Ethan Leinwand is a St. Louis-based barrelhouse blues pianist and preservationist. A student of the music?s rich history and varied regional styles, Ethan presents personal interpretations of many of the great (and forgotten) old-time masters. He specializes in St. Louis pre-war piano blues, Texas barrelhouse, Deep South barrelhouse, early Chicago boogie-woogie, and good-time hokum stride. His influences include: Jimmy Yancey, Henry Brown, Little Brother Montgomery, Peetie Wheatstraw, Aaron ?Pinetop? Sparks, Albert Ammons, Black Bob, Cooney Vaughn, Professor Longhair, and Carl Sonny Leyland. Originally from Middletown, CT, Ethan has spent time living in New Orleans and Brooklyn. He moved to St. Louis in the summer of 2014, and, connecting with the city?s thriving blues community and its deep piano blues heritage, he quickly became a mainstay. In addition to his solo work, Ethan plays in multiple projects including Miss Jubilee, The Bottlesnakes, and The St. Louis Steady Grinders. He?s become a regular at the Focal Point, and it?s always a pleasure to see him! More at http://www.ethanleinwand.com/
Christopher Parrish first visited St. Louis this past June to play at the Second Annual St. Louis Piano Festival. By the end of September, he?d moved here permanently and had been featured in the Riverfront Times? ?Best of St. Louis 2017? issue as ?Best St. Louis Story.? Since his move from Indianapolis, St. Louis has warmly embraced what he has to offer both as a lively interpreter of traditional ragtime and blues piano and as an exciting improvisational player covering a broad range of styles. Both contemplative and witty ? sometimes simultaneously ? his playing routinely quotes from a variety of musical genres, including a generous sampling of classical themes, and always rewards close listening. In addition to his solo playing, his other projects include The St. Louis Ticklers and an occasional role in Annie and the Fur Trappers. The Focal Point is delighted to welcome him for his first appearance on our stage ? we hope the first of many! More at https://www.facebook.com/CParrishMusic/
Chase Garrett, voted ?Best Local Act? in Iowa City, IA by the Daily Iowan in 2011, began playing piano professionally at age seventeen and within a few years was performing at blues and boogie-woogie festivals across the U.S. and Europe. Having been heavily influenced by artists such as Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, Otis Spann, and Meade ?Lux? Lewis, his style has grown into an infectious and diverse mix of boogie woogie, blues, swing, and stride that is sure to satisfy any audience. Chase has dedicated himself to the piano not only as a pianist, but also as a technician, an instructor, an event organizer, and a producer. He has brought world-class pianists to the Englert Theatre in Iowa City, IA for his annual Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Stomp concert series and has taught master classes and piano performance at colleges, blues weeks, and swing camps across the U.S. Audiences can expect to hear a mixture of Chicago blues and boogie woogie, Kansas City Swing, and some Classic Jazz from New York City. Chase currently resides in St. Louis, MO. Please join us in welcoming him to the Focal Point! More at http://chasegarrett.com
Focal Point Concerts
Christopher Parrish
Ethan Leinwand
Chase Garrett
Daniel Higgins