It is not uncommon to meet a jack-of-all-trades in metropolitan D.C. – after all, what fun would it be if we were all simply in politics? But the career of pianist-keyboardist – and D.C. native – Erik Deutsch makes the jack-of-all-trades type look boring. 
When I first met Deutsch, I was studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and he was touring with a seven-piece experimental jazz band aptly named after a Herbie Hancock tune, Fat Mama. The band members would stay at my house while rolling through North Carolina on tour, and ever since I have continued to follow Deutsch’s success.
Even though we are like family, it has not been easy keeping track of Deutsch’s work. In the years since we met, Deutsch has collaborated and performed with such well-known artists as Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash, Steven Bernstein, Trevor Dunn, and Erin McKeown, and his performance locations have been just as varied as his musical partners, including D.C. venues like State of the Union, Bossa, Iota and the Warner Theater. He has also performed extensively throughout Brooklyn (his current home base), in various European countries and other parts of the United States.
Fortunately for you and me, Deutsch will be appearing in the D.C. area over the coming months. On April 6th at the Recher Theatre, Deutsch will be performing with his childhood friend Shooter Jennings, who is best known to music lovers as the son of the infamous country superstar, Waylon Jennings. The two reconnected when Jennings relocated to New York City from Los Angeles last year, and soon after they formed the band, Shooter Jennings and the Triple Crown. Their recently-released record, Family Man, is a collaborative effort displaying Jennings’ development from “being young at heart – and a rock star – to becoming a Dad.” Although the album lists Jennings as song-writer, the band collaborates on all songs, which feature Southern clichés and sayings that draw from the band’s collective experiences.
If you cannot make the Recher show, check out the band’s appearance on the April 10th episode of the Late Show with David Letterman, their April 11th show on Imus in the Morning, and the April 12th taping of the View. They were on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno just last month.
Deutsch will then appear with fellow Washingtonian and talented songstress Alice Smith at The Howard Theatre on April 19th. Many of you may know her from past performances in D.C. with her significant other Citizen Cope. 
Not to be slowed down musically, Deutsch has also released Demonio Teclado with The Erik Deutsch Band, a funky record that draws inspiration from his recent travels through Spain and Mexico. Recorded last January, the album features an ensemble that includes Tony Mason, Benjamin Rubin, Jeff Hill, Brandon Seabrook, Glenn Taylor and Jon Gray – one of the members of Fat Mama. You can catch the band’s mix of psychedelic-soul-jazz when they perform at Bohemian Caverns on May 31st.
Like I said, Deutsch is a jack-of-all-trades and his musicality continues to flourish. I can promise you that he is a star you will want to follow.