More Than a Piano Man, More Than a Piano Bar
By Lisa Morgan
The Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs is one of the few places where, once you have pulled up into it’s gorgeous, circular entry, you actually feel as though you have “arrived”. More than the standard, commercial loading zone of neighboring casinos and hotels, the Riviera greets you with a sense of elegance, warmth and grace. From the crystal chandeliers to the chic and tailored, color finessed design, everything about this place sings old school class in a contemporary world. With whispers of its Hollywood glam origins, and hints of its 60’s psychedelic past, anyone paying attention can sense that these walls have a soul. Classically glamorous and simultaneously embracing, the Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs is a destination that delivers the perfect ambiance for your memory making stay. The very same can be said of the effervescent, deeply prolific and shockingly talented Martin Ross who makes himself at home in front of the pristine baby grand in the Riviera’s lovely Starlight Lounge. Ross and the Riviera are a perfect match. With an endless supply of era rich music that your best memories are made of, Ross can read a room and deliver a tune straight to the heart of anyone within earshot. And boy, does Ross have soul.
The son of dancers, Martin and Helen Baespflug, it was somewhat predestined that Ross would follow the call of the entertainment industry. He began his journey down music road at the young age of 3 with classical piano lessons. By age 8, Martin was training in piano, French horn and ballet privately at both University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University. This rigorous training continued through his teens. From there it was music and entertaining for life. Martin has been a career musician since he was 17, playing locally, nationally and internationally; whether it be fronting a hometown band, laying it out on the keys solo or leading a 12 piece orchestra.
Ross fine-tuned his natural entertainment skills with over a decade as the House Piano Man at the iconic Cloud Room in The Camlin Hotel, a downtown Seattle landmark. Eric Scigliano, a regular at the bar, aptly and quite colorfully describes the setting in which Ross tastefully orchestrated the music and chance encounters the venue was famous for:
“The Cloud Room served as a sort of off-premises green room and after-show club for the Paramount, which made it a magnet for other showbiz types as well. Sinatra and Dino, Dizzy and Miles, Elvis Presley and Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt and John Lee Hooker all stopped by, as did innumerable other living legends and lesser lights. Some of them would sidle up to the piano pit where Martin Ross, a classic piano man, played every cornball standard from ‘Melancholy Baby’ to ‘Piano Man’…I never spied these or any other glitterati hanging out at the Cloud Room. Then again, I never looked for them. I just thought it was a nice place to have a drink. But thunderbolts strike when you least expect them…It sounded like Janis Joplin channeling Billie Holiday, channeled by…whom? Someone who was here to sing, not to be seen. A shapeless white-shirted form—a white shade—topped by a black mop hunched beside Ross, back to the room, so low she nearly melted under the piano. She finished the song but did not turn. The whole room sat hushed, save for a few gasps. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Ann Wilson,’ Ross said quietly.”
When The Cloud Room closed its doors, Martin unleashed his talents everywhere from Seattle to Dubai, Seoul, British Virgin Islands, Barbados and beyond, finally (and to our good fortune) making his home at the Riviera. With a voice that can effortlessly deliver everything from Frank Sinatra to Heart’s, Ann Wilson, and everything in between, his talent and energy are engaging as well as endearing. Nominated on several occasions as Best Male Vocal and Best Local Band/Entertainer, Ross’ musical skills could be described as, well – “muse-ical”. Those enjoying the Starlight Lounge bar are treated to an artist that has an empathetic ability to sense their listening needs, giving them a melodic escort facilitating dining conversation, post-meal cocktail inspirational listening or all out enthusiastic singalong, if that is what the night calls for.
Ross has earned long term adoring relationships and accolades wherever he has played, be it the lounge, a wedding or a corporate event.
“My husband and I were dating and made a point to see Martin at least once a week. We fell in love listening to Martin. We were both blown away with his talent. We took every friend we had to see him and we all agreed that ‘Martin was the best piano man we had ever seen’. The consensus was that no one could believe he was never discovered. Martin has this amazing talent of playing all types of music from R&B Classics (which was our love) to opera. My favorites are his songs from Phantom of the Opera. Martin performed at our wedding with his entire band, and even learned special songs for us. He played them better than even the original artist. Martin and his band have performed for us several times for personal and company events. We took him to Vegas three to four times to play in Las Vegas at a national conference reception. Every year we had requests for Martin’s return. He has a big fan base among my clients. Many of them have also booked him for their own events and weddings.” -Valerie Kolytiris, VP & Business Development for Stewart Tittle
I suggest you form your own opinion by seeing Ross perform for yourself. I promise that, at the very least, you and those you most like to spend time with will not be disappointed, and you will find yourselves bonding over familiar tunes played and sang with excellence and heart.
You can find Martin Ross at his white baby grand, Monday through Thursday, 6pm-10pm, as well as Friday and Saturdays from 7pm-11pm. If you get there early, you can join him for Veuve O’clock: A glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne for only $6, Monday – Saturday, 6pm-7pm.
Find out more about the Riviera Hotel, Palm Springs at www.psriviera.com or call (760) 327-8311.
Riviera Palm Springs is located at 1600 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262
You can also follow Martin Ross on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MartinRossMusicPage
