Conal Fowkes is a GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist, double-bassist, vocalist, arranger and teacher. His skills and expertise cover diverse fields of music: traditional jazz, swing, post-bop—plus everything from Salsa to Son Cubano and Latin jazz.
Photography by Magdalena Grabarek (@mrs_maggie_shaw)
“Conal Fowkes is truly a unique talent, being able to arrange and play piano in the style of early American creators of jazz such as Jelly Roll Morton. There are very few pianists in the United States who have mastered the early styles such as Mr. Fowkes.”
- - - Bob Erdos, owner/producer of Stomp Off Records
About
To this date, Fowkes has performed in 34 countries and has over 40 recordings to his name.
New York
In 1996, Fowkes landed in New York and since has performed in 48 states at premier concert halls and celebrated jazz clubs including: the Blue Note, Birdland, Lincoln Center, Algonquin Hotel, Feinstein’s, Rainbow Room, Smalls Jazz Club, Town Hall, Village Vanguard, World Trade Center, Yoshi’s (CA), Blues Alley (DC) and The Kennedy Center (DC).
He’s performed with: Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Bette Midler, Bob Wilber, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Bucky Pizzarelli, Cheo Feliciano, Chocolate Armenteros, Cyro Baptista, Danny Aiello, Gene Bertoncini, Houston Person, Johnny Pacheco, The Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Marion McPartland, Orquesta Tipica Novel, Paquito D’Rivera, Ray Santos Big Band, Romero Lubambo, and Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks Orchestra.
He was a featured soloist in the hit Broadway show, One Mo' Time.
For 21 years, Conal played a weekly engagement with Woody Allen at the renowned Cafe Carlyle.
London
In 1988, HRH Princess Margaret presented him with the award for College Student Allmusician of the Year at the International Wavendon Allmusic Competition. In London, Fowkes performed with: Adalberto Santiago, Alfredo Rodriguez, Cleo Laine, George Chisholm, Henry Fiol, Jesus Alemani, John R.T. Davies, Johnny Dankworth, Nigel Kennedy, Patato Valdes, Roberto Pla, Stacey Kent, and Steve Turre.
Beginnings
Born in Zambia and having spent most of his early childhood in Mexico, Fowkes moved to England in 1971. His classical studies gained him a place at the world-renowned Royal College of Music (London) where he studied with legendary concert pianist Yonty Solomon and privately with the Cuban Maestro Chucho Valdes.
TV & Film
Fowkes has made many radio and TV appearances: Garrison Keillor’sA Prairie Home Companion and the Rosie O’Donnell Show. He can be heard and/or seen in the films Finding Forrester, Ghost World, Lipstick On Your Collar, Madame Suzatska, Proud, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, and five-time Oscar winnerThe Aviator.
He is featured in the PBS documentary Sound Revolution presented by Morgan Freeman and can be seen on the DVDs Live at Montreux Jazz Festival (with Eddy Davis, Wycliff Gordon and Evan Christopher), Live at the Campidoglio (with Woody Allen) and Live in Barcelona (with Eddy Davis).
Fowkes' partnership with Woody Allen has spanned three decades. He’s featured on the soundtrack of Allen’s film You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (‘10) and plays the voice and piano of Cole Porter in the Oscar winning film Midnight in Paris (‘11) for which the soundtrack received a Grammy. He’s featured playing the theme Blue Moon in Allen’s Blue Jasmine (‘13) and plays in Magic In The Moonlight (‘14), Cafe Society (‘16) and A Rainy Day In New York (‘19).
Today
Aside from a busy freelance career, Fowkes co-leads the Woody Allen New Orleans Jazz Band and the High Society New Orleans Jazz Band at their residency at the world-renowned Birdland Jazz Club. He is musical director for award winning Cuban group Los Soneros de Oriente and tours regularly with Grammy nominated Latin group The New Swing Sextet. He performs regularly with his trio and as a soloist.
