We’re a musical duo on a mission: to create intentional, soul-stirring music that uplifts, empowers, and unites. With every lyric and melody, we aim to help people feel seen, heard, and inspired to be their truest selves. Through the power of music and message, we believe in sparking positive change—one song at a time.
Daniel Leahy
pianist | vocalist | composer | producer | community organizer
Daniel discovered his musical gift at age four when he played a church organ piece entirely by ear. Growing up in a large, music-filled household, he sharpened his skills by playing along with his siblings’ jazz records. By 13, he was performing in local clubs with his sister Elizabeth’s band, The Castaways.
Soon after, Daniel toured nationally with artists including Donnie Sanders, Cheri St. James, Steve Grimm, Coleen Raye, and the Florida group Cloud Burst. He appeared on The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, performed at the Sahara in Las Vegas with the Christian Brothers, and completed two European tours with vocalist Joe Carter, the Intercontinental Ambassador of Peace. In Nashville, he collaborated with RCA artist Buck Finley and others.
As his career expanded, Daniel became a regular at jazz festivals, sharing the stage with Louie Benson, Clark “Mumbles” Terry, Hampton Hawes, and James Morrison. He also studied piano voicings with acclaimed jazz pianists Benny Green and Tamir Hendelman.
Influenced by legends such as Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones, Nat Cole, and Joe Sample, Daniel has forged a distinctive style rooted in classical jazz traditions. His playing blends clarity of tone with a deep love of harmony, often echoing the elegance of George Shearing and the melodic sensibilities of composers like Sergio Mendes, Paul Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, and Burt Bacharach.
Pippi Ardennia
vocalist | lyricist | producer | composer | community organizer
Praised by JazzPolice.com for her “big, soulful voice,” Pippi Ardennia is a singer and storyteller whose music is soulful, seductive, bluesy, funky, swinging, and always heartfelt. “She makes you feel,” notes Andrea Canter of JazzInk.
A Chicago native, Pippi began singing at 13 and has spent more than 35 years performing in top Chicago venues including Burning Spear, Mr. Kelly’s, Rosebud on Rush, Green Dolphin, and the Chicago Symphony Center. Since moving to Minnesota, she has become a Twin Cities favorite, appearing at the Dakota Jazz Club, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival for eight years, and co-producing the acclaimed PipJazz Sundays at the Historic Landmark Center.
She has performed for Bill Clinton, Tony Bennett, and Liza Minnelli, and shared the stage with Freddie Hubbard, George Freeman, and Billy Branch. Her recordings include Black Coffee (2005) and Love So Good (2013), featuring jazz, soul, and original compositions.
Beyond performing, Pippi leads the PipJazz Foundation and Youth program, producing concerts and mentoring young artists. She founded the PipJazz Women in Jazz Workshop, honored by Minnesota Women’s Press as a 2013 “Changemaker” for empowering female musicians and students.
“Pippi is a cross between Cassandra Wilson and a hurricane,” says Grammy-winning producer Andre Fischer. Ricky Peterson adds, “Her unique style, with hints of Carmen McRae and Billie Holiday, will knock you out.”
