A Conversation with John Ginty - 2 -Time Grammy Nominated Musician & MHS Class of 1990

Tallying over three decades of performances onstage, hundreds of recording sessions, and countless hours behind the studio console, John Ginty is among the most trusted professionals in today’s music industry. As a bandleader, musical director, keyboard player, and producer, Ginty’s multifaceted career is defined by collaborations with some of the more successful artists ever- Santana, the (Dixie) Chicks, and Robert Randolph, to name a few- as well as by his integral collaborations with niche artists such as Citizen Cope, Whiskeytown, Duane Betts, and Neal Casal. A Grammy-winner, the New Jersey native-now Florida transplant- has also helmed his own John Ginty Band, supporting a slate of acclaimed releases.

Ginty started as a drummer in school bands, then learned vibraphone and piano. In 1991, he brought home his first Hammond B-3 organ, embracing a lineage tracing back to his grandmother; herself, a professional organist. A founding member of Robert Randolph’s Family Band- during which he garnereda pair of Grammy nominations, while backing The Blind Boys of Alabama’s Grammy-winning effort, Higher Ground- Ginty rode a quick rise to stardom.

Since then, he’s fostered an ongoing creative relationship for nearly 30 years with Citizen Cope, playing on a slew of Cope albums and leading Cope’s touring ensemble as his musical director; on occasion, Cope’s utilized Ginty’s formal training in arrangement- with Ginty crafting string parts for the celebrated solo artist. Ginty, as well, has served as an ace session player with Ryan Adams’ Whiskeytown, and as a touring keyboardist with Jewel, running the gamut of appearances on the daytime and late-night TV show circuit, including a spot on SNL. In 2016-17, he toured the world with the Dixie Chicks.

Dozens of credits dot Ginty’s ever-lengthy discography. As a mixing engineer and producer, Ginty’s efforts behind the boards have been informed by years of invaluable tutelage from award-winning producers, Jim Scott and Ben Elliot, among others. Most recently, Ginty produced a posthumous tribute to Neal Casal (Ryan Adams), as well as Duane Betts’ solo LP debut. In addition to his work with Citizen Cope, he’s served as the musical director for the annual Allman Family Revival tour; a cross-country trek featuring over two dozen artists performing different sets from a changing and diverse repertoire each
show.

As a solo artist leading the John Ginty Band, he has released four albums over the group’s tenure, including Bad News Travels- with guests Warren Haynes and Neal Casal- and 2016’s Rockers, which earned a Top 10 spot on Billboard’s Blues chart. Balancing his expertise as a musical tactician with his wildly creative playing, Ginty has been a welcomed guest onstage, as well, with a few of improvisational rock’s royalty, including the Grateful Dead’s Bobby Weir, and The Allman Brothers Band.

Though he’s accumulated so much praise and so many rewards as a touring musician, Ginty’s focus now has shifted to his work as a producer and mixing engineer. “I just want to continue to make hit records,” Ginty says. “I feel like it’s my time.”

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