Guitarist John Carey

About

John R. Carey is a seasoned musician with over four decades of experience in the music industry. He began his career in Chicago, where he performed with local blues bands and recorded with blues legends such as Koko Taylor, Floyd Taylor, Tyrone Davis and the Chi-Lites. John attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music and graduated from Wendell Phillips High School.

In 1984, John studied engineering under the direction of veteran studio engineer Steve Robertson while working at S. R. O. studios in Southern California. He went on to do freelance studio work for Interscope Records, programming beats for rappers and recording guitar for Young MC.
During COVID, John wrote and produced two CDs for Ronnie Moss, the tenor singer for The Spinners as well as two CDs for himself, The Journey Home and Positive Thinking. In 2023, John wrote and produced a new single for Ronnie Moss titled “Love is What You Make It” and is currently writing and producing three songs for recording artist Larry Braggs, formerly of Tower of Power. John has also written and produced 3 #1 singles for the disco queen in the U.K Ania Garvey wells.

From 2010 to 2020, John lived in Southern California, where he had the opportunity to open for major artists such as George Benson, Boney James, Dave Koz, Natalie Cole, Earth Wind and Fire, Ledisi, Warren Hill, Queen Latifah, Brian Culbertson and many more. John was asked to produce a special blues project for Smoke Free Cities, Inc. For this project he produced an eight (8) song CD of Blues and Americana, titled “Road To Nowhere”.
John has had the pleasure of being the opening act for the world-famous Guitars and Saxes smooth jazz concert series. This series was held at the famous McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, California. Morongo Casino hired John to develop and produce a smooth jazz series with radio station 94.7, “The Wave”, where John worked with Dave Koz, Warren Hill and many other recording artists.

In 2017 John was diagnosed with CLL (Chronic Leukemia Lymphoma) John was treated for CLL with Chemotherapy and is now in remission, but through all of that John has continued to perform and record. John has had 6 number one songs from the United Kingdom radio community while living here in the United States. John believes music and God has helped him heal and stay in remission.

From 2020 to 2024 John has been very busy doing professional shows from the west coast to the east coast. in the mist of all of that John has manage to produce several songs on other recording artist such as the queen of UK Soul Mrs Ania Garvey Wells. February of 2024 John has released his latest 10 song creation El Fuego (Fire) which shows his humble latino side. If you love Santana you're defiantly going to love john's new CD. Please check out 5 of the new songs from El Fuego here in this PPK.

As of July 7 2024 John and band had a sold out show at Atlantas premier hot spot St. James Live. The 90 minute set had people standing and asking for more.

John and the band has started putting together the songs for the new CD Grown Folks Music due out the end of 2024.

Press

Soul and Jazz and Funk.. U.K (external link)

The spirit of dear CURTIS MAYFIELD has always loomed large over soul music. Though he was taken from us far to early in 1999, his influence is still strong and his magical music is regularly recycled, re-mixed and referenced while many current artists are quick to offer their homages to the Gentle Genius.

Just last month veteran muso, James Holvay released his EP, ‘Working Man’ – an unashamed homage to the music of the Impressions and the whole glorious 60s Chicago soul scene. Now acclaimed Chicago guitarist JOHN CAREY has delivered his tribute to the great man with a wonderful 10 tracker simply called ‘A Tribute To Curtis Mayfield’.

Now “tribute” albums usually consists of an artist covering songs from their “tribute target’s” back catalogue, but like Holvay, Carey has written new songs albeit in the style and manner of Curtis. Now, where Holvay (mainly) referenced Curtis’ work with the Impressions, Carey has used his solo work as his reference point; each track seeks to replicate the spirit of Mayfield from a vocal, lyrical, topical and musical arrangement standpoint. He says; “My inspiration for writing this album was to challenge myself and capture the presence of Curtis Mayfield. Curtis Mayfield is an unsung musical genius. Most times when people speak of genius they would never put his name in that sentence, but as a songwriter with over 500 songs to his credit and all the things he wrote about and to have a career that was great in the sixties and people are still playing his music here in 2025 he had to be a genius.”

A quick glance at the songs titles tell you exactly where John Carey is coming from on this album; I mean we’ve got things like ‘It’s Alright’, ‘Keep On Keeping On’ and ‘Little Boy Blue’. Like all the album cuts, they’re new songs but redolent with the spirit of Curtis Mayfield – swirling rhythms, wah-wah guitars, energized bongos and that very special, almost fractured falsetto delivering music with a message. The focus track seems to be ‘Trapped’ but ‘Back in the Day’ is another highlight (though,oddly, it references ‘Cowboys To Girls’) – both are built from all the above ingredients and typical of the sound of the album which is out now and comes recommended!

Collectors, by the way, will already know John Carey. His 2011 album was ‘New Beginnings’ was well received – if you can check out the tracks ‘Step Show’ and ‘Groove To This’. Both feature his wife, Gina, with whom he’s worked extensively but ‘A Tribute To Curtis Mayfield’ shows a whole new side to John Carey!

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SoulTracks (external link)

(February 9, 2025) The typical tribute album consists of an artist remaking select songs from the catalog of some beloved artist. These covers can range from being loving renditions, totally out of the reimaginations, or something in between. But what listeners normally get are a tracklist of the biggest hits or noteworthy tunes and maybe one of two of the covering artist’s personal favorites.

Guitarist John Carey did not go that route when he released his homage to fellow Chicagoan, the legendary Curtis Mayfield. Carey opted to write and produce each song on A Tribute to Curtis Mayfield. Additionally, Carey played all the instruments and perform the vocals.

Each track, including “Trapped,” the cut featured in this First Listen, seeks to capture the spirit of Mayfield from a vocal, lyrical, topical and musical arrangement standpoint.

There are multiple Curtis Mayfields: There is artist who became the voice of The Impressions in the mid 1960s when Jerry Butler left the group to go solo, and gave us anthems like “People Get Ready” and sweet, soulful ballads such as “I’m So Proud.” There’s the Mayfield who went solo and dropped musical powerful social commentary such as “Hell Below” and toward the end of his life “Here But I’m Gone.” There is also the cinematic storyteller Mayfield who wrote the soundtrack to “Superfly.”

Carey notes, “My inspiration for writing this album was to challenge myself and capture the presence of Curtis Mayfield. Curtis Mayfield is an unsung musical genius. Most times when people speak of genius they would never put his name in that sentence, but as a songwriter with over 500 songs to his credit and all the things he wrote about and to have a career that was great in the sixties and people are still playing his music here in 2025 he had to be a genius.”

“Trapped” has the sound and feel of a cut that Mayfield could have been saving for another movie soundtrack. Carey captures the imagery of a man who runs in a futile attempt to escape something. He might be running from his past; he could be running from the police or trying to elude street justice. Maybe he’s trying to escape his personal demons. He could be running from all the above.

Whatever the case, Carey uses his buttery tenor to transform “Trapped” into the cinema of the mind. Check it out here.

By Howard Dukes

John

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I'll be the one is #1 again

N1M Charts | week 43, 2023

Hi John Carey & Soul Avenue !

Congratulations, Your song is #1 for Smooth Jazz in United States, California!

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I'll be the one

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#1 for Smooth Jazz in United States, California