SOLO & MORE

Jim Wacker performs solo shows ranging from rocking keyboard and vocal arrangements to intimate cocktail and jazz piano, sometimes in the same song. “I particularly enjoy entertaining the elderly and seeing people get up and dance that a minute ago couldn’t walk. It happens all the time” he said, There’s something about those ancient melodies that goes deep into the brain, into the soul, and moves the body. They start singing, banging things… It’s good to see.” He’s also played most of NYC’s mental hospitals where he says he feels right at home.

When possible, he brings his band, Collateral Damage [‘New York’s best band’] but there’s something wonderful about the intimacy of a solo show. He’s played at Hebrew Home for the Aged in Riverdale, Bainbridge Nursing & Rehab Center, The Rev. Robert V. Lott Assisted Living Center 1261 Fifth Avenue New York, NY Split Rock Rehab & Health Care Center, Bx, NY, Schaffer Extended Care Center New Rochelle, Schervier Nursing Home Riverdale, NYC, West Seventy-Fourth Street Home Nursing Home, NY, NY, Bruckner Nursing Home, Bx, NY, Ditmas Park Care Center in Brooklyn. Kings Harbor Multicare Center, the New Jewish Home at 106th St, Manhattan, and many others.
“When playing for old folks, or any folks, I like to play whatever they want to hear. If they like it, I like it. So I’ll try anything. Maybe get them to sing it. Of course, after the show’s over, I’ll go home and really learn the song. Over the years this has resulted in me knowing and liking a lot of songs.” Some of his favorites to play solo are here:

The Songs

Ain’t Misbehaving——–Fats Waller

All of Me————Simons, Seymour

All of Me Loves All of You———John Legend

Ain’t That a Shame—-Fats Domino

Ain’t Too Proud———Temptations

All Shook Up———Elvis Presley

Always on My Mind-Willie Nelson

As Time Goes By—Herman Hupfield

Baby It’s You———Shirelles

Back the USSR——–Beatles

Bathroom Window—Beatles

Be My Baby———the Ronettes

Black Magic Woman–Santana

Blue Moon———Rogers & Hart

Blue Monk——Thelonious Monk

Blueberry Hill———Fats Domino

Bobby McGee———Janis Joplin

Bring it on Home—Willie Dixon

CC Rider———————Ma Raney

Cheating Heart—Hank Williams

Crying Time————Buck Owens

Dead Flowers——Rolling Stones

Dock of the Bay——Otis Redding

Don’t Be Cruel———Elvis Presley

Downtown—————Petula Clark

Feeling Alright————Joe Cocker

Letter————————–Joe Cocker

Margaritaville–-——Jimmy Buffet

Mercy Mercy Mercy————Canonball Adderly

Midnight Hour——Wilson Pickett

Misty———————Errol Garner

Money Makes Fools—Jim Wacker

Moondance————Van Morison

Mustang Sally—–Wilson Pickett

My Girl—————–Temptations

N Y State of Mind——-Billy Joel

N Y, N Y———–Frank Sinatra

Nobody Knows You-Eric Clapton

Oh Darling——————Beatles

Old Time Rock & Roll—————–—–Bob Seegar

On Broadway———————Drifters

One Night with You—————–Elvis Presley

One Way Out——————–Allman Brothers

One————————————————U2

Pretty Woman—————–Roy Orbison

Proud Mary——–——–Creedence Clearwater

Red House—————————Jimi Hendrix

Rock This Town———————-Stray Cats

Rockin’ Pneumonia—————–Frankie Ford

Save The Last Dance for Me————Drifters

Shake Rattle and Roll————Big Joe Turner

Something——————————Beatles

Fire———————Pointer Sisters

Further on Up the Rd——-E Clapton

Georgia————————–Ray Charles

Get Back——————————-Beatles

Great Balls of Fire———Jerry Lee Lewis

Great Pretender————————–Drifters

Hallelujah, I Love Her So—–Ray Charles

Have You Ever Seen t Rain?—––Creedence Clearwater

Hound Dog————————Elvis Presley

House of the Rising Sun———Trad

I Can See Clearly Now————Johnny Nash

I Saw Her Standing There———Beatles

I Second that Emotion————–Miracles

I Want to Hold Your Hand———–Beatles

I Wish——————————Stevie Wonder

I’m a Believer———————Neil Diamond

I’ll Be There——————————Jackson 5

I’ll Be Seeing You——————Fain & Kahal

Imagine——————————John Lennon

It Had to be You—————Jones & Kahn

Jailhouse Rock——————Elvis Presley

Johnny B. Good—————Chuck Berry

Just the Way You Are ————Billy Joel

Kansas City——————Wilbur Harrison

Kingston Farewell———Harry Belefonte

Key to the Highway——–Eric Clapton

Knock on Wood—————–Otis Redding

Somewhere Over the Rainbow—Harburg

Stand By Me————————-Ben E King

Stormy Monday————-Allman Brothers

Stroll/Run, Hide—————–Fats Domino

Summer Wind——————-Frank Sinatra

Sunny Side of the Street——–Ruth Etting

Sweet Caroline—————-Neil Diamond

Sweet Home Chicago——Robert Johnson

Take Five—————————-Dave Brubeck

Tears in Heaven———————Eric Clapton

the Stroll/Run, Hide———–Fats Domino

the Tennessee Waltz—————-Patti Page

They Can’t Take That Away—–Sinatra

Time is on My Side———Rolling Stones

Tutti Fruity———————–Little Richard

Twist & Shout/La Bamba—–Isley Bros

Twist—————————Chubby Checker

Under the Boardwalk————-Drifters

Up on the roof————————-Drifters

Waiting on the World to Change–John Mayer

Way [the]——————————-Fastball

What a Wonderful World——–Louis Armstrong

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?——Shirrelles

Wind Cries Mary————Jimi Hendrix

Yesterday———————————Beatles

You’ve Lost that Lovin Feeling–——-Righteous Bros

You Can’t Alway Get What YouWant—–Rolling Stones

Young Blood————————-Coasters