The Return of the Blues & Boogie Piano Summit

Ricky Nye & Memorial Hall present
The Return of the 
Blues & Boogie Piano Summit 

Featuring Carl Sonny Leyland; St. Louis Steady Grinders; Ben Levin, and Ricky Nye.

Ricky Nye’s Blues & Boogie Piano Summit series delighted music lovers from across the region with performances by the top blues and boogie pianists from around the world from 1999 through 2017. By popular demand, that iconic evening of music is back and better than ever at historic Memorial Hall. Beloved Cincinnati pianist / vocalists Ricky Nye and Ben Levin share the stage with Ethan Leinwand & Valerie Kirchhoff (St. Louis Steady Grinders) and the legendary Carl Sonny Leyland (direct from California) in an unforgettable evening of traditional blues, boogie woogie and jazz, including piano duets and a grand finale to close the evening.

with Eli Gonzalez (tenor & baritone sax), Matt McCoy (bass) and Josiah Wolf (drums). 

Originally from the South Coast of England, CARL SONNY LEYLAND was drawn as a youngster to sounds of American music, including Traditional Jazz and Swing, Rock & Roll of the 1950s & early Country And Western.

At age 15 Leyland discovered boogie woogie. Captivated by the sound of the repeating eight to the bar left hand pattern, he was inspired to go to the piano & begin on the path that would become his life’s purpose.

Initially influenced by boogie woogie greats Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson & Meade ‘Lux’ Lewis, Leyland went on to fully explore the piano blues genre, becoming an authority on early & obscure styles such as those played by Cow Cow Davenport, Little Brother Montgomery, Montana Taylor, Roosevelt Sykes, Speckled Red, and others.

In 1988 Leyland came to New Orleans and became active on the club scene, quickly gaining a reputation for his authentic blues & early rock & roll stylings. He also toured with the Dallas based band Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets whose line up included blues great Sam Myers. In 1997 Leyland relocated to Southern California where he joined Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys with whom he toured for over three years. By this time his repertoire had expanded to include ragtime & early jazz styles which enabled him to become part of the traditional jazz scene around Los Angeles.

In the years since, Leyland has made frequent appearances at festivals, concerts, and recording sessions.

Whether playing solo or in a group setting Leyland possesses the necessary vocabulary to pay tribute to the greats of old, he refuses to be limit himself to this and prefers to let each performance be an opportunity to say something new. Carl’s repertoire spans the Ragtime era through the 1950s and includes a healthy amount of self written songs and instrumental compositions.

Based in St. Louis, MO, ETHAN LEINWAND (piano) and VALERIE KIRCHHOFF (vocal) are a husband and wife duo that specialize in blues, jazz and hokum from the 1920s and 30s. From the classic blues of the vaudeville stages to the low-down blues of St. Louis barrelhouses, Valerie and Ethan perform this old music with joy, compelling mastery, and an infectious energy.

Valerie Kirchhoff (aka “Miss Jubilee”) is a vocalist and bandleader born and raised in St. Louis. She has been performing professionally for over 15 years and is a beloved staple of the St. Louis music community. Valerie grew up singing in church and choir. In her teens she developed a passion for older styles of music and dance, which led her to forming her own band. She champions the female blues singers of the 20s and 30s, with a particular focus on the lesser known singers from St. Louis.

Ethan Leinwand has gained recognition as a leading exponent of barrelhouse blues piano. A self taught pianist, his unique repertoire stretches from ragtime to boogie-woogie, and tells the story of blues piano. He was born and raised in Middletown, CT and has lived in New Orleans and New York City. He moved to St. Louis in 2014 to connect with the city’s deep piano roots and thriving traditional music community.

The pair have performed across the United States – from Alaskan saloons to Mississippi riverboats – and throughout Europe. They make regular appearances at many of the nation’s top ragtime, boogie-woogie, and early jazz festivals.

“Ethan and Valerie have a certain brash tenderness that is very much appealing… and even when they perform songs that are by today’s standards “ancient,” they seem full of emotion and fun.” – Michael Steinman JAZZ LIVE

BEN LEVIN is a pianist, Hammond organist and vocalist based in Cincinnati, OH – his achievements include five albums releases on the Vizztone Label Group and he has four Blues Music Award nominations, including “Best Piano Player of the Year”.

Ben’s introduction to blues piano came at age eight when he began his years of instruction with Ricky Nye. A budding interest soon led to Ben sitting in with his father’s band The Heaters. Thanks to the encouragement of his father Aron and the guidance of Ricky, Ben began leading his own groups and has been a professional musician for over ten years. Along with a love for the music, Ben developed a true passion for the history of the blues, and has sought out collaborations with elders in the community.

In 2023 Ben collaborated with blues legend Lil’ Jimmy Reed and recorded/produced “Back To Baton Rouge”, on NOLA Blue, which reached number two on Living Blues radio charts. This success led to the pair touring around the U.S. with performances at The Chicago Blues Festival, The Cincy Blues Fest, and The Crescent City Blues Festival.

Ben’s 2024 release “Ben Levin Presents A Holiday Blues Revue”, featured collaborations with blues legends Lil’ Ed, Lil’ Jimmy Reed, and Sonny Hill, as well as Grammy nominated vocalist Candice Ivory. The album climbed into the top ten on Living Blues radio charts, and the single “Elf Boogie” received daily airplay on Sirius XM radio during the holiday season.

Ben maintains a busy touring schedule and has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In addition to live performances, Ben has become a highly in-demand studio musician and has recorded for legendary Chicago blues artists such as Bob Stroger, Lil’ Ed, and Willie Buck.

Traditional blues, boogie woogie, and classic New Orleans jazz and R&B all come from the hands and heart of Cincinnati, OH pianist and vocalist RICKY NYE. The driving force behind the annual Blues & Boogie Piano Summit, previously held at The Southgate House in Newport, KY from 1999 to 2017, Ricky was inducted into the International Boogie Woogie Hall Of Fame in 2013, voted “Blues Artist Of The Year 2019” in Cincinnati’s CEA Awards, and “Best Local Musician” by CityBeat Magazine’s “Best Of Cincinnati 2018” reader’s poll.

Ricky began his performing career at age twelve with his family’s band, and in his twenties and thirties established working relationships and friendships with artists such as world renowned jazz guitarist Wilbert Longmire, Cincinnati blues icons Big Ed Thompson, H-Bomb Ferguson and fellow pianists Big Joe Duskin and Pigmeat Jarrett.

For over twenty years Ricky has maintained notoriety on an international level, performing his infectious blend of American roots music in solo, duo and combo settings in locales such as France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Vienna, England, and Switzerland. Ricky also celebrates a long-time performing and recording collaboration with “The Paris Blues Band”, the very finest purveyors of swingin’ blues and boogie in Paris, France, and in the U.S. Ricky leads a dynamic trio/quartet known as RICKY NYE INC.

“Known for its rollicking, foot-stomping jubilance, the boogie-woogie sound erupted from the American South during the late 1920s. This piano-centric subgenre of the jazz tradition drew its structural elements from the blues and spirituals, but introduced an intoxicating rhythmic complexity that inspired generations of young dancers. Ricky Nye is one of the nation’s leading players and preservationists of boogie-woogie, stunning audiences with unmatched authenticity, virtuosic speed and playful arrangements”- Vail Jazz