Article Contributed by Press Here Publicity
Published on 2026-07-31
Veteran guitarist and singer-songwriter J.P. Reali has released his new EP, Grateful Blues, a six-song blues tribute to the Grateful Dead.
The collection includes the previously released singles “I Need a Miracle” and “West L.A. Fadeaway,” along with the new focus track “Loose Lucy.” The EP arrives just ahead of Jerry Garcia’s birthday on August 1, making it a fitting gift from a lifelong Deadhead.
Listen to Grateful Blues on digital platforms HERE. The EP is also available on CD HERE.
“I am extremely excited for my contribution to the universe of Grateful Dead music to be available around the globe for everyone to enjoy,” Reali shares.
The six Grateful Dead songs featured on Grateful Blues range from early blues-based rarities and deeper album cuts to longtime fan favorites. Each has been reimagined in Reali’s own musical language. Following the adventurous spirit of the band that inspired the project, Reali set out to create fresh and unconventional versions of these decades-old songs.
Reali first introduced the project with his interpretation of “I Need a Miracle,” originally released on the Grateful Dead’s 1978 album Shakedown Street. Keeping with the spirit of blues guitar greats, Reali transforms the Bob Weir-penned song with a Stevie Ray Vaughan-style Texas shuffle and a brief nod to the Dead classic “Bertha.”
The follow-up single, “West L.A. Fadeaway,” is the only song on the EP that did not originate in the 1970s. Reali recasts it as a smooth, minor-key blues in the tradition of B.B. King, providing ample room for his expressive guitar work.
“Loose Lucy,” originally a funky twist from 1974’s From the Mars Hotel, becomes a full-bodied rocker highlighted by strong call-and-response piano breaks.
“Easy Wind,” rooted in the Grateful Dead’s early folk-blues sound, is tightened into a three-chord firecracker. On “Mr. Charlie,” Reali pays tribute to Delta blues pioneer Robert Johnson and the traditions that helped shape American roots music.
The EP concludes with “Tennessee Jed,” featuring a nod to Piedmont blues and Bob Weir’s distinctive rhythmic approach.
Recorded at Turtle Studios in Philadelphia, Grateful Blues was mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Andy Kravitz and produced by Reali’s longtime friend and drummer Jim Larson.
Reali performs vocals and guitar throughout the EP, joined by Larson on drums and percussion, Rich Budesa on keyboards, and Monty Cullum on bass. The result is a deeply personal tribute that honors the Grateful Dead while allowing each song to take on a new life.
Reali and his bandmates will celebrate the release of Grateful Blues, as well as Jerry Garcia’s birthday, with a hometown-area performance on Saturday, August 1, at Dew Point Brewing in Yorklyn, Delaware.
For Reali, the connection to the Grateful Dead began nearly five decades ago when he noticed a bumper sticker inside a Long Island record store. The message read, “On the Eighth Day God Created the Grateful Dead.”
To Reali’s teenage mind, the sticker felt like a message from the musical universe. He was hooked.
Raised on Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, and the blues, Reali gravitated toward artists who blended those traditions with expansive rock music. Jimi Hendrix, Yes, The Allman Brothers Band, and the Grateful Dead all became major sources of inspiration.
He studied guitar, formed bands, played the blues, and attended dozens of Grateful Dead concerts throughout the 1980s while studying audio engineering at American University in Washington, D.C.
His interests eventually developed into a successful career as an audio engineer, including work in recording studios and a long tenure at the Kennedy Center.
Now based in Delaware, Reali has continued creating music of his own. Over the past two decades, he has released three independent, self-produced blues albums. Grateful Blues follows his 2024 album, Blues Since Birth, which featured original material and received widespread radio airplay.
Grateful Blues Track Listing
1. Easy Wind
2. Loose Lucy
3. West L.A. Fadeaway
4. I Need a Miracle
5. Mr. Charlie
6. Tennessee Jed
