Torkestra

As a pianist and bandleader, David Torkanowsky is equally adept at pushing the boundaries of jazz, funk, blues, and rhythm and blues. In addition to his solo projects, Torkanowsky has collaborated with numerous musical legends—Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint, Danny Barker, Earl Turbington, Tony DaGradi, George Porter Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste, Dianne Reeves, Rickie Lee Jones, and Erroll Garner among them—earning his own legendary status.

"But," he says, "the real masters who educated me in the art of performance were cultivated right here in New Orleans."

"The reason this music was born here is because it was the nexus of culture," Torkanowsky explains. "This is where the confluence of African and European music happened. That's what jazz is. So in my own education, I had a confluence of African rhythm and European melody and harmony in my own home... so maybe bringing that to the table is what made people say, 'Oh man, this white boy can play.'"