JB Eckl

Canadian songwriter, musician and producer JB Eckl began his musical career as a blues/rock guitarist in a saloon in central Mexico at the age of 17. From there, his curiosity about diverse cultures and music led him to spend time in different parts of Latin America and the Carribbean until, in the early 1990s, he settled down in Los Angeles to make a name for himself. His early demo tapes landed him the job playing guitar for 70s funk legends WAR, with whom he toured heavily for a few years, describing the gig as a ‘master’s degree program in groove.’ Around this time his songwriting career began to bloom as well, with pop divas En Vogue and jazz guitar master Larry Carlton recording his songs. But it was working with Carlos Santana that put the jewel in the crown of JB’s LA years. A longtime disciple of Carlos’ sound, JB considered Santana to be the first and greatest proponent of what is now called ‘world music’, having created a successful hybrid of true Afro-Cuban percussion and authentic rock & roll. First playing onstage with Santana during his tenure with WAR, JB soon found himself in close collaboration with the hero of his youth. Along with top latin pop producer KC Porter, JB worked on Carlos’ 1999 smash comeback album Supernatural, which re-established Carlos as a rock icon and went on to sell 25 million copies worldwide and win several Grammys, among them Album of the Year. For JB, the highlight of this relationship was the song ‘One of These Days’ from Santana’s 2002 Shaman album. The track, on which JB was lead vocalist, co-writer and co-producer along with Porter, was dedicated to African music luminary Fela Kuti and featured LA latin funk band Ozomatli. At Carlos’ invitation, JB performed ‘One of These Days’ along with Santana and Ozo at the Hollywood Bowl. Since then, JB has searched for his own voice as an artist, leaving LA for the more grounding environs of Mexico, Vancouver Island and Portland, Oregon. He has remained active as a producer in every genre from folk-rock to flamenco, as well as composing the musical score for the South African feature film Cape of Good Hope in 2004 and co-producing the recording return of Lonnie Jordan, his mentor from the WAR days, on 2007’s War Stories. But now, having sat at the feet of masters and developed his personal vision in the studio, JB is sharing his most honest, adventurous and searching music with the world. Prepare to be unprepared.