Gitkin

An intoxicating gumbo of global soul, surf noir, and psychedelic funk, all filtered through a vintage, analog haze. Listening to Gitkin feels like stumbling across a forgotten reel-to-reel in a dusty Havana pawn shop or a smoky Marseilles speakeasy. There’s a deep sense of wanderlust baked into every groove — part spaghetti western, part funk exotica, with twangy guitars that slither like snakes through a desert bazaar.

New Orleans-based Gitkin, also known as Brian J, a Grammy-nominated artist and producer renowned for his production skills (working with Cedric Burnside, Bab L’ Bluz, Bernard Purdie, Cyril Neville) and as the mastermind behind the funk ensemble Pimps Of Joytime, is experiencing surprising success with this passion project.

With monthly streams surpassing 300,000, Gitkin’s three self-produced studio albums have struck a global chord. In 2022, fueled by his growing streaming and social media momentum, he assembled a live trio featuring Palestinian multi-instrumentalist Simon Moushabeck (keys, accordion, percussion) and Cuban-American drummer Washington Duke. Together, they breathe new life and dimension into Gitkin’s recorded material. Since then, the group has toured across the U.S., Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, France, and Austria—selling out multiple shows along the way. They’ve also supported acts like Steel Pulse, Say She She, The Altons, and Thee Sinseers.