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Welcome back, VibeSeekers. You're listening to

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Shecky's Jam Bands, where we dive deep into music

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that makes you forget what day of the week it

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is. I'm your host Shecky, and today we're talking

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about a group that proves soul isn't just a genre,

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it's a physical requirement. We're reviewing

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John Sullivan Band. All right, let's talk about

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the origin story. You might think that every

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jam band starts in a dorm room filled with incense

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and lava lamps, but John Sullivan's path was

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a bit more, let's call it, athletic. John was

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actually a high level baseball player who hung

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up his cleats and the piano he played since age

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four to chase a professional ball career in the

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Picos League. But the music siren called him

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back while playing independent pro ball in Colorado,

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he picked up a guitar to make some extra cash

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and bars, mostly playing Jack Johnson covers

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to tourists. Eventually he traded the pitcher's

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mound for the full stage, full time. Heading

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back east to assemble a crew of New England's

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finest veterans. The band formed as a powerhouse

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ensemble of soulful guitar, sultry keyboards,

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and a rhythm section that hits like a freight

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train. Alright, let's talk about a name. Keeping

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it simple is a lost art in the jam world where

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bands are named things like The Funky Collective

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or something like that. John went the classic

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route. John Sullivan Band. Why? Because when

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you have a voice that's been described as silky

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yet powerful, you don't need a gimmick. It's

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a what you see is what you get situation. Though

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John jokingly admits he initially hated the piano

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his mom forced him to learn. Lucky for us he

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didn't name the band My Mom Made Me Do This.

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Okay, if you're a newbie to the John Sullivan

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band and you want to understand why these guys

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are a staple of the Northeast scene, start with

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this one track often at the top of their live

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set lists. The track is Patience and Faith. It's

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a psychedelic, tinged rocker that lets the band

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stretch their legs. It's a fan favorite because

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of the acid -soaked riffs and the way it transitions

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from a tight groove into an improvisational exploration.

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It's the music equivalent of a scenic detour

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that ends up being better than the destination.

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Some unique and fun facts. The voice connection.

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If John looks familiar, it's because he had a

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successful run on NBC's The Voice. He credits

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the show with rolling him a bit faster into the

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public eye, though he's since focused on creative

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discovery of the jam scene rather than the pop

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charts. The sixth string replacement. John actually

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stopped playing music entirely at age of 17 to

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focus on baseball. He didn't even pick up a guitar

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until his 20s. It turns out being a walk -on

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at Charlotte baseball is great training for walking

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onto a stage and improvising a 10 -minute solo.

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His studio obsession. Despite their reputation,

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the band is meticulous in the studio. They recently

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released a cover of Brett Cobb's Keep Him On

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Their Toes to kick off 2026, showing they can

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play the thoughtful songwriter card just as well

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as the face -melting jam card. Whether you're

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a fan of blues rock or just someone who appreciates

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a guy who can hit a curveball and a high C, the

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John Sullivan band is a must -add to your rotation.

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That's it for this week. Keep the vibes high

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and the solos long. See you in the front row.

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This is Shecky's Jam Bands signing out.