Performing as a Pianist in Maidstone
My name is Eugene Portman and I used to be the resident pianist at the Tudor Park Hotel, Maidstone. Since then I have become more freelance and travel throughout the UK. Maidstone and other areas of Kent still give me more than enough work.
I am booked for more and more weddings in the Kent area and this is a result of the number of venues there are. There are so many wonderful venues in Kent and they range from lovely castles to modern hotels. As well as wedding, I also do many corporate events and private parties.
From a Solo Pianist to a Jazz Band
A lot of my work in the Maidstone area is as a solo pianist, but I can offer other line-ups. These range from duos right up to a five piece jazz band. The range of line-ups are as follows:
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
The Music
I trained as a classical pianist and the Maidstone area has given me plenty of work in this genre. However, I have always had a passion for jazz throughout my training. I still have a love for jazz and my piano style has developed through listening to the great pianists of the past. These include Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, George Shearing, and Earl Hines.
I am often booked as a wedding pianist and I have to be adept at many genres of music. In fact, I am often booked for the ceremony, the drinks reception, and the wedding breakfast. These often require different styles of music and I have to be able to play pop, rock, classical, blues, jazz and even sing-along.
I try and inject a ‘feel good’ quality into my music and I hope that this makes it sit well in any social occasion. Adding sparkle to your event without drowning conversation.
Here are the venues in Maidstone and Kent I’ve visited as a pianist:
- Stocketts, Heath Road, Coxheath, Maidstone, Kent ME17 4PN
- The Grey Lady 70 – 72 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells TN2 5TW
- Stone Court Hotel, 28 Lower Stone Street, Maidstone ME15 6LX
- The Spa Hotel Mount Ephraim, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN4 8JX
- Trinity Arts Centre Church Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1JPP
- West Heath School, Ashgrove Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1SR
- Westenhanger Castle, Stone Street,Westenhanger, Hythe CT21 4HX
- Ashford International Hotel, Simone Weill Avenue, Ashford, Kent TN24 8UX
- Brands Hatch Place and Spa, Brands Hatch Road, Fawkham DA3 8NQ
- Hall Place & Gardens, Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent DA5 1PQ
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