Celebration of New Orleans Mardi Gras with Dom Pipkin’s Ikos

“the best New Orleans band never to come from Louisiana”

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Last Show: Tuesday 21 st February 2023

PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)

Celebrate New Orleans Mardi Gras with Dom Pipkin’s Ikos - “the best New Orleans band never to come from Louisiana” - Rocking Magpie

A unique British band influenced by the funk and R'n'B of New Orleans. Blues in Britain magazine calls band leader and songwriter Dom Pipkin “one for the worlds greatest exponents of New Orleans piano”. Pipkin’s piano work has been recognised internationally and he makes regular appearances across Europe and America alongside some of the biggest names on the scene, sharing stages with the late Allen Toussaint and Dr John. The full band featuring some of the UKs finest talent mixes tough street rhythms with highly infectious song writing and “leaves the audience dancing and clapping for me” – Classic Rock Blues. Zigaboo Modeliste, of The Meters says “Dom brings the whole New Orleans thing to the UK. So good!” and Paul Jones on BBC Radio 2’s Blues Show declaimed that the Ikos are “lighting up the British blues and RnB world”. The Ikos promise a night of Mardi Gras classics. Infectious and life-affirming rhythms of New Orleans, the music of Dr John, Lee Dorsey, Fats Domino and more, all in a partylike atmosphere alongside the bands gritty and funky original grooves.

“When Dom plays the piano magic happens” – Paloma Faith

“One of the worlds’s finest exponents of the music of New Orleans…. a true piano talent” Blues In Britain magazine

Pipkin has travelled the world as Musical Director to acts such as Paloma Faith, as long-term keyboard player to Morcheeba, with Paul Weller, Laura Mvula, Ray Davies and Pee Wee Ellis to name just a few, but has always kept a close connection to New Orleans, where he is a regular visitor and performer. He has shared the stage with fellow piano stars Allen Toussaint, Jon Cleary, and Ellis Marsalis at the prestigious “Piano Night” in New Orleans. He broadcasted more than 120 shows from his home during Lockdown. Pipkin’s fans and friends range from New Orleans musicians Zigaboo Modeliste, Paul Sanchez and Jon Cleary through to Jonathan Ross, Paul Weller, Paloma Faith, David Arnold, and Jamie Cullum.

“A great piano player” Andy Kershaw

“Dom Pipkin flails the organ to within a millimetre of Jimmy Smth and just dig that almighty piano.”
Straight No Chaser magazine (Max Reinhardt)

“A genius” James Bond composer, David Arnold

“I can’t hold a candle to this guy. He’s a great piano player”
Jamie Cullum, live on Radio 2

Dom Pipkin (piano)

Mirco Altenbach (saxophone)

Trevor Walker (trumpet)

Nick Pini (bass)

Jimmy Norden (drums)