap Room and CJ was interested in bringing his piano bar gig to his old hometown - the kind of gig where his fellow alums from Moravian College, his friends, and his extended family could gather on a regular basis.  

CJ has already brought his piano bar gig to several places in the region including the Clinton House in New Jersey; Lola’s in New Hope; and Dalia’s in Philadelphia. In order to make the piano bar concept relevant to a younger audience, he incorporates a mix of today’s music along with the standards loved by his older fans. At any one of his gigs guests will hear songs by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and George and Ira Gershwin, followed by Jason Mraz, Bruce Springsteen, Norah Jones, and yes… even Lady Gaga. This has led to the development of a fan base for his gigs ranging from ages 25 to 85.

As a sought-after private piano and voice coach in suburban Philadelphia, CJ sees making music as something everyone should get to experience. He encourages audience members to croon a few tunes, either solo or with him in a duet, so they can show their friends what they can do while sharing a few laughs.  The teacher in him encourages people to make music, not just sit in the dark and listen. 

CJ's enthusiasm is catching on with attendance growing steadily since the piano bar’s inception in February of this year. CJ Steinway will return to the Tap Room at the Hotel Bethlehem from 6 – 10 p.m. on Sunday, June 16 (Father's Day) and Sunday, June 23. He’ll be back for a string of gigs during Musikfest on August 3, 4 and 6.

More details on upcoming gigs can be found on his Facebook fan page at https://www.facebook.com/CJSteinway or listen to his music on his ReverbNation profile: http://www.reverbnation.com/cjsteinway.