A Celebration of Elton John & Billy Joel

A concert in Chester by singer-songwriter John Reilly and pianist Lewis Nitikman, presenting the songs of Elton John and Billy Joel as a live celebration rather than a tribute act.

John Reilly is a singer-songwriter whose albums have received national and international airplay. Lewis Nitikman is a Canadian pianist and composer, trained at Berklee, who has produced three gold albums in Canada. Together they perform the music of Elton John and Billy Joel. Reilly sings the songs closely while adding a personal style, and also plays percussion and harmonica. Nitikman plays piano and bass keyboards.

The programme is a celebration of the two songwriters rather than a tribute, and everything is performed live, with no backing tracks, miming or costumes. Expect familiar titles such as 'Your Song', 'Piano Man', 'Daniel', 'Uptown Girl', 'Candle in the Wind', 'New York State of Mind'and 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', alongside some less well-known pieces from both catalogues.

The duo return to Alexander's Live, a concert and performance venue in Chester, a yearly visit that began with their first gig there in 2018. The evening suits listeners who want to hear the catalogues of Elton John and Billy Joel performed by two musicians rather than reproduced from recordings.