Ethan Leinwand is a St. Louis-based pianist who specializes in barrelhouse blues. A mostly self-taught pianist, he is a student of the music, and delights in bringing this lost art to life. His unique repertoire stretches from ragtime to boogie-woogie and tells the story of blues piano. Through performances, workshops, and an active YouTube channel, Ethan has gained world-wide recognition as a leading exponent of barrelhouse blues piano.
Ethan was born and raised in Middletown, CT and graduated from Wesleyan University in 2005. He began his music career in 2009, performing in bars, restaurants and nightclubs in New York City. He moved to St. Louis, MO in 2014 – a town with deep piano blues and ragtime traditions – and began collaborating with vocalist Valerie Kirchhoff (Miss Jubilee, The St. Louis Steady Grinders) and guitarist Nick Pence (The Bottlesnakes). In addition, he performs regularly with Georgia bluesman Jontavious Willis. He can be seen playing weekly in his hometown or in festivals across the United States and Europe.
Notable appearances include The Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Workshop (WA), The West Coast Ragtime Festival (CA), The Redwood Coast Music Festival (CA), The Savannah Music Festival (GA), The UK Boogie Festival (England), The Brooklyn Folk Festival (NY), The Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival (MO), The LaRoquebrou International Boogie-Woogie Festival (France), and The University of Chicago Folk Fest (IL)..