Focal Point Presents Jontavious Willis with special Guest: Ethan Leinwand March 30 2024

This young man put the entire sold out crowd at Focal Point in ABSOLUTE AWE this time just like he did last time!

Jontavious Willis is resolved in his mission: to reinvigorate today’s Blues with the spirit of the past. Inspired by a time when the Blues were plentiful and rhythm reigned supreme, Jontavious leverages his unique sound - a synthesis of his Georgia heritage and reverence for traditional Blues - to get the world dancing again. A Grammy-nominated musician and songwriter, Jontavious performs original, toe-tapping tunes in the style of Delta, Piedmont, Texas, and Gospel Blues. Dynamic vocals, technical prowess, and an abundance of Southern charm keep Jontavious sending jolts of vitality through the Blues community.

“Jontavious Willis. That’s my Wonderboy, the Wunderkind. He’s a great new voice of the 21st Century in the acoustic blues. I just love the way he plays. He has really just delightful timing and a real voice for the music because he was raised in the tradition and the culture. It’s just wonderful to hear him sing. The way he tunes his guitar is just amazing. There’s not a bluesman alive that could pick his instrument up and play it. You’d have to sit there for a good while to figure those tunings out. -Taj Mahal

Jontavious was born and raised in rural Georgia, an environment with deep cultural roots that provides the inspiration he has continuously drawn upon to create his unique sound. He spent much of his childhood singing Gospel music at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather, which provided him his first setting to perform for an audience. An early phenom, his passion for the Blues was sparked at age 14 when he came across a YouTube video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man.” He achieved widespread acclaim when living legend Taj Mahal invited Jontavious to accompany him onstage in 2015, with Taj describing him as his “Wonderboy.” Jontavious was invited to open for Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ during their joint TajMo tour in 2018, giving him an opportunity to present his work on a national stage.

Blue Metamorphosis, his acoustic debut album released in 2016, garnered rave reviews in Living Blues and Blues & Rhythm and won the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge 2018 Award for Best Self-Produced CD. His Grammy-nominated sophomore album, Spectacular Class, sees Jontavious survey an array of Blues styles with lively ensemble performances. Jontavious features prominently in solo shows and festivals across the world, sharing his unique blend of time-honored yet modern, intellectual yet danceable Blues with all.

Ethan Leinwand is a St. Louis-based pianist who specializes in barrelhouse blues. A mostly self-taught pianist, he is a student of the music, and delights in bringing this lost art to life. His unique repertoire stretches from ragtime to boogie-woogie and tells the story of blues piano. Through performances, workshops, and an active YouTube channel, Ethan has gained world-wide recognition as a leading exponent of barrelhouse blues piano.

Ethan was born and raised in Middletown, CT and graduated from Wesleyan University in 2005. He began his music career in 2009, performing in bars, restaurants and nightclubs in New York City. He moved to St. Louis, MO in 2014 - a town with deep piano blues and ragtime traditions - and began collaborating with vocalist Valerie Kirchhoff (Miss Jubilee, The St. Louis Steady Grinders) and guitarist Nick Pence (The Bottlesnakes). In addition, he performs regularly with Georgia bluesmen Jontavious Willis. He can be seen playing weekly in his hometown and in festivals across the United States and Europe.

Notable appearances include The Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Workshop (WA), The West Coast Ragtime Festival (CA), The Redwood Coast Music Festival (CA), The Savannah Music Festival (GA), The UK Boogie Festival, The Brooklyn Folk Festival (NY), The Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival (MO), The LaRoquebrou International Boogie-Woogie Festival (France), and The University of Chicago Folk Fest (IL).

*Barrelhouse Blues is a two-handed, visceral, style of folk piano that developed in the Black communities and work camps of the deep south and midwest United States. Thriving throughout the 1920s and 30s, the sound varied widely from region to region. The music contains elements of ragtime, boogie-woogie and early jazz - all with a low down blues feeling - and is designed, first and foremost, to keep ‘em dancing.