Who's playing
The Band
Hard to put a genre on it. Blues, rock, soul, jazz, R&B and Americana all pass through, and it always comes out sounding like him, smooth, greasy, beautiful. A rough-but-soothing voice, a guitar that raises hair, and the coastal ease of Port Aransas carried into every room. Never the same song twice.
Port Aransas raised, the family moved to the island to open Lisabella's, and there was always an instrument within reach. University of North Texas in Denton, then four years as a working guitarist around Dallas–Fort Worth and a year on the road, then back to the coast, where the small-town pace and the island crowd shaped how the songs get written and how the shows get played.
Blues and soul at the root of everything, even when a song wanders into reggae or funk, that's where it comes home. Loud and fast, quiet and slow, mostly originals these days. The full band cut Take and Give live in a room in 2025; the solo acoustic set is the same songs with the volume down and the stories up.
“No joke, this is easily one of the best bands I've ever gotten to play with. Deep, deep grooves and tons of original music, all with an improvisational depth that's really exciting. We never know where a song might end up going.”, Kris Redus, producer / studio drummer
Official Lone Star Beer artist
John Elijah is part of Lone Star Beer's artist roster, the National Beer of Texas backing Texas music. Venues, festivals, and brands looking for a Lone Star night: that's this band.
The band
Gary Graves
Organ, piano
Corpus Christi, TX
Joseph Soto
Bass
Corpus Christi, TX
Kris Redus
Drums
Corpus Christi, TX
Jose Felix
Guitar
Puerto Rico
Cody Strong
Drums
Corpus Christi, TX
Josh Lee
Guitar
Corpus Christi, TX
Press & mentions
John Elijah Band to release studio album, 'Take and Give'
Port Aransas South Jetty · May 2025
“We tracked it live with a very old-school R&B style. It has a very natural sound, feel to it, but it's very big.”
John Elijah: Recording Session, funded
Kickstarter · Feb 2025
“35 backers pledged $10,055 to help bring this project to life.”
Port Aransas Chamber, Port A Live
“Playing all over the state with full band, four piece, trio, duo or just classic solo acoustic blues and roots.”