Gregory Charles Makes Cafe Carlyle Debut, 9/10

Canada's celebrated Gregory Charles performs in back-to-back shows for one night only, on Saturday September 10, at 8:30pm and 10:30pm, at the renowned Café Carlyle.

For this exclusive Café Carlyle engagement, Charles introduces a thrilling musical format that he has perfected over the years in front of big and small audiences around the world.

Backed by his uniquely skilled band Charles creates an all-request, completely improvised live show. As he welcomes suggestions from the audience, Charles cleverly reflects the tastes and temperament of the room, weaving together songs of multiple composers, eras, and influences to reveal hidden commonalities and cross-currents spanning eras and cultures. This highly demanding format, made possible by a remarkable repertoire estimated to exceed 14,000 songs, synthesizes music from as wide (or narrow) a spectrum as the audience elicits. Whether it's Gershwin or Led Zeppelin, Lady Gaga or Frank Sinatra, or a night of mostly standards, Charles's shows are masterful medleys of musicianship, humor and erudition.

Gregory Charles has garnered international acclaim performing in Canada, Paris, London, New York, Latin America and Japan. He is a frequent headliner at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. In December 2002, after touring with Céline Dion on her Let's Talk About Love tour, Charles went in a new direction with his first one-man show, "Black and White." The show sold more than 750,000 tickets over a record-setting 43-show run at Montreal's Bell Centre. The same show was also presented at the historic Winter Garden in Toronto, and at the Beacon Theater in New York.

The son of a Canadian mother and a father of Trinidadian descent, Gregory Charles was a classical pianist by the age of seven, and he won several national and international competitions during his teens. Critics and audiences alike agree; he is a unique amalgam of musical, comedic and physical talents.

Accompanying himself on piano, Charles is joined by Jean-Bertrand Carbou on bass, Samuel Joly on drums, and Jean-Benoit Lasante on guitar. This is Charles's Café Carlyle debut.

Gregory Charles performs at the Café Carlyle in The Carlyle Hotel, 35 East 76th Street at Madison Avenue, in an exclusive one-night-only engagement on Saturday September 10 at 8:30pm and 10:30pm, The music charge is $50. Bar seating is available ($25), and premium seating is $75 per person. Dinner is served for the early show from 6:30pm. For reservations call 212/744-1600 or visit www.thecarlyle.com.