A.J. Croce | Myriad Artists

A.J. Croce |

A.J. Croce is a multi-instrumentalist roots-rock artist, known for his boogie-woogie piano playing reminiscent of Dr. John. AJ has recorded eight studio albums for both major and indie labels in 23 years as a professional artist and musician. His music incorporates pop, blues, folk, and jazz, and has charted on seven radio charts including Top 40. He’s shared the stage with many notable artists including James Brown, Willie Nelson, Bela Fleck, co-written songs with greats like Leon Russell, and been produced by legends like the late Allen Toussaint. A.J. has appeared on many television shows including Good Morning America and The Tonight Show.

"A.J. Croce has wisdom beyond his years. With his music, he represents his generation with a profound sense of honesty in his lyrics and quality in his delivery. The future of entertainment is safe in his hands!" - Willie Nelson.

Featured Audio

ONE ON ONE: A.J. Croce March 22nd, 2014 City Winery New York Full Session

Song Medley Finale - A.J. Croce w/ Michael Bizar - 8/9/2013 - San Francisco, CA

A.J. Croce "Momentary Lapse Of Judgement"

A.J. Croce & Michael Bizar - Texas Ruby

Let's Go Get Stoned - A J Croce - Live

Hung Up (On You) - A.J. Croce - Live in Tokyo 2016

A.J. Croce - Cures Just Like Medicine (101.9 KINK)

A.J. Croce and the Alluring Ajettes -Take me to the Pilot

A.J. Croce Live at the Mint on The Time is Up

A.J. Croce - Interview (101.9 KINK)

AJ Croce "The Call of Love" Live at Anthology San Diego

AJ Croce at Alberta Rose Theatre

AJ Croce - One and Only

According to Willie Nelson, “A.J. Croce has wisdom beyond his years. With his music, he represents his generation with a profound sense of honesty in his lyrics and quality in his delivery. The future of entertainment is safe in his hands!”

Some artists are afforded the chance to tell their personal stories as they see fit, at a particular moment when they know the time has come. But for many, there is no choice — the story emerges hardwired to the music and they become forever identified with it no matter how their story may evolve or change.

A.J. Croce has been inextricably linked to a version of his own story by virtue of his name. He’s experienced a lifetime of comparisons to a father he lost at age two, whose music bears little resemblance to his own output yet still serves as a reference point despite the years that have passed and the many iconic mentors who have stepped in to offer their counsel, creativity, and endorsement throughout his long career.

It’s curious that it now feels necessary to include the reference, as enough time has passed that a new generation of tastemakers and journalists might not know who Jim Croce was — that he was a golden-voiced everyman, a singer-songwriter-guitarist who died too soon, leaving one of pop music’s most beautiful and memorable ballads (written about a young A.J.) in his wake.

Croce the younger, on the other hand, is a piano man, first and foremost, and a vocal stylist second. His muted growl pulls from a host of American traditions and anti-heroes — it’s part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul, but somehow evokes New York, a continuum where John Lurie meets Lou Reed. He is further a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, driven by a personal muse, informed by a life on a boomerang of tragedy.

His gritty and accomplished ninth studio album, produced by legendary soul singer-songwriter and producer Dan Penn, is the latest and arguably greatest effort yet. Penn, of course, is writer of such hits as “The Dark End of the Street,” “Cry Like a Baby,” “I’m Your Puppet” and “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” and producer of the Box Tops’ “The Letter,” as well as songs and recordings by Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Blue Bland, Clarence Carter, and Alex Chilton. Also making appearances are Grammy Award-winning country artist Vince Gill, Steve Cropper (Booker T. & the MGs, Blues Brothers, author of many Stax hits), the McCrary Sisters and the Muscle Shoals Horns.

Croce has lived longer now than his father did — at 45, he is 15 years beyond the age his father was when he died. With Just Like Medicine (due out August 11, 2017 on Compass Records) an authentic version of his story, which contains both unimaginable sorrow and many blessings, can be felt and understood.

Just Like Medicine’s second track, “The Heart That Makes Me Whole,” was written by Croce with the late great Leon Russell. Croce notes, “We’d played together over the years, and one time I went to go see Leon play with Willie Nelson and we really connected through the music that we both loved — whether it was Ivory Joe Hunter, or all these great piano players who we both loved. At first, it felt a little sad recording this song because Leon and I had spoken and I was looking forward to have him on this album. Leon lived 20 minutes away from me in Tennessee, so it was bittersweet because we couldn’t record it together. But I was happy that Steve Cropper, the McCrary Sisters and the Muscle Shoals Horns and I could try to fill that void as best we could.”

The track “The Name of the Game,” is notable for many reasons. One is that it finds Croce connecting with a part of his soulful legacy that hits close to home because the bluesy gem is a previously unreleased song by his father — the only known completed song written for the elder Croce’s next album, and the last song that he wrote. A.J. explains, “‘The Name of the Game’ is a song I had known about for a really long time. It was destined for my dad’s next record that he never got to make. The song had been bootlegged, just him playing guitar, but it had never been properly recorded. I thought this song really fit this album. We listened to a couple of my father’s demos and final recordings and tried to treat the song with the respect it deserves — while still making it my own. At the beginning of our track, Colin Linden — who’s amazing — is playing the same guitar my father wrote the song on. You can tell it’s a Jim Croce song, no doubt. And I just love Vince Gill’s playing, so I called him up to add his musical touch to it too.”

In truth — as Just Like Medicine demonstrates beautifully — A.J. Croce has spent his very musical life forging deep connections with music and musicians, including with producer Dan Penn and many of the other soulful artists who helped him make this new album. “I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of my musical heroes and a lot of people who became my heroes as I worked with them,” Croce explains. “These people don’t have a lot to prove. And one thing I found out is that even with all they’ve done and all they’ve achieved, every one of them is really open in the end. Even though they may have a certain style, and sometimes be stubborn about how they do things, when push comes to shove, they are open, willing and able to go in any number of directions to chase a good song. They’ve all taught me a lot about how to follow the music and find the truth. That’s why the music of Just Like Medicine sounds real and raw — it’s meant-to-be music. This music here was not fixed. This music here was made.”

A.J. Croce’s nine albums have been released via both major and independent labels, and have charted 17 Top 20 singles and all nine albums on the radio including on Top 40, Americana, Independent, Blues, and Jazz. A virtuoso piano player, he has performed at a TED Talk and gave a master class at the University of Barcelona. Croce has also performed on major talk shows and news programs including The Late Show, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, CNN, MTV, and VH1. Croce is known as a piano player and singer, but over the past 15 years he’s become a proficient guitar player, in addition to playing bass, percussion, and several other instruments. While he tours the world and performs on radio and television, his desire to learn and grow remains, he says, “I still study music theory and take lessons with masters of many instruments and do my best to apply what I learn to all the instruments I play.”

Soul Music is the Best Medicine (No Depression)

The best prescription any doctor could write would require 30 days of daily doses of soul music (as the Young Rascals knew so well when they gave us “Good Lovin’ ”). The last couple of years have been great ones for soul music, with the returns of Stax’s William Bell (This is Where I Live) and Hi Records’ Don Bryant (Don’t Give Up on Love) as well as the debut of one of the most dynamic and mesmerizing new groups on the scene, Southern Avenue (Southern Avenue). Soul music streams out of Memphis and Stax, and in Muscle Shoals veteran musicians and songwriters such as Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, Donnie Fritts, David Hood, and Steve Cropper, to mention only a few, have brought the Shoals back to life.

On his new album, Just Like Medicine, A.J. Croce writes a stimulating, energizing prescription of his own for some of that sweet soul music. He’s backed on this album by some of the Shoals’ very best, including Dan Penn on background vocals on the New Orleans-style barrelhouse tune “Full Up,” David Hood on bass, Colin Linden on guitars, Bryan Owings on drums, and Steve Cropper on the Penn co-write “The Other Side of Love.” Vince Gill lends his crisp licks to the title track, Jeff Taylor shimmers on his accordion on “Move On,” while the McCrary Sisters turn in some heavenly background vocals on about half the songs and the Muscle Shoals Horns lay the foundation for some soulful strutting and dancing.

Henry Carrigan

A.J. Croce, Just Like Medicine Quotes from reviews

A.J. Croce, Just Like Medicine Quotes in 2017

“On the star-powered Just Like Medicine, the younger Croce records one of his father's songs for the first time. Joined by a band that includes Vince Gill, Colin Linden, the McCrary Sisters and original Swampers bassist David Hood, he unearths "Name of the Game," turning the song into a modernized soul tune rooted in Muscle Shoals swagger and Motown strut.” – Rolling Stone Country

“Looking for a producer whose resume matched the album's soulful focus, A.J. Croce turned to Dan Penn, producer of the Box Tops' chart-topping hit "The Letter" and co-writer of songs like Aretha Franklin's "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man." Together, they created a sound rooted in the past but headed toward something new.” – Rolling Stone Country

“A.J. Croce revives golden singer-songwriter era with ‘Just Like Medicine’” – Glide Magazine

“On his brilliant new release, Just Like Medicine, A.J. draws upon the smoldering, slow-dance brass of the heralded Muscle Shoals Horns, the unmistakable vocals of the McCrary Sisters, Nashville’s own Vince Gill, and legendary guitarists Colin Linden and Steve Cropper to deliver perhaps his most soulful album to date.” – Nashville Scene

“Swampy, bluesy, and a little dark at times. This album travels through some rhythm and blues, blues, rock and roll, and a little bit of country. A.J. Creates his own category.” – Twangri-La

“…it’s not just a lot of blues touchstones, this album has a WHOLE lot of soul.” – American Blues Scene

“Singer/songwriter A.J. Croce is a phenomenal piano player.” – AXS

“…harmony-heavy soul.” – No Depression

“Just like Medicine is A.J. Croce’s most soulful album to date.” – Americana Music News

“Adding to the gravitas are the musicians Croce has enlisted. With Steve Cropper and Vince Gill sitting in, Muscle Shoals legend David Hood on bass and Dan Penn (of the Box Tops songwriting and producing fame) at the controls, Croce has crafted a diverse collection of honky-tonk blues, horn-infused funk and piano-bar ballads.” – Elmore Magazine

““Full Up” is pure Randy Newman, and there are overtones of Leon Russell, Allen Touissant and Boz Scaggs scattered throughout the remaining tracks, but Croce manages to make it all his own.” – Elmore Magazine

“Just Like Medicine stands as a Croce hallmark.” – American Blues Scene

“On his ninth full-length album Just Like Medicine, A. J. Croce puts his virtuoso talents at the keyboard and strong lead vocals on display in the service of 10 soulful songs that recall the sounds of Memphis and New Orleans.” – Rock n’ Roll Truth

“If 60s and 70s soul is your thing, you will fall in love with this album. Cures Just Like Medicine (Track 4) is straight up soul in the vein of Otis Redding.” – Twangri-La

Song for My Father: AJ Croce Records Jim Croce's Final Song

With its taut acoustic guitar, swirling Wurlitzer and soulful backing vocals, the new AJ Croce track "Name of the Game" sounds just as warm and swampy as the rest of Croce's new album, Just Like Medicine. But this is a very special song. It was the final song written by AJ's father Jim Croce, the Hall of Fame singer-songwriter behind classics like "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time in a Bottle," before he died in a plane crash in 1973. The song was intended for Jim's next album, but he never got the chance to record it beyond a demo. 40+ years later, AJ Croce has dusted off this undiscovered gem - he even had guitarist Colin Linden play the same 1933 Gibson LO that Jim used to write the song - and connected with the father that he never knew in the process.

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Etan Rosenbloom

Album Reviews: AJ Croce, Just Like Medicine

Jim Croce wrote “Time In a Bottle” for his unborn son, Adrian James, in 1971. Today, A.J. Croce has already outlived his father by 15 years and, preferring piano over guitar, has established his own musical persona. While he’s built on the Croce legacy with quirky songwriting and gritty vocals, A.J. is more Tom Waits in substance as well as sound. His latest CD, Just Like Medicine, is his ninth release, and by many measures, his most ambitious.

Adding to the gravitas are the musicians Croce has enlisted. With Steve Cropper and Vince Gill sitting in, Muscle Shoals legend David Hood on bass and Dan Penn (of the Box Tops songwriting and producing fame) at the controls, Croce has crafted a diverse collection of honky-tonk blues, horn-infused funk and piano-bar ballads. Starting out on the darker side with “Gotta Get Outta My Head,” Croce lets listeners know all is not well: “Gotta get outta my head, ‘cause I can’t stand the company.” Things pick up considerably from there, with R&B piano and horns on “The Heart That Makes Me Whole.”

Elmore Magazine

Just Like Medicine by A.J. Croce on Compass Records (August 11, 2017 Release Date)

Swampy, bluesy, and a little dark at times are my first impressions of Just Like Medicine by A.J. Croce. This album travels through some rhythm and blues, blues, rock and roll, and a little bit of country. A.J. is a very good songwriter and singer and has made one fine album. Just Like Medicine is a tough one to just give it a one word description. A.J. Creates his own category.

This album has top notch production work that makes Take Your Medicine a very easy listen. Ear candy, if you will. Just Like Medicine by A.J. Croce is ear candy. Not just any candy either, this is some Belgian stuff. This is not that waxy chocolate that you only see on Christmas and Easter, No this candy is from the finest ingredients, hand crafted, and makes you want to come back for seconds.

This is A.J.’s ninth studio album and may be his best. Not one laggard on the entire ten track album. “I wanted to make a real soul album, but not a throwback Stax album or a Motown album or anything like that—even though Dan was producing and there are great players from that world and Muscle Shoals on these tracks”, says Croce. I can say mission accomplished.

If 60s and 70s soul is your thing, you will fall in love with this album. Cures Just Like Medicine (Track 4) is straight up soul in the vein of Otis Redding. Yes, I said Otis Redding, but this song measures up. It is a bitter sweet ballad about sadness and the cure for those feelings. It is a gorgeous number that should do extremely well in today’s musical climate. It seems real soul music is back.

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Harry Kaplan

A.J. Croce w/ Robbie Fulks in NYC; New Dan Penn-Produced CD Out 8/11

Some artists are afforded the chance to tell their personal stories as they see fit, at a particular moment when they know the time has come. But for many, there is no choice -the story emerges hardwired to the music and they become forever identified with it no matter how their story may evolve or change.

A.J. Croce has been inextricably linked to a version of his own story by virtue of his name. He's experienced a lifetime of comparisons to a father he lost at age two, whose music bares little resemblance to his own output yet still serves as a reference point despite the years that have passed and the many iconic mentors who have stepped in to offer their counsel, creativity, and endorsement throughout his long career.

It's curious then that it now feels necessary to include the reference, as enough time has passed that a new generation of tastemakers and journalists might not know who Jim Croce was - that he was a golden-voiced everyman, a singer-songwriter-guitarist who died too soon, leaving one of pop music's most beautiful and memorable ballads (written about a young A.J.) in his wake.

Bentley's Bandstand: August 2017

A.J. Croce, Just Like Medicine. It's not always easy being the child of a famous musician. It's a lot to live up to and not always easy to make a new way. Jim Croce was a '70s phenomenon, and his early death caught everyone short. Son A.J. Croce has made a series of albums that all found a good audience, but this new album feels like it's the one to bring him home. Produced by soul legend Dan Penn, from the first downbeat on "Gotta Get Out of My Head" there's an immediate feeling of release. It's like the perfect assemblage of players has found their way into the Nashville studio, including guitarist Colin Linden and Muscle Shoals bassist David Hood, and a collection of songs were written that casts Croce in his own aura. "The Heart That Makes Me Whole," written with Leon Russell, and "The Other Side of Love," a Dan Penn collaboration, makes it clear this is serious business, and Croce is going all the way to make sure it works. He even finds an unrecorded song his father wrote, "Name of the Game," to show the circle will remain unbroken. A.J. Croce's voice is one that can wander around hills and valleys and still remain his own. He has entered that area where artists exist in a party of one. Croce is there.

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Bill Bentley

New Reviews: Eagles of Death Metal, Paul Kelly, Peter Himmelman, Arcade Fire, A.J. Croce

Artist: A.J. Croce
Title: Just Like Medicine (Compass)
You might like if you enjoy: Jim Croce, Leon Russell, Andrew McMahon
Tell me more: Bona fide talent and an independent artistic voice collectively work wonders for artists trying to escape the shadow of more famous parents. Just as drummer Zak Starkey has established himself as one of today's greatest rock drummers free of comparisons with his dad (Ringo Starr), singer-songwriter/piano great A.J. Croce has fully escaped all but passing nods to his late father Jim Croce (who sadly died in a plane crash in September 1973 at the age of 30). On his ninth full-length album Just Like Medicine, A. J. Croce puts his virtuoso talents at the keyboard and strong lead vocals on display in the service of 10 soulful songs that recall the sounds of Memphis and New Orleans. The songs here range from the graceful bluesy grooves of "Gotta Get Outta My Head" and buoyant "The Heart That Makes Me Whole" (co-written with Leon Russell) to the beautiful ballad "I Couldn't Stop," the latter injecting a bit of continental jazz into the disc's Muscle Shoals luster. The album also features a special track, "The Name of the Game," a blues-styled song that was the last song written by Jim Croce. Never recorded by the elder Croce, A.J. Croce's version is a true gem and features celebrated guitarist Vince Gill. Elsewhere on the fast-moving LP, guitar hero Colin Linden, electric guitar great Steve Cropper and the Muscle Shoals Horns are featured.

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Robert Kinsler

A.J. Croce Premieres New Song "Cures Just Like Medicine"

The August 11 release date of A.J. Croce's new album Just Like Medicine is just around the corner, but if you're itching to hear new tunes from the songwriter and piano man you're in luck. We're happy to premiere a new track from the album, the harmony-heavy soul ballad "Cures Just Like Medicine."

"There are many times in life that we all reflect on our choices," Croce says. "Sometimes we'd do it all again and other times we can't believe what we've gotten ourselves into. At that dark moment, we rely on the love of a person we trust to give us perspective and a little help sorting things out. I wrote 'Cures Just Like Medicine' about the things I've done -- some that I've regretted, some that I've lived through -- though most of all it's about the person that loved me enough to show me, in a selfless way, how to avoid making the same mistakes twice."

Just Like Medicine was produced by Dan Penn and features guest contributions from Vince Gill, Colin Linden, the McCrary Sisters, Steve Cropper, and David Hood. The album also includes Croce's take on a previously unreleased song ("The Name of the Game") written by his father, the late Jim Croce.

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Brittney McKenna

A.J. Croce Revives Golden Singer-Songwriter Era With ‘Just Like Medicine’ (INTERVIEW)

You might not think that a Pennsylvania born, California raised young man would be so heavily influenced by the boogie woogie piano music that circulated down in the deep south of New Orleans. But he was and now A.J. Croce is a man with eight albums under his belt and a new one on the verge of being released; a piano player and singer who follows his muse no matter what genre of music it invokes inside him.

With the August 11th release of Just Like Medicine, Croce starts off with a surrealistic pillow of mind-bending inner thoughts on “Gotta Get Outta My Head” before he eases into a New Orleans style boogie beat with “The Heart That Makes Me Whole.” He sidles up to the New York soul flavored title track, does a fun soft shoe boogie swayer with “Full Up” and honors his father, the late singer/songwriter Jim Croce, by recording the elder’s unreleased “Name Of The Game.” Add in tracks like “The Roads” and “The Other Side Of Love” and you’ve got some prime steak that makes for a quite satisfying meal of an album.

Croce took to piano early, signed his first record deal at nineteen, has opened for BB King, the Neville Brothers and Rod Stewart, written songs with Leon Russell and has had seventeen Top 20 singles. And that’s only a small portion of what Croce has accomplished in his twenty year career. With album #9, Croce wanted to step back to the days of mono and analog tape. “Not to be cool or trendy but because these days everyone seems to be listening to music primarily on little devices and tiny speakers,” Croce explained recently. “In a world of amazing audio possibilities, we’re all basically listening to music on transistor radios again.” Stepping back to old days, he felt the music would sound better. With help from producer Dan Penn, notable for his work at FAME Studios, and Vince Gill and Steve Cropper, Croce has accomplished his goal.

Now contentedly living in Nashville, with an album release show at the Winery on August 10th before he heads out on a tour, Croce chatted with me about making it in music as a piano player, songs on his new album, the influence of New Orleans and temperamental pianos.

How did you turn into a Nashville boy?

(laughs) You know, I’ve been coming here since I was seventeen to play piano for folks and to write. In 2008, I moved here. My daughter was off to college, my son was going into junior high, and we just decided to try it out and that was it. We moved here, and we kept a place in California, but after three years or so we went back and my son finished high school out there and then when he finished, we moved back here. It’s a beautiful city and there’s such a diverse musical scene these days. It’s a good hub because of location and it’s fast to get here and so forth so I like it.

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Leslie Michele Derrough

A.J. Croce Records Unknown Song By His Father Jim Croce

he song ‘Name Of The Game’ was a song Jim wrote for what would have been his next album but he tragically died in a plane crash before finishing it.Now A.J. is going to mess around with Jim.

“The Name of the Game is a song I had known about for a really long time,” says A.J.. “It was destined for my dad’s next record that he never got to make. The song had been bootlegged, just him playing guitar, but it had never been properly recorded. I thought this song really fit this album. We listened to a couple of my father’s demos and final recordings and tried to treat the song with the respect it deserves — while still making it my own. At the beginning of our track, Colin Linden — who’s amazing — is playing the same guitar my father wrote the song on. You can tell it’s a Jim Croce song, no doubt. And I just love Vince Gill’s playing, so I called him up to add his musical touch to it too.”

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Paul Cashmere

A.J. Croce Records Unreleased Song of Father Jim Croce “Name of the Game” Featuring Vince Gill

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As the son of legendary singer-songwriter and Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee Jim Croce, A.J. chose to not follow in the folk footsteps of his father, and instead forge his own musical path in his career.

Only after 18 years of an established career did A.J. Croce begin to explore playing a song or two of his Dad’s at shows.

A.J. was only two years old when Jim Croce died in an airplane crash in 1973, so he didn’t know his father’s music firsthand. Instead, “I came to love it in the same way everyone else did,” he explained, “by listening to the albums.” While he describes his father’s music as “part of me, part of my life,” A.J. had never really performed those songs live. As a piano player, his interests tended to favor the blues and jazz-rooted music of musicians like Ray Charles and Allen Toussaint.

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Troy Michael

New Jim Croce Song, "Name of the Game," Recorded by A.J. Croce and feat. Vince Gill Now Available

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Press Release) — As the son of legendary singer-songwriter and Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee Jim Croce, A.J. chose to not follow in the folk footsteps of his father, and instead forge his own musical path in his career.

Only after 18 years of an established career did A.J. Croce begin to explore playing a song or two of his Dad’s at shows.

Read more...

The Daily Country

Hear A.J. Croce Sing Dad Jim Croce's Final Song 'Name of the Game'

A.J. Croce was only two years old when his father, Jim Croce, died in a plane crash in 1973, leaving behind a catalog of folk songs rooted in humor, honesty and hard-won wisdom. Some of those songs became posthumous hits. Others, like "Name of the Game," would go undiscovered for nearly 50 years.

On the star-powered Just Like Medicine, the younger Croce records one of his father's songs for the first time. Joined by a band that includes Vince Gill, Colin Linden, the McCrary Sisters and original Swampers bassist David Hood, he unearths "Name of the Game," turning the song into a modernized soul tune rooted in Muscle Shoals swagger and Motown strut.

"The song was meant to be on the follow-up album to I Got A Name," he says, "although unfortunately it was never recorded or released until now – and by me. I've never had any intention of recording my father's music. I like it and enjoy playing it from time to time, but this was different. This was a way that I could collaborate with my dad, who I never knew, and play an active role of interpreting the music. It felt right: a tribute and a collaboration."

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Robert Crawford

Song Premiere: "Gotta Get Outta My Head" by A.J. Croce

Singer-songwriter and musician A.J. Croce explores the healing power of music with renowned soul songwriter and producer Dan Penn on his upcoming 9th studio album, Just Like Medicine, out August 11th via Compass Records. The LP features an all-star cast including Steve Cropper, David Hood, Vince Gill, Colin Linden, and the McCrary Sisters.

Just Like Medicine also includes his first recording of “The Name of the Game,” an unreleased song by his father, the legendary Jim Croce.

Some artists are afforded the chance to tell their personal stories as they see fit, at a particular moment when they know the time has come. But for many, there is no choice —the story emerges hardwired to the music and they become forever identified with it no matter how their story may evolve or change.

A.J. Croce has been inextricably linked to a version of his own story by virtue of his name. He’s experienced a lifetime of comparisons to a father he lost at age two, whose music bares little resemblance to his own output yet still serves as a reference point despite the years that have passed and the many iconic mentors who have stepped in to offer their counsel, creativity, and endorsement throughout his long career.

Read more...

The Big Takeover

Just Like Medicine: A Conversation With And Premiere By A.J. Croce

According to A.J. Croce...

“Leon and I wrote many songs together and I don’t think we were in the same room to co-write but once. We had a formula that worked for us: I’d write the music, and sing the melody on my iPhone—wherever I was—and Leon would write back with lyrics—wherever he was. On a couple occasions, I’d write a chorus [‘Rollin’ On’] but they were usually place holders until Leon got the music. ‘The Heart That Makes Me Whole’ started as ‘Angel in the Darkness.’ A couple hours after sending the music and melody, I’d have eight verses and a couple of chorus options; sometimes a bridge if I wrote music for one. He was a fast writer if he liked the music.

“‘The Heart That Makes Me Whole’ took more work than anything else we ever wrote. In the end, his verse and bridge lyrics are almost exactly what he sent me the first day except a small change here or there, and I came up with the title line ‘The Heart That Makes Me Whole’ after the first one didn’t sing quite right. Every song got auditioned by Dan Penn for this album. I didn’t tell him who wrote it or when it was from, so each tune was chosen on its own merit. I had really hoped that Leon would be on the session playing organ with us but sadly, he passed before we recorded and it was a little bitter sweet not having him with us.

“In putting the band together for this song, Leon was on my mind the whole time. It had to be soulful but not too slick. We had a great band including the Muscle Shoals Horns and The McCrary Sisters. We were already rolling, so the only person I thought that was missing was Steve Cropper. It had been awhile since we had seen each other and it was a sweet reunion.”

Mike Ragogna

A.J. Croce: Genres blend, but the music stays soulful

A.J. Croce calls his work “American music,” but with his own twist.

“I sing soul music. Anything soulful I’m interested in, whether its country or pop or blues or rock and roll,” Croce said, from his new home in Nashville. He and his wife moved from their long-time residence in San Diego this summer.

The son of the late Jim Croce, A.J. performs his own original music, he said, and each of his seven albums is a different genre. The versatile artist is not sure what mix of music he will perform when he appears at the Pawleys Island Festival of Music and Art on Oct. 2. He decides at the last minute.

“Every concert performer plays at least one song by someone else, maybe I’ll do a Hank Williams or a Beatles song, or a brand new song by a pop artist. It depends on the moment,” he said.

He may play some of his father’s “stuff,” he said. “It depends on the show. A certain part of the audience appreciates that and I’m there to make them happy.”

Carrie Humphreys

Revisit A.J. Croce’s Classic Album With The Soulful Track, “That’s Me In The Bar”

A.J. Croce is living proof that musical talent runs in the veins. Though Croce is the son of legendary performer Jim Croce, who topped the charts with his hit, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” he didn’t grow up under his father’s artistic influence; tragically, the elder Croce was killed in a plane crash when A.J. was only two years old. But A.J. was already showing talent at the piano at the age of six, and by the time he turned 17, his future as a performer was clear.

In 1995 A.J. cemented his own legacy with the release of his album, That’s Me In The Bar. Now, for its 20^th Anniversary, Compass Records is re-releasing the genre-spanning album along with a previously unreleased bonus track, “If You Want Me to Stay,” which Croce re-recorded for the release with some talented pals, including David Hidalgo from Los Lobos and Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame.

Elmore Magazine

A.J. Croce Revisits the “Bar” on 20th-Anniversary reissue

A.J. Croce’s 1995 sophomore album, That’s Me in the Bar, ranks high on the list of “most New Orleans-sounding albums not made in New Orleans.” This week the Compass label plans a 20th-anniversary reissue of the album, adding a bonus track “If You Want Me to Stay” (yes, a cover of the Sly & the Family Stone classic) to the original 12 tracks, all written by Croce.

Local influences ran deep on Croce’s album, which was recorded with a heavyweight cast including Los Lobos guitarist David Hidalgo, legendary guitarist Ry Cooder, and the great studio drummer Jim Keltner who also produced. A number of reviewers, including All Music Guide’s Scott Yanow, noted Croce’s vocal similarity to Dr. John. Though more a critical than a commercial hit, the album gave the 24-year-old Croce a musical identity much different from his father, the late troubadour Jim Croce.

A.J. did eventually record in New Orleans. Last year’s album Twelve Tales features two tracks each with six notable producers, Allen Toussaint among them.

Review link

Brett Milano

NPR's WWNO Airing 90 minute A.J. Croce Interview

barring breaking news -- the AJ Croce interview on Music Inside Out with Gwen Thompkins is scheduled to run on WWNO 89.9 FM Thursday (tomorrow) at 7 pm CT and again on Saturday at noon. Next week it will run on CIUT-Toronto Canada and KRVS-Lafayette. The show will also be available in perpetuity on our website: www.musicinsideout.org.

Mr. Croce was WONDERFUL. The interview will feature live performances he made in the studio with us, recorded music from his current and past albums, as well as tape from his performance at the Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans. At the Mint, he performed with clarinetist Evan Christopher and the great Allen Toussaint.

Twelve Tales from A.J. Croce

"A.J. Croce returns to Austin on Saturday at the Strange Brew thanks to February’s Twelve Tales. His father Jim Croce (“Time in a Bottle,” “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown”) died in a 1973 plane crash when he was 2, but A.J. Croce’s been his own musician since the beginning, a dynamic performer and songwriter moving from blues to pop with ease and skill.

"Now 42, Croce’s enjoyed a long, sustaining career as a musician and songwriter of his own renown. Twelve Tales took a year to record with six different producers, including “Cowboy” Jack Clement (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash), Allen Toussaint (Dr. John, Paul McCartney), and Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Los Lobos). There’s also his co-write with Leon Russell, “Rollin’ On."..."

William Harries Graham, The Austin Chronicle

A.J. Croce and the Musician He Has Come to Be

"There are certain expectations that come with a storied family name – often filled with anticipation and comparison. This is a natural occurrence in many professions but perhaps nowhere are those hopes so high as with the son or daughter of a famous entertainer...."

Annette Crawford, Rivard Report

A.J. Croce to Play a Pair of Shows in New Orleans in July

http://www.offbeat.com/2014/06/25/a-j-croce-play-pair-shows-new-orleans-july/

Stephen Maloney

A.J. Croce, Rockwood Music Hall (New York, NY) Live Show Review

"It is easy to imagine that after years of consistent writing and recording, Croce is on the brink of tipping the scales of critical and popular appreciation. In his live show and in his recordings Croce’s formidable talents as a writer and player are undeniable..."

Eric Russ, Elmore Magazine

Date	Venue	Location	Tickets
9/30/2017	Stateside at the Paramount	Austin, TX
10/05/2017	Iowa Western AJ Croce - Two Generations of American Music	Council Bluffs, IA
10/06/2017	McCabe's Guitar Shop	Santa Monica, CA
10/07/2017	The Grand Annex	San Pedro, CA
10/12/2017	South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center AJ Croce - Two Generations of American Music	South Milwaukee, WI
10/13/2017	Al. Ringling Theatre Croce: Two Generations of American Music	Baraboo, WI
10/14/2017	McComb/Bruchs Performing Arts Center AJ Croce - Two Generations of American Music	Wautoma, WI
10/20/2017	ECC Blizzard Theatre AJ Croce - Two Generations of American Music	Elgin, IL
10/21/2017	The Orpheum Theatre AJ Croce - Two Generations of American Music	Galesburg, IL
10/22/2017	Old Town School of Folk Music	Chicago, IL
11/02/2017	Dennison Theater Croce: Two Generations of American Music	Missoula, MT
11/03/2017	Alberta Bair Theater AJ Croce Presents - Croce: 2 Generations of American Music	Billings, MT
11/04/2017	The Ellen Theatre AJ Croce Presents - Croce: Two Generations of American Music	Bozeman, MT
11/07/2017	Green Valley Recreation West Center Croce - 2 Generations of American Music	Green Valley, AZ
11/17/2017	Manhattan Arts Center	Manhattan, KS
11/18/2017	McPherson Opera House AJ Croce - Two Generations of American Music	McPherson, KS
1/04/2018	St. Peter's Episcopal Church	Del Mar, CA
1/18/2018	Dosey Doe - The Big Barn	Woodlands, TX
1/19/2018	Arlington Music Hall AJ Croce - Two Generations of American Music	Arlington, TX
2/03/2018	Franklin Theatre Trio	Franklin, TN
3/03/2018	USCB Center for the Arts AJ Croce - Two Generations of American Music	Beaufort, SC
3/10/2018	Kirtland Center for the Performing Arts AJ Croce - Two Generations of American Music	Roscommon, MI
4/27/2018	YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts AJ Croce Presents - Croce: 2 Generations of American Music	Bay Shore, NY
4/28/2018	Berrie Center for the Arts Croce: 2 Generations of American Music	Mahwah, NJ

CROCE:

TWO GENERATIONS OF AMERICAN MUSIC

Tuesday January 10, 2012 “…marked the first time A.J. had publicly performed more than a few songs by Jim Croce, whose legacy he wisely left almost entirely untouched during the course of a solo career that began with the release of his excellent 1993 debut album, A.J. Croce,” says George Varga of the San Diego Union Tribune.

A new special A.J. Croce concert was born out of this night, “Croce: Two Generations of American Music,” to feature a complete set of classics by his father Jim Croce, some of his own tunes, and songs that influenced both him and his father. This special event features such timeless songs as “Operator,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “Time in a Bottle,” (a song written for A.J.), “Workin’ At the Car Wash Blues,” “Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy), “One Less Set of Footsteps,” “Lovers Cross,” and “Box #10,” to name a few. Classic covers may include songs by Lieber and Stoller, Bessie Smith, and other folk and roots artists. Behind the band will be a multimedia presentation with photos and video clips of Jim’s life.

A.J. strikes a fine balance between paying heartfelt homage to his father’s artistic legacy and injecting the songs with his own spin and personality. He adds a rollicking, New Orleans-flavored piano touch to “Workin’ At the Car Wash Blues” that is as awesome as it is unexpected. The anecdotes A.J. shares about his father’s songs, like the songs themselves, are all the more touching coming from the son who has grown to become “Every bit his dad’s artistic equal.” Says Varga.

“My father made heroes out of everyday people.” -A.J. Croce

“How lucky are we that a talent like Jim Croce came along in our lifetime. His music and voice will live on long after we’re gone, as well as his reputation as a wonderful human being. Jim Croce, I will always love you.” -Dolly Parton

JIM CROCE

Last year marks the 40th anniversary of two Jim Croce albums, Life and Times and I’ve Got a Name, both of which peaked at Number One on the charts. With sales surpassing 40 million records, including three #1 songs and 10 Top 10 hits, Jim Croce’s short career and long-lived legacy are well-remembered through his era-defining standards like “Operator,” Time in a Bottle,” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” Covered by artist like Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks and Jimmy Buffett, the Croce song catalog is continually featured in major films and television shows, including Quentin Taratino’s recent film Django Unchainged and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

A recent biography I Got A Name: The Jim Croce Story, plus a new Sony collection of rare early demos along with live performances of his hits, has focused renewed attention on one of the most respected and revered singer- songwriters in American Music.

A.J. CROCE

Across the span of his two-decade career, singer/songwriter A.J. Croce has headlined festivals and concerts worldwide and shared stages with an illustrious roster of artist like Willie Nelson, Rod Stewart and Bed Harper. Television appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The David Letterman Show, Conan O’ Brien, Austin City Limits, Good Morning America, E! and CNN have showcased the captivating artistry of his music.

A.J.’s latest album Twelve Tales was released on February 4, 2014 via Compass Records and includes collaborations with legends including Leon Russell, Allen Toussaint, and the late “Cowboy” Jack Clement. A.J. recorded the album over the course of one year with six producers and six different bands in five cities, with nine engineers in ten studios. The album has received glowing press in USA Today, Billboard, and All Music Guide to name a few.

There is a new way for audiences to appreciate the artistry of A.J. Croce and the classic songs of Jim Croce:

CROCE: TWO GENERATIONS OF AMERICAN MUSIC

for the first time ever, the songs and stories of both father and son in a full band multimedia presentation.

Label: Compass Records • www.compassrecords.com

Management: Jeff DeLia • 72 Music Management

for more information

A.J. Croce is a singer-songwriter, musicologist, and boogie woogie piano player who’s very well versed all genres of American music. A.J. can offer seminars on the history of American music, on the history of piano playing, and how to play piano. He’s done master classes, workshops, and educational programs for adults and children in many settings around the world, including the University of Barcelona in Spain where he did a seminar with Masters student’s talking to them about American music and the development and change in composition. In Toronto in 2012 he performed for an entire elementary school.

Label Info

Compass Records

Garry West

615.320.7672

garry@compassrecords.com

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Caroline McDonald

615.320.7672

publicity@compassrecords.com

Website

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Hear A.J. Croce Sing Dad Jim Croce's Final Song 'Name of the Game'

Song Premiere: "Gotta Get Outta My Head" by A.J. Croce

Just Like Medicine: A Conversation With And Premiere By A.J. Croce

A.J. Croce: Genres blend, but the music stays soulful

Revisit A.J. Croce’s Classic Album With The Soulful Track, “That’s Me In The Bar”

A.J. Croce Revisits the “Bar” on 20th-Anniversary reissue

NPR's WWNO Airing 90 minute A.J. Croce Interview

Twelve Tales from A.J. Croce

A.J. Croce and the Musician He Has Come to Be

A.J. Croce to Play a Pair of Shows in New Orleans in July

A.J. Croce, Rockwood Music Hall (New York, NY) Live Show Review

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