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Veteran guitarist and singer-songwriter J.P. Reali has released his new original single “Obvious Reflections.” Set against a reggae-infused groove, “Obvious Reflections” is a politically charged song that was first written by Reali four decades ago. CLICK HERE to listen and CLICK HERE to watch the official music video.
“‘Obvious Reflections’ is a song I wrote while in college in Washington, D. C. in 1986 during the Reagan administration,” shares Reali. “It’s about the inequities of that era: racial, social, economic. All those things I wrote 40 years ago are relevant today, so it made sense to dust it off and give the song a fresh coat of paint just in time for the 2026 midterm elections.”
“Obvious Reflections” follows the recent release of Reali’s EP, Grateful Blues, his 6-song blues tribute to the Grateful Dead. Released at the end of July, Grateful Blues has been hailed as “a fresh spin on one of the Dead’s most enduring catalogs, filtering its freewheeling spirit through Reali’s longtime devotion to blues guitar” and as giving the songs “a renewed life in a new era for new ears.” The half-dozen Dead nuggets featured on Grateful Blues, including “Tennessee Jed,” “Loose Lucy” and “I Need A Miracle,” run the range – from early, blues-laden rarities to deeper album cuts to fan favorites – each reimagined in Reali’s own vernacular. Mixed and mastered by GRAMMY-nominated engineer Andy Kravitz and produced by Reali’s longtime friend and drummer Jim Larson, Grateful Blues is as unique a compilation as its creator, serving as a fitting tribute to the Grateful Dead itself. CLICK HERE to listen.
Raised in Long Island, New York on a steady stream of Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, and the blues, J.P. Reali always gravitated towards artists that alchemized it all into arena rock gold. Whether Jimi Hendrix, or Yes, or The Allman Brothers Band – and, of course, the Grateful Dead – Reali found overflowing founts of inspiration. He studied guitar, formed bands, played the blues, and chased his dreams. He also consumed dozens upon dozens of Dead shows in the 1980s while pulling double duty as an aspiring musician and audio engineering student at American University in Washington, DC. The obligations and opportunities of Reali’s life merged into a successful career as an audio engineer, working in recording studios alongside the greats and a tenured stint at the venerable Kennedy Center in the nation’s capital. Along the way, the now Delaware-based artist made records of his own, releasing numerous independent self-produced blues albums over the last nearly 20 years, including his most recent collection of original music 2024’s Blues Since Birth, and garnering widespread airplay.
