This NYC Native Always Comes Home to The Carlyle

At just 3 years old, Peter Cincotti started tickling the keys of a toy piano, already giving audiences a glimpse into his innate musical talent.

“My grandmother bought me this toy piano for my third birthday and taught me how to play ‘Happy Birthday,’ and apparently I played it back to her,” he said.

“I was immediately hooked on that thing.”

At 13, he played his first professional show, and by 18 made history as the youngest artist ever to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Charts.

The Upper East Side native, who still lives in the neighborhood, credits growing up in Manhattan with advancing his career.

“In fact, if everything else were the same and I were somewhere else, I don’t think things would have turned out,” he said. “Being exposed to so many different kinds of music is really an education you can’t buy.”

Cincotti, now 41, began playing at The Carlyle in 2022 at the suggestion of the legendary producer David Foster, with whom he made his third album.

“We started with one night, then it was two, then it was a week, and now it’s multiple residencies,” he said. Cincotti refers to The Carlyle as “the last man standing” among the New York venues where he used to play.

His show at The Carlyle, at 35 E. 76th St., where celebrity guests like Tony Danza are known to pop in and perform, is different from any other where he performs around the world.

“It’s unavoidable, even if you try to do the same show there, you can’t, because the room is so unique, so intimate,” said Cincotti.

“I mean, there’s literally somebody eating and drinking right next to my right hand on the piano, like I’m looking at the keys and I’m looking at them chewing. So things are gonna come out, verbally and musically, that you just don’t expect. And that’s the beauty of the room.”

When were you officially “discovered”?

I don’t know. [Laughs] One thing led to another. Again, playing live in New York was a big one. I had my first professional show when I was 13 at this place called The Red Blazer. Then I started playing more and more, and I guess my bigger break came when I performed at the legendary Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel. The Oak Room is no longer there, but it was a unique place to perform, with so much history. I was in my first year at college and that’s when I really started doing extended runs and trying to juggle both. And then I got signed shortly before that. Phil Ramone, the great record producer icon, came to one of my shows in my last year of high school and that’s how I made my first record. Phil’s no longer with us, but he was a total legend.

How can you describe your show and the atmosphere at Café Carlyle?

My show kind of takes you through my story, some of what we’re talking about growing up. It takes you through all my records, which have developed through the years. I’ve made different kinds of records, so I talk a little bit about that. I talk about my New York story. It’s definitely curated to the room at The Carlyle, which is unlike any other place. I do a Bobby Short tribute, just because [the Carlyle is] so identified with him.

What is a memorable moment that stands out from playing there?

Well, the martinis are strong—let’s leave it at that. But there was one woman, I think she must have had a few too many, and we were recording that night, funny enough. And at first I thought she was just an enthusiastic fan, and then I quickly realized she was more enthusiastic about the Ketel One [vodka]. At first, she started to hum a tune, but it quickly turned into something else, more of a howl than a hum. They had to ask her to leave. And then we had to re-record, we had to do a whole new recording the following night. That led to my current live vinyl album, which she’s not on, we cut her out of it. But “Live at Café Carlyle” is my first vinyl album ever, and my first live album ever. It isn’t available anywhere online or digitally, but it’s available at Café Carlyle if you come to the show.

You also performed at the White House.

I’ve performed at the White House a couple of times. Funny enough, under the Bill Clinton administration when I was 12, I played for an Army-Navy event. I remember thinking the president might join me on the saxophone, but he didn’t. Years later I performed for Hillary Clinton at a private event in Martha’s Vineyard, as well as the Purple Ball under Obama.

You got married last year. How did you meet your wife?

It’s kind of a crazy story. I met her in 2009 when I was playing in Istanbul at their big music festival. She was assigned to me as the promoter rep because she spoke English. She ended up moving to New York and studied here. I’d see her every few years just to stay in touch, and after 10 years, we finally went on a first date.

Katie Couric officiated your wedding. When did you first meet her?

When my first album came out, I was on the “Today” show and she was still there, and we’ve been friends ever since.

I saw that your version of “Sway” has the most streams out of all your songs.

That’s from my first album, which is more in the traditional setting. And I guess the other big hit would be “Goodbye Philadelphia,” which David Foster produced, and that’s on my third record. There’s kind of two different sides of me. I write a lot of songs; I identify as a songwriter, really. What I do at The Carlyle is a bit curated more toward the “Sway” version of things, and then I have all these original songs which occupy a lot of the set when I travel around the world, particularly in Europe.

What are some of your upcoming projects?

I’m working on a multitude of things. The Carlyle, I’ll be doing that. That’s kind of like my New York base. I’m working on a project called In Color, which is featuring different artists around the globe on different original songs. So there’s a song that’s actually on my last album called “Ghost of My Father” that I wrote for my dad who passed away. And we’re releasing a French version of that; I sing a little bit in French and I’m featuring the girl who won The Voice in France—her name is Anne Sila. I’m doing a project with Marcus Miller, who’s a legendary bass player. He and I collaborated on a different track where I’ll feature him. And then there’s some violinists and even a Turkish singer, so people from around the globe, and it’ll be rolled out over the next 12 months. And now I’m on tour with Chris Botti, the trumpet player. We’re doing a bunch of dates together and it’s really cool to collaborate with him.

To learn more, visit www.petercincotti.com