WWOZ Piano Night is returning to House of Blues Monday, April 29! As the city’s premier event celebrating the great pianists of New Orleans, this year’s Piano Night is the 31st annual event raising funds for WWOZ. Tickets for the event at House of Blues are available now. 

Piano Night 2019 will feature some of the most notable and beloved pianists of our time, including: Ellis Marsalis, Jon Cleary, Joe Krown, Tom McDermott, Craig Adams, Josh Paxton, Jesse McBride, Tom Worrell, David Boeddinghaus, John Papa Gros, and Nigel Hall.

In anticipation of this sure-to-be fantastic evening, we'll be previewing some of this year's artists. In 2019, we are happy to welcome Jesse McBride back to the Piano Night stage. He is often compared to the late Art Blakey for his determination to encourage and develop young talent.

Originally from Houston, McBride started playing music on violin at age 4, going on to win numerous competitions. He took up piano while studying at the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He came to New Orleans to study at the University of New Orleans with Ellis Marsalis.

It was at UNO that McBride began an association with the late Harold Battiste, who encouraged McBride to carry the mantle of his Next Generation project. While studying, and later teaching at UNO, and then at Tulane University, McBride has continued the tradition of helping young artists develop a personal voice in music.

Check out part of his performance from Piano Night 2015 below: