Live Piano Jazz in Christy’s Piano Bar
Enjoy American standards and light jazz in our new piano bar.
Thursday-Saturday from 7pm
Happy Hour
Friday 5-7pm
Enjoy half price on
Bar Bites and premium cocktails with:
Grey Goose Vodka
Bacardi Rum
Corzo Tequila
Bombay Sapphire Gin
Dewar's Scotch
About the Musicians...
Laurence Elder
Laurence Elder's fresh, inspired blend of jazz, rock, blues and pop, along with his "triple threat" talents as a singer-songwriter-pianist, set his music apart as a vital new original sound. A signed artist on ESC Records in Europe and in Japan on the P-Vine label, Laurence has recorded with Grammy winners Paquito D’Rivera and Peter Erskine, who both appear as guests on his critically acclaimed debut album, “Surrounded.”
The album has won raves from JAZZIZ Magazine, Modern Drummer Magazine,The Miami Herald, Randy Brecker, Al Dimeola, and Kenny Werner. Recent and upcoming performances include Washington DC’s Blues Alley, New York City’s Blue Note, the Philippine International Jazz Festival, and many others. Laurence has toured internationally with his band, headlining with and opening for artists such as Spyro Gyra, Mike Stern, Dianne Reeves, Al Dimeola, Kenny Werner and Betty Buckley, to name a few.
Laurence’s background as a seasoned jazz pianist includes music degrees from the University of Miami and Shenandoah Conservatory, but on “Surrounded” his evolution as a singer-songwriter is more than apparent as he blurs the lines between genres. “Like Sting, Paul Simon, and Stevie Wonder, Laurence has the ability to go beyond jazz’s traditional boundaries,” says JAZZIZ Magazine owner and publisher Michael Fagien, a big fan of the album.
While working on a second album, Laurence continues to share his music with the world. When not on tour, he divides his time between New York City and Charlottesville, Virginia, where NBC recently featured him as "Charlottesville's Piano Man." His band consists of some of the industry's most sought after musicians, whose collective touring and recording credits include Arturo Sandoval, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Tito Puente, and Ruben Blades, among many others.
Felix Gomez
I began my music studies in Cuba at Escuela Elementaria de Musica at the age of nine years old. My education involved academic subjects as well as music theory, music appreciation and classical piano. After studying for three years, I continued my studies at Olga Alonso School of Music for three more years. At the age of 17, I received a scholarship to go to La Escuela Nacional de Artes in Havana, where I developed my music education further and achieved an intermediate level of piano studies.
My career as a professional musician began at the age of 18,working for an 18-piece big band. Here, I started developing my skills as a pianist and arranger for several years. In September 1982, I left Cuba and went to Spain. In Spain I worked as a solo pianist in numerous jazz clubs such as Intermezzo, Las Palmas, among others. In addition, I had the pleasure to work with the prestigious Irish opera singer Colm Wilkinson, with whom I shared the stage in numerous occasions as an accompaniment pianist.
On march 30th, 1984, I came to the U.S and began working with various local groups in the South Florida area, and in 1986 I registered at Miami Dade Community College as a music major student. Here, I studied Jazz Piano with professor Randy Tomasello and participated in the Miami Dade Community College Jazz band, conducted by professor John Georgini.
After graduating with an Associate in Arts degree, I pursued my studies at the University of Miami, where I graduated with honors acquiring the degree of Bachelor of Music and thereafter, a Masters of Music. While I was a student at the University of Miami, I won several awards including, The National Dean’s List. I also participated in the North Texas Jazz Festival, 2005 as a member of the University of Miami Sextet, where I was acknowledged as a double award winner for Best Soloist and Best Composition, and as a member of the University of Miami Jazz Concert Band, College Band Outstanding Performance in the Down Beat Student Music Award, 2006.
Moreover, for the last decade I have been able to work with numerous and famous artists from different parts of North America, Latin America and Europe, among them are Gloria Gaynor, Julio Iglesias, Camilo Sesto, Angela Carrasco, Nelson Ned, Maggie Carles, Maria Marta Serralima, Basilio, Maria Rivas and Meme Solis. In the jazz market, I have had the opportunity and pleasure to work with artists of such high acclaim as saxophonist Ed Calle, flutist Nestor Torres, violinist Federico Britos, saxophonist Carlos Averhoff, drummer Duffy Jackson, saxophonist Paquito D’ Rivera, saxophonist Ira Sullivan, guitarist Simon Salz, percussionist Sammy Figueroa, flutist Dave Valentin, and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.
In the field of music education, I have been able to teach at 3 major colleges and universities in South Florida. I taught jazz piano at Miami Dade Community College from 1994- 2004, Florida International University, from 1998-2004, and the University of Miami, from 2004- 2008. Currently, I am a member of the faculty at the Young Musicians Camp, where I teach different subjects including Advance jazz Improvisation, Jazz Piano, and Latin Jazz Ensemble.
Mike Levine
Pianist Mike Levine is a man of many talents whose lengthy, acclaimed career is a blend of different styles of music. Early in his career, Mike formed a group with saxophonist Billy Ross. The duo released their first album, “That Summer Something” in 1981, which featured guest artist Pat Metheny. The recording stayed in the top ten of contemporary Jazz (AOR) charts for six weeks. The Ross-Levine Band served as the opening tour act for artists such as Michael Franks, Gato Barberi and Dionne Warwick. Mike’s musical talents extend into studio and session work where he has provided programming, performance, and production work for Michael Bolton, Ed Calle, Jon Secada and Raul DiBlassio. Mike yielded a Grammy Nomination for Harpist’s Roberto Perera “Sensual” in the category Latin Pop Instrumental.
Mike Levine’s live shows have made him a well liked musician, and he’s been well received at several music festivals in this country and around the world. Levine remains a mainstay in South Florida’s top Jazz and Blues venues. He’s performed at Arturo Sandoval’s, Jazzid, Van Dyke, O’Hara’s, Biltmore Hotel and Hard Rock Café. Mike has shared the stage with several of South Florida’s local popular artists including Dana Paul, Wendy Pederson, Paulette Dozier, Billy Ross, Ed Calle, and The Peter Graves Band. On the national level, Mike has backed up Mel Torme, David Sandborn, Carmen Lundy, and Paquito De Rivera. His debut CD, “From The Heart”, features guest artists Hiram Bullock and Ed Calle and remained on Smoothjazz.com’s Top 50 Indie Chart for over 40 weeks.
Hal Roland
Hal Roland, a Florida native, has been a keyboardist, vocalist, producer, writer, teacher, radio personality, and corporate event coordinator for 30 years. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1984, with a Bachelor Degree in studio music and jazz piano, and was later a teacher in the Jazz Studies program as well.
He has toured all over the U.S., and to more than 40 countries around the world, and enjoys the influences that world cultures have on jazz.
Hal has had experience producing music for stage and television, including a three year career producing the music for the television series “Star Search”, and the nationally recognized musical “1492”.
Throughout his career, Hal has had the privilege of performing and recording with many of the biggest names in contemporary music, including Liza Minnelli, Jon Secada, Quincy Jones, The Bee Gees, and Michael Jackson.
In 2004, Hal began to host a local Miami radio show known as “The Latin Jazz Quarter” on 88.9 FM WDNA broadcasting in South Florida and streaming online, and continues that project today.