River Eckert (b. October 9, 2009) is a 16-year-old pianist and vocalist born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. From a very young age, River has been surrounded by music. Immersed in the styles of legends such as Professor Longhair, James Booker, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Fats Domino, and Art Neville, among others, he is passionate about and dedicated to “carrying the torch” of the New Orleans piano tradition. Coming from a musical family, River began playing piano at the age of three. Initially studying classical music, his teachers eventually encouraged him to explore blues and jazz, recognizing his natural ability to quickly grasp those styles. Today, River sings and plays in both solo piano and full-band settings, rapidly gaining local, national, and international popularity. River recently completed his debut studio album, which was released in April 2026. Collaborators on this project include George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville, Terence Higgins, Cornell Williams, Raymond Weber, John Fohl, and others. His debut single, "Pass That Torch" (feat. Ivan Neville), was released in October 2024, followed by his second single, "Hey Hey Hey (Fi Nah Nay)" in February 2025, and a third, "Painting Pictures," in April 2025. He has also been featured in several Playing for Change video recordings and has been involved in helping score a documentary film about New Orleans. Recently, River and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews performed together as a duo for the inauguration of New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno. Further cementing his rising acclaim, River was recently honored with the "Emerging Artist Award" from the High Sierra Foundation at the High Sierra Music Festival 2026. River’s live performance schedule remains full, and he has just confirmed his first performances in Europe for the summer of 2026. Despite his youth, River has already had the privilege to perform and record with an extraordinary roster of notable artists, including Taj Mahal, Trombone Shorty, Oteil Burbridge, George Porter Jr., Cyril Neville, Irma Thomas, Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore, Pedrito Martínez, Eric Krasno, Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith (Dawes), Anders Osborne, Luther Dickinson, Cory Henry, Nikki Glaspie, Fred Wesley, Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr., The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Adam Deitch, Raymond Weber, Terence Higgins, Tony Hall, Jennifer Hartswick, Big Sam Williams, Craig Robinson, and Bill Murray. Additionally, he has performed at many prestigious venues and events, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Jam Cruise, French Quarter Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, NOLA Funk Festival, Hogs for the Cause, WWOZ Piano Night, Park City Song Summit, Brooklyn Bowl, Tipitina’s, Maple Leaf Bar, Garcia’s Chicago, Saenger Theatre, Orpheum Theater, Civic Theater, Joy Theater, and House of Blues, as well as media appearances on the WWL Morning Show, WWOZ Radio, and Fox 8 News.