World Renowned Pianist & Entertainer

Greetings! Thank you for your interest in the Ronnie Kole Sound. These recordings also make a great gift item and I would be happy to personally autograph each and every one to you or to whomever you wish. I look forward to being a part of your collection and hope to perform for you in person sometime in the near future.

 

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What a great pleasure to once again perform with the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony under the direction of Maestro Paul Stanbery.

I hope that you'll enjoy my arrangements of all of these compositions.  A special thank you goes to Ray Morvant, who helped with the arrangements and orchestrations on Mozart Rondo Ala Turk, The Sinatra Medley and The Fanfare.  Also to Jim Duggan, Wardell Quezerque and Maestro John van Deursen who orchestrated all of the other material on this CD, and to all four of you I say, "Merci Beaucoup" for sharing your great talents with me.

Available on CD ($20) or DVD ($25)

Listen to Ronnie's introduction and a portion of Amazing Grace with the choir from this CD. (Click on the above link - you will need an MP3 player on your computer to hear). This is best heard using a broadband connection.  Please note that the internet audio clip is by no means equal to the actual CD quality.

Photos from the Concert

I had been asked for years to record a CD with the septet format that I use for festivals and concerts...We went into the studio and started recording but it lacked the excitement that we get performing in front of an audience ...So the next step was to record live at a concert or a festival like the French Quarter Festival or the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, then came an opportunity to record live at a concert for Saint Scholastica Academy... The auditorium had good acoustics, and that's all we needed...I was performing this concert at the request of my granddaughter, Kathryn Schneider, to benefit the music and drama departments of Saint Scholastica Academy. A real coup was when they asked if it would be okay for the choir to sing in the foyer during the intermission... that's when I said to myself, "I used a choir when I performed Amazing Grace at the Papal Mass for Pope John Paul II"...Soooo, I decided to use the choir on Amazing Grace. To say that they were great would be a real understatement, but I'll let you be the judge. 

There are high energy arrangements like Chariots of Fire, the Theme from the Titanic, and my New Orleans Legends Medley, which requires my horn section, especially with the high note trumpet playing of Barney Floyd, and the driving drums of Lloyd Cambre to make them really shine. So now you have that evening's complete show on these two CDs...All of the fun things that went on were left in, and hopefully you'll be able to feel the excitement of the Ronnie Kole Show, live in concert at Saint Scholastica Academy in the comfort of your living room. 

The hardest part of recording a concert live is you only have one chance at getting it right.  I must say that the wonderful "Ears" of my step-son, Chris Schneider, who is a brilliant recording engineer, makes listening to this CD as exciting as being there in person. His son, Morrow Schneider, capably assisted him. Chris did a masterful job of editing out all the wasted time, as well as balancing the mix down. Listening to the test CD; I had the feeling I that I was back in the concert hall all over again...splendid job, Chris.  

I have to compliment my musicians, Lloyd Cambre-drums, Bob Sunda-bass, Barney Floyd-trumpet, Jeff Albert-trombone, and Chris Summer on sax and, clarinet...All did a super job... 

Last, but not the least, my admiration for Sharon Scharmer, the music director, who had the choir singing so wonderfully that I became very emotional, and broke down and cried after performing Amazing Grace...And that happened to me again when we repeated it as an encore at the end of Concert...Super job, Sharon, and, of course, the girls in the choir. 

Saint Scholastica Academy has so much to be proud of, their staff and the volunteers, too numerous to mention, who were a real joy to work with, as well as working out all the details for this concert...For all of you, heartfelt thanks, and let's do it again.  

None of this would be possible without my dearest friend, constant companion and wife, Gardner Kole...Merci Beaucoup my Love...

Hear Ronnie's "Introduction" to this album.  Requires Windows Media Player and we recommend high speed, broadband connection.

This CD could easily be called "A FAMILY AFFAIR", as many members of my family made it possible.  For so many of my CDs my stepson, Chris Schneider, has always been, and hopefully, always will be a guiding light.  He is my mentor, computer genius, and recording engineer.  For this CD he was ably assisted by his son, Morrow Schneider... All was recorded at Yhwh Sound Studios, located on our property, and our good friend Parker Dinkins mastered the CD at his company, Master Digital... The title, Thanks for the Memories was suggested by my stepson, Pete Schneider III, after my wife Gardner and I had dinner with him and his family at La Provence Restaurant in Lacombe, Louisiana... The cover design was an idea of my wife, Gardner... We were doing some spring cleaning, and came across these photos of me from my childhood... Gardner suggested that we use them, and also drew a picture of how she thought the cover should look... We then sent the photos and drawing up to Master Track Productions, who completed the project... All I did was record the music!!!  To all of my family members, who give us moral support, helpful advice, house and yard care, we thank you with much love... Yes, it could be titles "A Family Affair"... No royalties, please!!!  This is the first of many CDs using this concept of tunes from a certain decade....there were so many songs to choose from, that stopping at the ones on this CD was a hard task, so why not a volume II, and another one from the 30's, 50's, 60's and so on?

I'm in hopes that these songs of the 40's will bring back some wonderful memories, and if you're too young to remember some of the tunes, then just sit back and enjoy them, and then after a few times of playing this CD, you, like I, will be able to say to the composers,

"THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES".

One of the thrills of a lifetime for an artist is to perform at Carnegie Hall. Another great thrill would be to perform for His Holiness, Pope John Paul, II. Kole has been fortunate enough to have played his favorite selection, "Amazing Grace" both at Carnegie Hall, as well as for His Holiness Pope John Paul, II at a Papal Mass. 

Kole Alone

Ever since I started recording, I've had requests to record a solo piano album...I recorded this in our own studio on my 1940 Steinway Concert Grand piano, that is "to die for."  I've always said that playing on it was like having an orchestra at your fingertips...the bass sounds like a symphony bass section.  The creative juices really started to flow.  This CD is made up of material written by Gershwin, Rodgers, Porter, Kern, Berlin, Waller, Arlen, Wilson, Garner, Strayhorn/Ellington and Webber.  I have been requested more times than I can remember to record some of the material on this CD...so here we are, a private concert for you by "Kole Alone"

The Ronnie Kole Trio in Concert

The selections that I've chosen are some of what I perform at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, and some when I'm doing concert tours for Community Concerts, and Allied Concert Series, plus on my worldwide tours.  I had wanted to record this live at the hotel, but opting for perfect conditions, decided to do it at our studio, using my fantastic 1940 Steinway Concert Grand Piano; plus having perfect recording conditions.  Add to that, one of the great recording engineers anywhere in Chris Schneider and you have a perfect marriage of excitement, music and sound.

Groupe Jazz

This is a compilation of New Orleans and all that Jazz #2, New Orleans and all that Country Jazz and A Swingin Stroll.  It has 72 minutes of non stop New Orleans type jazz.  As you can see, all of the selections are not New Orleans, but they come out that way.

Swing Hot Swing Kole

This is piano accompanied by bass, guitar and drums.  All of the cuts are very happy and rhythmical, with a typical New Orleans rhythm to most of the cuts.  This will put you in a fun mood.

Music of the Vines I

Ronnie Kole has a great interest in the wines of the world, especially France.  On his annual visits to France, Ronnie has became friends with many of the chateaux owners of the Bordeaux and Burgundy areas.  It was this friendship that inspired 19 original compositions for them.  A 16 page booklet that accompanies each CD tells the story about each of the chateaux.  You don't have to be a wine lover to enjoy this wonderful music.

Music of the Vines II

Most of the music for Music of the Vines II was written at the Chateau that they are titled after. As in Vines I, each one of these Chateaux and their owners have a very special place in our hearts, and hopefully we've given you our personal side of these wonderful people who give us so much happiness with their wines.  Wine, music and your favorite person at your side.  What a wonderful way to spend an evening.  Enjoy, and remember, screwcap wine doesn't count!!!

A Kole Christmas

I've been thinking about doing a Christmas CD for quite some time now, but somehow, never got around to it.  Some of the material on this CD is very straight (Ave Maria), some light swing (Silent Night), and some, just my adaptations (Greensleeves)...you'll have to be the judge, and put them into whichever category you thing they fit best...Whatever, there are enough songs, done in a wide variety of moods or styles, to wish you and yours, a very Merry Christmas.

Ronnie Kole plays the TOP TEN Big Band HITS

This album came about through the efforts of the listeners of one hundred and thirty-five radio stations throughout the continental United States plus St. Croix, Virgin Islands and Honolulu, Hawaii.  The listeners were asked to write to their stations and name their three favorite songs.  These thousands of requests were fed into a computer at the headquarters of the ABC Radio Networks.  All these requests were then played for an "All Request Weekend" on the one hundred and thirty-five radio stations.

Kole Hands, Warm Voice (Only available on Cassette)

Hold onto your hats!  This one features Kole, not only on the piano, but as a vocalist and songwriter.  Most of the tunes make you want to sit and hold hands.  Very romantic, indeed.