Event
David Torkanowsky and Saskia Walker at 419 Decatur St
Fee:
Free. Free and open to the publicLocation: LAT/LONG: 29.954740, -90.064698
National Park Service French Quarter visitor center - 419 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Type of Event
2:00 to 3:00 pm Central Time
Description
David Torkanowsky and Saskia Walker
Wednesday at 2:00 pm
At the National Park Service French Quarter Visitor Center
419 Decatur St, New Orleans
This program is free and open to the public.
David Torkanowsky is one of New Orleans’ premier contemporary jazz pianists, composers, and arrangers. “Tork” was born in New Orleans, the son of classical conductor Werner Torkanowsky and flamenco artist Theresa Torkanowsky. He learned to play piano early on, and was schooled in the ways of New Orleans music by legends such as Danny Barker, David Lastie and Ellis Marsalis. Torkanowsky is perhaps best known in the Crescent City as a member of Astral Project, one of the city’s most venerable modern jazz ensembles. He left the group in 2009 due to his other career demands, including composing and producing. He has worked relentlessly over the course of his 50-plus year career, appearing on nearly 200 recordings as a side performer, composer, arranger, or frontman. He toured with jazz heavyweights like Boney James and Dianne Reeves, for whom he also served as long-time music director. Torkanowsky is also a prolific writer and arranger, with scoring credits on everything from jingles to Hollywood movies, including “The Big Easy” (1996), “Alabama Moon” (2009), and “Preacher” (2016). Torkanowsky records and performs with a Who’s Who of musical New Orleans, including Soul Queen Irma Thomas, Harry Shearer, Evan Christopher, Zigaboo Modeliste of The Meters, Anders Osborne, and Ellis Marsalis.
David will be joined today by Saskia Walker (vocals) who is originally from Italy and came to New Orleans in 2019 to attend Loyola University and learn more about jazz in the city where it all came from.