Cocktail / Dinner Music

[Henry]

Anyone have any good resources for Cocktail & Dinner Music playlists or want to share playlists. I must admit this type of music is not my specialty, but I've built up a few playlists that seem to go down well. Maybe I'm just sick of hearing the songs on my playlists. Seems like Sinatra, Etta James, Benny Goodman, etc is the type of music most want played for cocktail/dinner music. I get requests for country for dinner music also, so I have some country playlists too. I'm also going to work on compiling a playlist of current pop, alternative, rock and r&b that would be good for the more non-traditional bride. I have one now, but needs updating as I put it together last year. Yes, I use auto-play during cocktail dinner music.

[HyeToTheSky]

try some old school stuff... like billie holiday... herb alpert... maybe even some big band music

[DJMC]

"The Way I Am" (Ingrid Michaelson)
"Better Together" (Jack Johnson)
"Come Away With Me" (Norah Jones)
"You Are The Best Thing" (Ray LaMontagne)
"Fields of Gold" or "Over The Rainbow" (Eva Cassidy)
"The Girl From Ipanema" (Getz/Gilberto/Jobim)
"Lovely Day" (Bill Withers)
"Green Onions" (Booker T & The MGs)
"Rhythm Of Love" or "1,2,3,4..." (Plain White T's)
"Take Five" (Dave Brubeck Quartet)
"You've Got A Friend" or "Smiling Face" (James Taylor)
"Peaceful Easy Feeling" (Eagles)
"True" (Spandau Ballet)
"In Your Eyes" (Peter Gabriel)
"All I Want Is You" or "The Sweetest Thing" (U-2)
"I'm Yours" (Jason Mraz)

[djshawn]

Here is a recent playlist I compiled to give you ideas

Got To Be Real 4:22 Smooth Jazz Plays The Disco Hits Soundscape UK
Moondance 4:14 Michael Bublé Michael Bublé
The Groove Line 4:50 Smooth Jazz Plays The Disco Hits Chris Ingram
Georgia On My Mind 3:39 Platinum Series Disc 19 Ray Charles
Quando, Quando, Quando - Duet Feat… 4:48 It's Time Michael Bublé
Come Away With Me 3:18 Come Away With Me Norah Jones
Isn't She Lovely 3:17 Timeagain David Sanborn
Sway 3:15 Shall We Dance? Soundtrack Pussycat Dolls
September 3:37 The Jamba Juice Strawberry Sampler Earth Wind & Fire
Groove Is In The Heart 3:30 PC Jazz 18 Rick Braun
I've Got the World On a String 2:47 Call Me Irresponsible Michael Bublé
Pick Up The Pieces (Album Version) 4:19 TM Century Smooth Jazz 011 Kenny G Feat. David Fails
This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) 2:58 Millennium Disc 18 Natalie Cole
Begin The Beguine 3:00 The Complete Big Band Swing Party C… BMP Big Band Artie Shaw
Night And Day 3:09 Stardust...The Great American Songbo… Rod Stewart
Just In Time 2:16 Duets - An American Classic Tony Bennett & Michael Bublé
Come Fly with Me 3:10 Knock Out Hit 167 Frank Sinatra
I Only Have Eyes For You 3:35 Platinum Series #16 Art Garfunkel
At Last 3:07 "The Other Sister" soundtrack Joan Osborne
Stand By Me 2:59 Platinum Series #16 Ben E King
Beyond The Sea 2:53 Bobby Darin
Come Rain or Come Shine 2:10 Come Rain or Come Shine Billie Holiday
New York State Of Mind 6:03 Unknown Billy Joel
Cant Take My Eyes O! You 3:46 Frankie Valli & Four Seasons
Change The World 3:56 Eric Clapton
The Lady In Red 4:16 Platinum Series #16 Chris Deburgh
Feels So Good 3:32 Smooth Jazz Chuck Mangione
Recipe For You 2:39 Connick Jr., Harry
Crazy 2:42 Patsy Klein
Dance Me to the End of Love 3:58 Careless Love Madeleine Peyroux
Ain't That a Kick in the Head 2:25 Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild Cool & Swin… Dean Martin
Easy (like Sunday morning) 4:24 Lionel Ritchie
They Can't Take That Away From Me 4:40 Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
The Way You Look Tonight 4:00 Elton John
Fly me to the moon 2:10 George Strait/Frank Sinatra
Cruisin 4:53 OST Duets Huey Lewis & Gwyneth Paltrow
Our Love is Here to Stay 4:05 Harry Connick, Jr.
Have I told you lately 4:00 Rod Stewart
I Could Not Ask for More 4:49 Born To Fly Sara Evans
I Like New York in June 2:00 Tony Bennett
I love you more today than yesterday 2:55 Spiral staircase
I Could Not Ask For More 4:38 OST Message In A Bottle Edwin Mccain
is you is ,is you aint my baby 3:19 Louis Jordan
It had to be you 2:41 Harry Conick Jr.
Make Someone Happy 1:55 Jimmy Durante's Way of Life... Jimmy Durante
You Had Me From Hello 3:51 Everywhere We Go Kenny Chesney
What A Wonderful World 3:03 Louis Armstrong With Kenny G
La Masion 5:43 Cap*****no Grand Cafe Lounge Gabin
Lets face the music 2:19 Natalie Cole
Lets get away from it all 2:11 Sinatra
You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mi… 3:37 Knock Out Hit 75 Lou Rawls
When You're Smiling 4:06 All Time Greatest Hits Louis Armstrong
Pennies From Heaven 2:19 Ultra-Lounge: Vegas Baby! Louis Prima
L.O.V.E 2:33 Natalie Cole
Mack the knife 3:07 Bobby Darin
Makin whoopie 4:09 Dr john
When A Man Loves A Woman 3:48 Platinum Series #18 Michael Bolton
Save the Last Dance for Me 3:39 Its Time Michael Buble
Quando Quando Quando 4:45 Michael Buble ft. Nelly Furtado
Orange colored sky 2:28 Natalie Cole
Paper moon 3:27 Natalie Cole
Crazy 2:42 Platinum Series 17 Patsy Klein
Fever 3:21 Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild Cool & Swin… Peggy Lee
With This Ring 2:50 Platters
Recipe for making love 2:36 Harry Conick Jr.
Taking a Chance on Love 3:28 Renee Olstead
I'm in the Mood for Love 3:17 As Time Goes By - The Great America… Rod Stewart
She Walks this earth 4:47 Sting
I Just Called To Say I Love You 4:45 Platinum Series #18 Stevie Wonder
The Nearness Of You 3:08 Come Away With Me Norah Jones
This cant be love 2:15 Natalie cole
Toes [Rick Conner 'Toes In The Sand'… 3:53 PrimeCuts HP200947 Zac Brown Band
Hey Soul Sister 3:36 HitDisc HA200933 Train
Turn Me On 2:34 First Sessions E.P. Norah Jones

enjoy

[Henry]

sweet. already a few of those in my playlists. thanks! when i get on my djing laptop later this week, i'll export one of my playlists as well.

[DJ Donnie Lewis]

http://www.mixcloud.com/youreventmat...tail-hour-set/

[TeLLy]

If it's not too somber or serious an event (ie a wedding with mostly young people, a less formal family party in a community centre, etc), try some of the Richard Cheese renditions of popular tracks. His lounge version of "Baby Got Back" is hilarious but just soft-toned enough as not to offend when played as background music. Good for a laugh with the mid-30s to early-40s crowd.

I also have great success with Paul Anka's Rock Swings album - big band adaptations of popular rock and pop songs, like "The Way You Make Me Feel" and even "Smells Like Teen Spirit". I can play the whole thing front to back at a wedding cocktail hour and guarantee at least three or four people will be like "Huh? Frank Sinatra sang Wonderwall? Cool!" then come to ask where they can buy/download it. My last year of mobile (2010) it was specifically requested for the cocktail hour at three of my gigs.

[RodneyL]

Most 20 something weddings I do have a good mix of Colbie Calliet, Jason Mraz, Michael Buble', Jack Johnson, and Norah Jones during dinner. I also mix in some older slow songs like My Girl and Shining Star, which breaks it up.

[DJMC]

I done forgot about Colbie Caillat --

songs that I regularly play include: "Falling For You," "Bubbly", and "Lucky" (duet with Jason Mraz).

[trauma11]

Do you have a record store near you? Go check out the used Jazz and Classical sections. I just picked up like 6 or 7 jazz albums from the likes of Kenny G, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Count Bassy and others for about $25 used.

I was fortunate enough to use my college history credits to take a Jazz class and a classical class so I have a decent idea of what's what.