Dom Pipkin: Soul from New Orleans

Acclaimed piano player, songwriter and raconteur, Dom Pipkin presents tales of New Orleans from the earliest emergence of jazz in the brothels of Storyville to the hedonistic funk and blues of 60s and 70s French Quarter. Pipkin has been travelling to New Orleans off and on since 1996 and has been accepted as a native of the city, learning from and jamming with its musicians, and steeping himself in the the cuisine, culture and the traditions of this unique and magical city.

Alongside a glittering session career (David Byrne, Ray Davies, Morcheeba) Pipkin has been described by Blues in Britain as “one of the world’s greatest exponents of New Orleans piano”. He first discovered the New Orleans style in the early 90s, and has gone on to become a regular visitor to that city, with appearances that include the highly acclaimed “Piano Night”, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival. He is a regular fixture on the European blues and boogie Woogie festival circuit, having played 1000’s of club and theatre, radio and TV dates in a career spanning more than two decades. Jazz star Jamie Cullum says “I can’t hold a candle to this guy”. Actor and musician Hugh Laurie adds “Your music warms my heart, coming directly from the source”.

Pipkin developed a particular specialisation for the unique flavours of maverick New Orleans piano star James Booker (1939 – 1983) capturing the player’s trademark combination of driving blues married with rhapsodic classical influences. He was invited to play at the world premiere of the documentary “Bayou Maharajah” at SXSW in 2014, and at multiple subsequent screenings of the film.

Pipkin performs extensively in New Orleans, and shared stages with legends Allen Toussaint, Dr John, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Grammy-award-winner Jon Cleary invites him to jam whenever he’s in town. In live shows Pipkin mixes his own compelling songwriting with blues and Big Easy classics that “[…] cook up a steaming musical stew that has the crowd dancing and clapping for more,” according to Classic Rock Blues Magazine.