Biography
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1978, guitarist and songwriter John Eichleay absorbed an eclectic range of sources that included vintage blues, flamenco, Gypsy jazz, reggae, and rock, fusing them into a sleek pop approach that evoked the Beatles. Music filled his early years, with samba favored by his mother and classical works preferred by his father, yet a decisive shift occurred at age fourteen when she gave him three albums by B.B. King, Hank Williams, and Carole King. He began with classical guitar before branching into blues, funk, jazz, and bluegrass. In 1997 Eichleay moved to Chicago to enroll at DePaul University, where he met guitarist Alfonso Ponticelli. After completing a degree in religious studies he stayed in Pittsburgh until 2002, then returned to the Chicago area, rejoined Ponticelli, and entered the Gypsy swing group Swing Gitan for its debut recording, Alfonso Ponticelli and Swing Gitan. He later left the ensemble, relocated to Brooklyn, New York, and formed a trio with Jaime Bishop and Jordan Perlson. Their work produced the self-produced album John Eichleay, which featured Adam Kipple on keyboards and appeared on Copper Beech Records in 2008.
Albums
