2014 – American Showplace
Music
By Phillip Smith;
Jan 24, 2015
John Ginty’s
latest album, Bad News Travels Live,
is an electrified bowl of funky blues., New Jersey B-3 master Ginty recorded this twelve track, two
disc album this past June, in front of a small audience, at Showplace Studios, in Dover NJ. His band is composed of guitarist Mike Buckman, bass player Paul Kuzik, and drummers, Dan Fadel and Andrei Koribanics. Joining Ginty was a superstar cast of guest musicians
consisting of Albert Castiglia, Todd Wolfe, Chris Jacobs, Alexis P.
Suter, and Jimmy Bennett.
Saturated with a suitcase
full of soul, Ginty’s playing
reminds me so much of Booker T Jones. Dripping of Sixties-era Memphis soul music, “Switch”
emits a wave of encompassing good vibrations. “Arrivals” follows suit and
continues the vibe.
Tempos and moods both change when
“Black Cat” comes around. This
slow-cooked blues tune, turns into a furious dueling jam between Albert Castiglia’s nitro-fueled guitar
licks and Ginty’s ‘too hot to handle’
B-3 sounds. Castiglia appears again for the Allman Brothers flavored tune, “Damage Control”. Also lending a hand on that track is guitarist
Chris Jacobs and singer Alexis P. Suter, who wonderfully belts
out the lyrics with her amazingly deep trademark voice. Suter also
sings on the soulful R&B song, “Seven and the Spirit”. I like the way it playfully closes out with a homage
to both Otis Redding and The Blues Brothers, giving us a little taste
of “I Can’t Turn You Loose”.
“Rock Ridge” embodies the spirit
of the late Frank Zappa, with its unique
chord progressions and fascinating tempo changes. A flawless guitar performance from Todd Wolfe and an awe-inspiring display
of Ginty’s musical chops, make this
a favorite.
I like how the entire cast is
gathered together for the finale, “Trinity”.
This jam lasts nearly nine minutes in length, and leaves the listener
uplifted, much the same way one would expect to feel exiting an old-time gospel
tent revival. It certainly leaves me
with a smile on my face. Bad News Travels Live is definitely one
of the better live recordings I've heard in a while.
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