AJ Ghent is carrying the instrument, and the soul, of those
who came before him – but in a most modern way. It’s true
that the lap steel guitar has been the electrified ghost of
Mississippi’s Delta Blues, and the inspiration for the fiery
‘sacred steel’ tradition of Florida’s Pentecostal worship
services, for over a century, but when that lap steel is
turned on its side and strapped on like a futuristic-looking
guitar-shaped rocket ship, the instrument takes on a whole
new dimension.
AJ’s debut release, Live At Terminal West (Blue Corn Music),
is a CD/DVD package that showcases a sound, and a show, that
is entirely his own. This double-treat package is a testament
to both his mind-boggling guitar skills and infectious
enthusiasm as a performer. AJ’s contagious passion for the
music he loves has fans jumping to their feet, unsure if they
are at a revival tent or a rock show - but loving every
minute of it.
AJ Ghent was born in Fort Pierce, Florida to a family rich in
musical history. “Everything in our house was music,” Ghent
recalls of his upbringing. His great uncle, Willie Eason, was
among those popularizing gospel lap steel during the early
1900s, and his father, Aubrey Ghent, currently tours
worldwide playing steel guitar for the Slide Brothers.
While still young, AJ discovered the lap steel guitar
himself. “Witnessing my father and grandfather play in church
and perform gospel music inspired me, and the freedom of the
instrument put me somewhere I had never been.”
Ready to take on the world as a professional musician, AJ
left his hometown and dove headfirst into the music scene of
West Palm Beach, FL where he honed his performance skills
nightly in a cover band. “I hit the stage immediately after
graduation,” AJ recalls.
AJ spent his nights in West Palm Beach exploring a colorful
range of genres from hip hop to R&B, but he still sought a
style of his own. His time with the group solidified his love
for entertaining, but the drive for further musical
definition led him to Atlanta, GA.
Quickly carving his niche in the Atlanta scene, AJ started
gigging at local jam sessions and was quickly noticed by
Atlanta legend Col. Bruce Hampton, the eclectic
singer/guitarist who has mentored many musicians including
Derek Trucks and Widespread Panic. AJ joined the group, began
honing his signature steel guitar sound and learned the value
of breaking convention. “One of the things Col. Bruce
appreciated was the fact that I was very spontaneous. He
pushed that out of me and showed me that it’s okay to just
get on stage without everything planned out. That’s what the
AJ Ghent Band lives by now.”
AJ soon decided he wanted to pursue a new sound that blended
his love for soul, old-school R&B, and rock, along with the
accessibility of a cover band and the experimental flair of
Col. Bruce Hampton. But he couldn’t start his solo project
without adding a twist to the instrumentation. AJ took it
upon himself to overhaul the lap steel aesthetic. “I started
out on a standard six-string lap steel guitar, then I moved
to a steel guitar. After that I found myself wanting to still
try something different, so I started standing up playing lap
steel and then found myself admiring the look of traditional
guitar players. I wanted people to relate to that. That’s how
I came up with the design of an eight-string lap steel and
Telecaster guitar hybrid.”
With the help of his wife MarLa and sister Tiffany, on
backing vocals, AJ put the band together from a roster of
Atlanta’s finest: Seth Watters on bass, Gary Paulo on
saxophone/guitar and Will Groth on drums. The newly formed AJ
Ghent Band began gigging around Atlanta with a fresh energy
and desire to spread the love of music.
Almost immediately the group attracted fans, and one of those
fans happened to be country icon Zac Brown. He was so
impressed with AJ and his band that he invited them to tour
as support with the Zac Brown Band on their 2013 national
tour.
Overnight the AJ Ghent band went from being Atlanta’s best
kept secret to an act opening for one of country music’s
biggest stars. Luckily the AJ Ghent Band’s sound transcends
genre so, as AJ says, “Going out in front of those country
crowds was an entirely new experience, but by the end of the
sets people were screaming for us.”
AJ has already caught the attention of A-list musicians
currently on the scene. He has performed alongside Gov’t Mule
and The Allman Brothers, opened for Robert Cray and laid down
tracks for Zac Brown’s 2013 Grohl Sessions Vol. 1 as one of
three guest artists alongside Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and
bassist Oteil Burbridge (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Allman
Brothers Band).
Live at Terminal West features the AJ Ghent Band at full
capacity on all-new, original material. It is equal parts jam
session, charismatic showmanship and – most importantly – a
group of talented individuals achieving a sound far greater
than the sum of its parts. AJ and his high-energy band,
complete with soulful relations on backing vocals, blends the
electrifying spirit of funk, gospel and blues into a sound
that is purely modern rock and roll.
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