5 Star Motel

Describing his music as "International Cowboy Funk," Gitkin is a guitarist who has created a series of instrumental albums featuring his richly atmospheric, reverb-soaked guitar, accompanied by easy-going grooves showing the influence of several varieties of world music, including Latin, African, and Middle Eastern flavors, as well as the swampy R&B rhythms of his adopted hometown, New Orleans. Gitkin had already established himself as a producer and sideman when he introduced his Gitkin project with the 2018 album 5 Star Motel, which earned him a cult following. Gitkin continued to follow his distinctive creative path on his subsequent releases, through 2020's Safe Passage included guest vocals from Carol C. on two tracks, and multi-instrumentalist Assaf Spector sat in for 2024's Golden Age.

Brian J. Gitkin was born in Brooklyn, New York, and he first made a name for himself as the guitarist and co-founder of the funk band the Pimps of Joytime. Gitkin, billed as Brian J., was also the group's principal songwriter and producer, and they made their recorded debut in 2007 with the album High Steppin'. Through steady touring, the Pimps of Joytime developed a loyal following, and the strength of their studio work helped him develop a busy sideline as a studio musician and producer, especially after he relocated to New Orleans. He produced and/or mixed sessions for New Orleans funk legend Cyril Neville, New Birth Brass Band member James Andrews, Mississippi blues scion Cedric Burnside, DJ and producer Nickodemus, and iconic studio drummer Bernard Purdie, among others. As Brian began formulating musical ideas that fell outside the creative boundaries of the Pimps of Joytime, he created his musical alter ego Gitkin, where he laid spacious, reverberant guitars over instrumental beds that combined elements of funk, jazz, and world music. Gitkin's debut album, 2018's 5 Star Motel, won an audience of its own, as songs like "Grand Street Feast" and "Tail Chaser" became popular on major streaming services. While the debut was fully instrumental, Gitkin's second full-length effort, 2020's Safe Passage, had two numbers that featured vocalist Carol C., though Gitkin himself stuck to guitar. As Gitkin's popularity grew, he took the act on the road, creating a touring version of the project, and fans stepped forward to support his third LP, 2023's Nowhere to Go But Everywhere, which once again featured Carol C. on "Tesoro." The fourth Gitkin release, 2024's Golden Age, found him adding another collaborator for the sessions in producer and multi-instrumentalist Assaf Spector, who appeared on the title track. ~ Mark Deming