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Yes, yes, I know this is not the non-classical forum, but it's not that far off.

Anyway, two friends of mine (one a retired classical dancer, the other a classical pianist) do a weekly hour at an old age home in which one friend engages the group in some basic chair-based exercises to keep them moving, and the other friend plays live piano accompaniment.

It's based on ballet, so it's a lot of Chopin and Tchaikovsky, waltzes, galops, and the like, and the folks really enjoy it. The ballet is adaptive, obviously, but the treat is that the music is not simplified. Full-contact, solo repertoire by a professional classical pianist on a big grand piano. It's a real treat, and a highlight for the residents where they do this program. Anyway, given the crowd, they've experimented with throwing in a number from the "American modern hits" (and by "modern", I mean "1930s"), and that seems to be really well-received, too. Last week, the the crowd went nuts for the Chatanooga Choo Choo. One very memory-impaired lady was clapping to the beat like nobody's business.

So, now the hunt is on for a couple of additions to the repertoire from that era. Who has a good, high-energy, toe tapper along the lines of the Chatanooga Choo Choo that would be fun?

Plenty of music by Latin composers - Gottschalk (The Banjo etc), Nazareth, Mozart Guarnieri (sic), Ignácio Cervantes, Piazzolla (Liebertango etc), as well as ragtime stuff (Joplin, Joseph Lamb, Artie Matthews, William Albright etc) will get those not-so-young hips swaying. Not to mention Gershwin song arrangements (The Man I Love, Walking the Dog, Rialto Ripples etc).

I think Cinnamonbear might be able to help you if he sees this thread.

Excellent. I'm neck deep in some ragtime right now. I have a little place in my heart for stride piano anyway, haha.

Extra points for those numbers that have familiar lyrics for those that want to sing along.

Gershwin is a winner, too. I'll have to see what might work. My friend does have some Gottschalk and Gershwin in her repertoire already.

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe.

I'm not sure if this is considered classical or non-classical, but I really like this one:



EDIT: I now see you wanted a high energy, toe tapper. Guess this won't qualify Still, it's a nice piece.

Zez Confrey is always a crowd pleaser. Dizzy Fingers or Kitten on the Keys would do nicely.

If, when I am old, someone endeavors to play Nirvana or the Gin Blossoms on the piano in my senior center, I intend to hit them with my cane and demand Beethoven.

(the rest of the room might not agree, though.)

Sounds like you are looking for what I call "Great American Songbook" entries.... any of these would get a rise out of the audience you described. If you really want upbeat (instead of ballads) theres plenty more along similar lines.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Begin the Beguine

Lets Do It (Lets Fall in Love)

Stardust

Over The Rainbow

As Time Goes By

All The Things You Are

Toe-tappers--YES! How's about:

Five Foot Two and Eyes of Blue (A Fox Trot by Lewis, Young & Henderson, 1925)

Somewhere Alone With You (A Fox Trot by Davis & Green, 1926)

Tell Me You Love Me (A Fox Trot by Hare & King, 1927)

What A Night For Spooning (A Charleston by MacDonald and Dreyer, 1928)

Hello Montreal! (A Fox Trot by Warren, Rose & Dixon, 1928)

When Eliza Rolls Her Eyes (A Charleston by Kahn & Warren, 1928)

A Treat For The Eyes (A Fox Trot by Friend and Stept, 1936)

I think ChopinAddict might have a link to some online archives of vintage pop music. However, TS, if you have trouble finding copies, send me a PM.

Here's a recording of "Tell Me You Love Me" that I recorded several years ago. Please excuse the tentative playing--it was new to me then. I'm a little more free with it now.

https://app.box.com/s/dlum7g1mpseqrf7akydi

I regularly play these recklessly with a group of people severely afflicted with Alzheimer's, and it's a dance party every time! "Five Foot Two and Eyes Of Blue" is a sure-fire hit. You won't go wrong starting with that one!

--Andy

Oh, thanks for reminding me of the link!
Do you mean this one?
http://www.nla.gov.au/what-we-collect/music

Yes! That's the one!

A few more ideas for toe-tappers:

Yes, sir! That's my baby! (Kahn/Donaldson, 1925)

Baby Face (Davis/Akst, 1926)

It's Only A Paper Moon (Rose/Harburg/Arlen, 1933)

Ain't She Sweet (Yellen/Ager, 1949?)

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (Young/Ahlert, 1935)

On The Sunny Side of the Street (Fields/McHugh, 1930)

Bye Bye Blackbird (Dixon/Henderson, 1948)

And, I found another Charleston while I was cruising through the "Gem Dance Folios" this morning, and it's absolutely adorable!:

Sweet Man (Turk/Pinkard, 1925)

--Andy

TSF, if you look at the Members' Recordings section you will hear Cinnamonbear play some of these pieces!

Have a look at the Lester S. Levy collection at Johns Hopkins:

http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/

Free downloads of public domain sheet music, they're PDF scans of the original paper. Everything prior to 1923 is PD in the USA, so all the WWI stuff is in there.

LOL! I'll save you the trouble. You already have the link to "Tell Me You Love Me" (above). Besides that one, I posted two other toe-tappers when I did the "Haddorff Postcards," shortly after joining PW. There was a parody of "I Love Her," a Simon/Gensler tune from 1926, in which I changed the words to express my excitement in finding such a wonderful vintage upright piano to refurbish:

https://app.box.com/shared/85u9o2kpzt

But, my wife got her nose out of joint when she discovered that I was writing a song for my piano instead of writing a song for her at the time of her birthday. So, the next week, I did a rendition of "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," in which I wrote a new third verse just for her (my wife; not my piano. *ahem*)

https://app.box.com/shared/kkagm324h7

Well, if you like Chattanooga Choo Choo, you might look at other Harry Warren songs. The Atcheson, Topeka and Santa Fe is very similar. Shuffle Off to Buffalo is another of his railroad songs. 42nd Street and all the other songs from the movie are worth considering.

Ok, that was straight-up charming.

My new goal in life is to get Andy to play while singing me a song.

Ha-ha! Thank you, TS!

Guess what? It has actually already almost happened. Do you remember the "Happy Pianoversary" thread? I was working on an idea of "Happy Pianoversary" put to the theme of the William Tell Overture, in a Loony Tunes frame of reference, but did not have the time or the chops to pull it off at that moment. I have not lost track of the idea, though...

--Andy