Justin Tibbs is an artist of many talents, as he’s the lead saxophonist for Acid Cats, The Angie Haze Project and the 330. However, Justin also creates his own music as part of his solo project, J.T.’s Electrik Blackout, with latest release, A Funky Nightmare, being a perfect example of this. It’s a really groovy piece of music, and one that demands to be heard! Find out more about Justin below!
By Jane Howkins
How was your 2022?
My 2022 was amazing. I got the chance to play with my group, JT’s Electrik Blackout, at many different events and venues. I also released my first album that year under that project name. I was also a side man for several other projects that played that year, so it was a great time. I wish every year could be like that.
You recently released a track titled A Funky Nightmare, which we reviewed. What can you tell us about the song?
So, A Funky Nightmare was the first composition I ever wrote, so it’s special to me. The song is basically about the night terrors I would have after graduating from the University of Akron. The night terror would be about missing a class credit and therefore my degrees didn’t count anymore. Scary stuff I know, haha. The last time it happened, I woke up and said what a !@#$#% nightmare and then wrote a song about it.
How has the reception been for A Funky Nightmare, and where can it be purchased?
The reception for it has been great. A ton of people love this tune and play it on their devices all the time. I always like the philosophy of buy once and stream forever, so people can purchase the track from my Bandcamp page:
jtibbssax.bandca…p.com/ and stream it whenever they like.
The track comes from an album titled JT’s Electrik Blackout. What can you tell us about the album?
The album is a collection of tunes that I wrote over a 5-7 year period. Each track has a little bit of a back story to it, and I like to tell what the meaning of each tune means in person. So for instance, Time Watches You, is about human mortality and a saying that my HS saxophone instructor said to me one time. He told me, “Time waits for no man” and that has kind of stuck with me throughout my life.
3 A.M. text is about a relationship I had in my 20s and how it didn’t end well – the person sent me a not-so-nice text message saying I wouldn’t amount to anything. Caffeine Rage is about eating a lot of those chocolate cover expresso beans at work (when I say a lot, I mean I ate at least 30 of those things) and just going hard at my day job with getting stuff done. So in short, a lot of my tunes are about situations or philosophies that I have experienced in my life.
The guys that are on the record are some of the best N.E. Ohio musicians I have gotten to work with. Tommy Lehman (trumpet) is a cold dude. Tommy and I have been working together since 2014 on several projects, and he keeps me on my toes with his playing. Andru Dennis (keys) is a funky dude. Andru and I met in this band called Acid Cats (Tommy Lehman also played in that group as well) and I was looking for a keyboard player to fill out the group. I heard him play and was just like “I have to have him play in JT’s Electrik Blackout”, so I asked and he accepted. Jared Lee (bass) and I have been playing together since 2010 in a number of his projects and groups. He is another fantastic player who knows how to use Fxs pedals to create textures and dynamics and I needed something like that to add to the group. Holbrook Riles III (drums) is probably one of the baddest drummers I know and he can play anything – just the way he plays with dynamics is amazing.
I’m thankful to have these great musicians who want to work with me on this project.
Do you plan to release any more singles in the near future?
Yes. I have a few in mind, I just have to either finish writing or recording them.
Have you started writing for another album or is it too soon?
I have started writing the next album. I do have a few tunes finished already, and I’m hoping to start recording them in the spring of 2023.
Your music has a jazzy, funky sound. What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?
There have been so many artists that influence me. Lester Young, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Michael Brecker, Jaga Jazzist, John Handy, Marius Neset, Donny McCaslin, Nubya Garcia and Ben Wendel.
Recently I’ve been listening to Donny McCaslin’s Fast Future, Ben Wendel’s The Seasons, Christian Scott a Tunde Adjuah ‘Axiom’, Kendrick Lamar, August Greene, Anti-Philosophy, Wayne Shorter’s Night Dreamer, Jaga Jazzist, Braxton Cook, Alina Engibaryan, Tokyopill, Buttonmasher and Squarepusher.
I’ve just been checking out a ton of cats in different genres of music, and it all just speaks to me and gives me ideas on where I should take my music next. They all offer something I can learn from their music.
You’ve also got a few side projects on the go. How do you find the time to do so much?
I don’t haha. But seriously, I just practice for the unexpected, and when I get that phone call, I make sure I’m ready to go. It’s all just music to me at the end of the day.
Do you have any UK tour dates lined up?
I, unfortunately, do not right now, but I would love to tour in the UK. It has been one of my dreams to do so and hopefully I can find a way over there with my band and get it financed somehow. That would send me over the moon to do that.
Any last words for the fans?
Thank you for your continued support. Please keep supporting local music and arts programs in the school systems. If you like my music, please buy a hard copy or download it and then stream it. Check out all the musicians who play on my album. They have some great projects that they are putting out as well. Thank you once again for your support.