Jon Gindick

Love At The All Night Café

Independent

Jon Gindick was born in California. In the 1960’s influenced by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he acquired his first guitar and harmonica. Gindick attended the University of California at Berkley where he began playing music. After graduation Gindick tried writing short stories and novels, but wound up writing songs and teaching harmonica. In the mid 70’s Gindick wrote his first harmonica instruction book and packaged it with a recording and a Hohner harmonica. Ten years later Gindick wrote his best selling book and cassette “Country and Blues Harmonica for the Musically Hopeless”, his songs were both infectious and funny and he sold over a million copies with help from Cracker Barrel Restaurants and the Home Shopping Network. In 2001 Gindick created the Blues Harmonica Jam Camp so his students could spend more time learning. In 2010 Gindick met multi-instrumentalist/producer Ralph Carter and released his all original album “When We Die, We All Come Back As Music”.

“Love At The All Night Café” is Gindick’s sophomore album. Gindick, harmonica, guitar and vocals; is joined again by producer Carter, bass, keyboards, guitars, percussion and background vocals; Pete Gallagher, drums and background vocals; and guitarist Franck “Paris Slim” Goldwasser famous for his own 2007 Delta Groove album “Bluju” and for his years with The Mannish Boys.

The opener “I Was Born To Wail” serves as both an introduction to Gindick’s hilarity and as a tribute to those harp players who came before him. The first verse is about Little Walter, the second about Sonny Boy, also mentioned are Sonny Terry, Big Walter, Jimmy Reed and Howlin’ Wolf. As the song progresses “He Was Born To Wail” changes to reflect that he too was born to wail.

“Feeling Her Gone” features a soulful Memphis groove with some nice guitar from Goldwasser and the lyric “I don’t need no woman, but she left too soon, suddenly feeling her gone” with the band echoing the last line. “Baby’s Got The Blues”, “again and there’s nothing I can do, I’d do anything ‘cause baby’s got the blues”. The title track, “The All Night Café” features a Latin vibe with some fine piano from Carter and Gindick’s cha-cha styled harp and amusing narrative “you’ll get twenty-four hour service at the all night café”.

Two more favorites are “Load Me Up Baby”, “load me up with love”, again featuring Goldwasser; and the swinging “Happy Wife, Happy Life, Happy Home…”, “even though it costs some dough, spend all your money on your ever lovin’ honey”.

Throughout the recording Gindick’s harp is full of energy. His humorous songs are quite refreshing. This is a fun recording from Gindick that can be shared with your loved ones.

Richard Ludmerer