# Any nice, soothing piano music recommendations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305 "2014-02-01T21:40:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/1 "2014-02-01T21:40:01Z")
I’m talking piano bar, standards, maybe a little jazzy. Weather Channel stuff? I have Vince Guaraldi and love it. There’s so much out there I get confused! I would like to just listen to some nice, soothing, tinkly piano, nothing outre or discordant - American songbook type bland stuff you would play in the background to de-stress. I favor good old fashioned CDs. Thx. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/2 "2014-02-01T21:51:02Z")
Mary Ann by Alice Cooper. No, that’s not B. Manilow… [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XNqE3uA_NI) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/3 "2014-02-01T21:56:20Z")
[Wyndham Hill](http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Windham-Hill-Years-Piano/dp/B00005JXSG) is the label for you! I have various CDs from them that I use as background music for shows and photo shoots. They do other instruments, too ’ ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/4 "2014-02-01T21:56:28Z")
Erm, well, this isn’t exactly tinkly, but it’s one of my favorite pieces of music in the world and I find it extremely soothing. [Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT7_IZPHHb0). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/5 "2014-02-01T22:02:38Z")
I discovered this piece not too long ago. I can listen to it indefinitely: [Michel graillier - Aicha .](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klvR44FeTqo) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/6 "2014-02-01T23:25:09Z")
My first thought was Roger Williams. He did a ton of standards in a very relaxing style. [Here](http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Best-Selling-Pianist-RECORDINGS/dp/B009CZTG0O/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1391296708&sr=1-1&keywords=roger+williams)’s a large collection on cd for cheap, so you can hear tons of samples. He’s not at all what I would call jazzy, though. This is more the relaxing, soothing, tinkly type. ---
**Author:** ![dataguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eada6e/32.png) [@dataguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dataguy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/7 "2014-02-01T23:38:03Z")
You might try the [Whisperings](http://www.solopianoradio.com/)online station. All soft piano, all the time. I know you said you prefer CDs, but if you hear something you like hear, you could then get the CDs of that artist. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/8 "2014-02-01T23:47:46Z")
If you’re willing to consider something in a latin vein, [Ruben Gonzalez](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rub%C3%A9n_Gonz%C3%A1lez_(pianist)) might hit the spot. After playing for decades in big bands mainly in his native Cuba and Venezuela, he was ‘discovered’ by Ry Cooder in the late '90s,and came out of retirement to play on the soundtrack of the film _Buena Vista Social Club_, with the album _Introducing…Ruben Gonzalez_ eventually being released from the same sessions. The latter is one of my all-time favorite winding-down albums. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/9 "2014-02-02T01:24:32Z")
> [@dataguy](#): > > You might try the [Whisperings](http://www.solopianoradio.com/)online station. All soft piano, all the time. > > I know you said you prefer CDs, but if you hear something you like hear, you could then get the CDs of that artist. This is quite nice, what I was thinking of. Thank you so much. Thank you all for your help. I know I can always count on the SD to offer up something! ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/10 "2014-02-02T02:04:42Z")
[Consolation No.3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfDmUk7ie6s) by Franz Liszt Beethoven’s [Pathetique](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jkEPYIZSwA) as played by Radu Lupu ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/11 "2014-02-02T02:16:20Z")
Any recording which includes Egon Petri’s arrangement for solo piano of J S Bach’s cantata “Sheep may Safely Graze” will fit the bill perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/12 "2014-02-02T06:49:03Z")
Something by Andre Previn, Dudley Moore or Dick Hyman. There’s also various piano albums of Beatles songs, either in a jazz or classical (John Bayless) vein. Also the acoustic jazz piano albums recorded for the live at Maybeck series on the Concord label. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/13 "2014-02-02T06:58:26Z")
Brother Ray: [Worried Life Blues](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8XCfZvaINM)? Charles Brown: [Drifting Blues](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUyC2l--fSw)? Jimmy Webb: [The Moon’s A Harsh Mistress](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdpyBk3xUPY)? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/14 "2014-02-02T10:07:42Z")
> [@dataguy](#): > > You might try the [Whisperings](http://www.solopianoradio.com/)online station. All soft piano, all the time. > > I know you said you prefer CDs, but if you hear something you like hear, you could then get the CDs of that artist. That is fantastic. Thanks for this link. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/15 "2014-02-02T10:22:07Z")
How about the piano solo part of Eric Clapton’s “Layla” ? Laya is really 2 separate songs, anyway…a great rock guitar song, followed by the piano solo, which is a nice bit of easy listening, and doesn’t really belong with the first half of the song. It could stand as a piece on its own. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/16 "2014-02-02T10:55:01Z")
Ludovico Einaudi, tons of his work on YouTube. One example, [Primavera](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmxFAT581T4). Arvo Paert, [Spiegel Im Spiegel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8qg_0P9L6c) ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/17 "2014-02-02T10:58:19Z")
The word “soothing” is used in both the Thread Title and in the body of the OP. Therefore, I feel we must mention [Phil Coulter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Coulter). That guy plays the piano so that it sounds about as pretty as a piano can sound. I posted a Wiki link to his bio because I’m at work and can’t seek out something for you to listen to on YouTube, but trust me on this one. Find something to listen to by Phil Coulter. I also always thought Richard Carpenter played the piano quite beautifully. His piano intro to The Carpenters’ cover of “Ticket to Ride” is one of my favorites of his piano performances. Apparently he put out [an album of instrumental pieces](http://www.allmusic.com/album/pianist-arranger-composer-conductor-mw0000031193) in the 90s- although I can’t ever imagine myself thinking “Y’know, I’d really like to listen to The Carpenters . . . but _without the vocals_.” > [@chappachula](#): > > How about the piano solo part of Eric Clapton’s “Layla” ? Although, if you’re looking to relax, maybe don’t read the bio of the songwriter. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/18 "2014-02-02T11:25:07Z")
I think [Laura McMillan](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL8szfKB_jw) fits the bill. She has two CDs out, [Linger Longer](http://www.amazon.com/Linger-Longer-Laura-McMillan/dp/B0071LEL3S/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1391340202&sr=1-1&keywords=laura+mcmillan) and [Without Words](http://www.amazon.com/Without-Words-Laura-McMillan/dp/B0026MS566/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1391340202&sr=1-2&keywords=laura+mcmillan). ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/19 "2014-02-02T13:24:15Z")
Not at all jazzy, but I’m really enjoying Erik Satie right now, [Gymnopedies](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtLHiou7anE). Very relaxing. My SO just put that on this Sunday morning while I was still in bed and he was putting croissants in the oven. Perfection right there. Sorry I can’t help you with the smell of croissants… ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305/20 "2014-02-02T13:36:01Z")
Pretty much anything by Oscar Peterson. [This album](http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/28783/Oscar-Peterson-Night-Train/) is particularly nice. And if you have Pandora, add an Oscar Peterson channel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-nice-soothing-piano-music-recommendations/680305.md?page=2)