The fact that I am a lifelong Deadhead cannot be denied. I spent my summers from 2016 to 2019 chasing every Dead and Company show I could catch. JGB, Oteil and Friends; you name it. If it was in the realm of the Dead, I was certainly going to be there.
Because of that, when I heard that blues musician J.P. Reali was prepping to release an album loaded with his own renditions of Grateful Dead fan favorites and classic cuts, I was immediately interested.
The EP, titled Grateful Blues, kicks off with a chugging, organ laced, laid back take on “Easy Wind,” from Workingman’s Dead. The keys are phenomenal, and the lead licks are smooth and lean in heavily to the Dead’s very obvious blues roots.
Up next the band moves into From The Mars Hotel’s “Loose Lucy;” moving and grooving into funkier territory, while still holding down that swinging blues energy J.P. brings.
J.P.’s vocals fit so well on “West LA Fadeaway,” a sensible take on one of my all time favorite Dead tunes.
We get some light rockabilly swing as we fall into “I Need A Miracle.” Admittedly one of my less enjoyed Dead tunes, J.P. brings a grit to this track that has given me a new liking to a song I once dreaded as it appeared on setlists.
One of my favorite tracks (especially throughout the Europe ‘72 run) will always be “Mr. Charlie.” The slow cry of the slide brings a really fun and unique twist to a favored song.
The EP wraps up with, in my opinion, the most unique take we receive. J.P.’s take on “Tennessee Jed” is odd, but it’s fitting, and respectable. While I enjoy it, it feels like an odd way to wrap up the tracklist, but that is strictly personal.
All in all J.P. and his band bring a classy and refreshing twist to a great set of songs by one of America’s truest gems, and I find that respectable on its own.
Favorite Tracks
“Mr. Charlie”
“West L.A.Fadeaway”
Tracklist
Easy Wind
Loose Lucy
West L.A. Fadeaway
I Need A Miracle
Mr. Charlie
Tennessee Jed
J.P.’s Band
J.P. Reali (vocals, guitars)
Jim Larson (drums, percussion),
Rich Budesa (keyboards)
Monty Cullum (bass)
Connect With J.P. Reali
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