ABOUT

Having first come to prominence as a member of the funk-jazz collective Fat Mama, pianist/composer Erik has taken his talents across the globe to play with some of the finest musicians alive. Born in Washington D.C. and currently a 13+ year resident of Brooklyn, NY, Erik exists in many musical worlds, performing and recording with jazz, pop, rock, bluegrass and country artists like The Black Crowes, Dixie Chicks, Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash, Citizen Cope, Charlie Hunter, Leftover Salmon, Shooter Jennings, Alice Smith, Shelby Lynne, Theo Bleckmann, Al Green, Jessi Coulter, Joe Russo, Allison Moorer, Phillip Phillips, Dori Freeman, Joey Arias, Devotchka, Erin McKeown, Scott Amendola, Teddy Thompson, Ben Allison, The Motet, Sam Bush, Allison Moorer, Daniel Rodriguez, Steven Bernstein, Hannah Cohen, James Blood Ulmer, Jessica Lurie, Ellery Eskelin, Billy Martin, Bobby Previte, Levon Helm, John Scofield, Phil Lesh, Jim Campilongo, Bill Kreutzman, Nels Cline, Todd Clouser, Jenny Scheinman, Scott Metzger, Elvis Perkins, John Leventhal, Tony Malaby, Bob DiPiero, Autre ne Veut, Greensky Bluegrass, Trevor Dunn, Allison Miller, Frally Hines, Del McCoury, Don Byron, Jeff Coffin, Jefferson Hamer, Chris Robinson, Greg Garing, Shawn Pelton, Lee Townsend, Skerik, Brandon Seabrook, Warren Haynes, Stuart Bogie, Stanton Moore, Karl Denson, Steve Berlin, Ron Miles, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Michael Blake, Anton Fier, Fruition, Sunny Ozell, Todd Sickafoose, Alto Reed, and Art Lande. 

Since 2022 Erik has been the full-time keyboardist for rock legends The Black Crowes. In their short time together, Erik has already performed on five different continents as well having been an integral musical contributor to the Grammy-nominated album Happiness Bastards (released March ’24). 

In 2016, Erik joined forces with Colorado polyethnic-cajun-slamgrass legendary band Leftover Salmon and was a full-time member until he departed to join the Dixie Chicks touring band in 2020. 

In 2011 Erik teamed with Shooter Jennings to tour and record two acclaimed records, Family Man and The Other Life.  From 2012-16, Erik played hundreds of shows with pop artist Citizen Cope; Deutsch's collaboration with indie pop artist Victoria Reed, including her albums Chariot and Aquadmadre, is ongoing and expanding. 

Deutsch holds the distinction of being the first keyboardist to tour with 7-string guitar master Charlie Hunter, touring from 2007 to 2009 and recording Mistico (2008) and Baboon Strength (2009).

2022 marked the release of Erik's 8th album as a leader, La Nuit Blanche on Ropeadope. His previous records include Live at Lunatico (2020), Falling Flowers (2018), Creatures (2016), Outlaw Jazz (2015) Demonio Teclado (2012), Hush Money (2009), and Fingerprint (2007).

Two additional 2020 releases in Erik’s catalog include Chrysanthemum (in collaboration with Spencer Zahn on Pique-nique Recordings) and a duo project with banjoist Andy Thorn: Tangled Sea by Deutsch & Thorn.

Erik was born in Washington D.C. in the fall of 1976. Influenced early by his grandfather (a professional musican), his father (a barroom pianist), and his opera-singing nanny, Erik headed to Vanderbilt University for Suzuki piano lessons at age 6 and never looked back. Upon arriving at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1995, Erik began studies with pianists Art Lande, Greg Dyes, and Robert Spillman. It wasn’t long before he formed Fat Mama. Members Joe Russo, Jonathan Goldberger, Kevin Kendrick, Jonti Siman, Jon Gray, and Brett Joseph are still frequent collaborators. 

After completing his degree from CU in piano performance, Erik stayed in Boulder, CO developing a busy career as a performer and teacher. He played frequently in an incredible variety of local musical situations spanning many genres and styles. County Road X, a cinematic americana ensemble, formed by Deutsch in 2001 and released two records: Self-titled (2002) and From Seed to Stone (2004). Triangle, a piano trio feat. Erik's mentor Art Lande on drums, released Three Sides to a Question in 2004.  

In the summer of 2005, Erik packed his things and moved shop to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he did everything you could possibly imagine and became a true New Yorker. Fast forward to 2019 for the biggest adventure yet: Erik and his wife Victoria Reed call the beautiful Colonia Roma Norte in Mexico City, MX their new home.

OTHER CREDITS

Erik has worked in film, advertising, television, and fashion, including collaborations with Dell Computers, Miller Lite, Kate Spade, Monique Lhuillier, and the films Begin Again, Trans, and the Curse of Don Sarducci. He has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with David Letterman, The View, The Ellen Show, Howard Stern, and Imus in the Morning. Career highlights include performances at performed at Carnegie Hall, Red Rocks Ampitheater, Lincoln Center, The Grand Ole Opry, The Apollo, and Madison Square Garden.