This Piano Man Plays an Octave Role in Entertaining You

On the music world’s respect-o-meter, piano lounge players register somewhere between Milli Vanilli and Debbie Gibson.

But it’s a different world that lounge players live in--from the elegance of a fancy hotel to the tackiness of a seedy bar--and appreciation of their talents is clearly a matter of taste.

My favorite piano man worked at a hotel near Disneyland years ago and poured his soul into his instrument like an over-the-hill pitcher on the verge of being sent down to the minors. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he bent over to play.

Bill Murray wasn’t around, and the sounds of the lounge lizard classic, “Feelings,” weren’t either. When only the regular customers were left in the place, the piano man played for himself, tearing into upbeat, jazz/blues riffs with a hunger that somehow made up for a thousand repetitions of “New York, New York.”

Jon Garner is cut from the same cloth. When the management of Tony’s Sea Landing decided recently to add a piano as weekend entertainment for customers waiting to be seated, Garner was their first choice to man the instrument.

He plays on Friday and Saturday nights from 8 to 11 (though he’s occasionally spelled by local pianist Art Scott).

The bar area is small but intimate. The walls and beams are made of rich, dark woods. The chairs and booths are comfortably upholstered.

It’s a more upscale bar experience than some, a situation that, fortunately, isn’t reflected in the drink prices. Beers on tap are Beck’s, for a reasonable $2.50, and Miller Lite, for $2. Domestic bottled beers are $2.50, and imports cost $3. Well drinks are $3.25, with premium liquor used, including Beefeater’s gin, Bacardi rum and Jack Daniel bourbon.

I’ve dined at Tony’s on several occasions, and the seafood is excellent. In the bar, seafood is also the main attraction. Particularly savory are the stuffed mushrooms ($7.95), which are crammed with crab and shrimp, then sauteed in butter, garlic and white wine and topped with melted Cheddar.

Also available are oysters on the half-shell for $6.95, steamed clams for $8.95 and sauteed scampi for $7.95.

But some people come just for the music. They sit for hours listening to Garner and making requests, sometimes stuffing a dollar bill or two into an enormous brandy snifter sitting on the piano.

But if vocals are your passion, you’re on your own. Garner doesn’t sing. He just sits back and lets his fingers do the talking.

Tony’s Seafood Landing, 26032 Marguerite Parkway. Open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. (714) 582-8844.