John Velghe and the Prodigal Sons

Thanks to Bob Stinson, Ron Asheton, and Keith Richards, John Velghe is a failed piano player — thanks to John Lennon, Alejandro Escovedo, and Paul Westerberg, he’s a songwriter. Over the course of his 18+ year career, John Velghe has established himself as a particularly conscientious and talented tender of the Americana Rock flame. The Independence, Missouri born multi-instrumentalist/songwriter has released multiple albums on Lakeshore Records, composed original music for film and TV, and built a repertoire of standout songs, but it is his latest work, with the Prodigal Sons, which has given him a big enough vehicle for his ambitious vocal reach and vista-vision poetry. John Lennon and Chuck Berry lie at that core, but the guitars, horns and supportive backing vocals in this band allow Velghe to seamlessly blend other pieces of the greater rock story—from Sun to Stax to 2 Tone and Twin Tone. Organ Donor Blues is the perfect album for such a big sound. It’s both a record for rock’s true believers and a bare-knuckled face off with reality.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of artist