Date and Time
Saturday, September 12th, 2026
7:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
About the Show
We’re excited to host truly prolific American blues talent and exceptional song craftsman George Gritzbach for his band’s second time here at The Shep, bringing a number of new originals & fresh tunes!
Full Circle is Gritzbach’s sixth studio release and showcases his first-rate songwriting talents coupled with a range of roots-blues musical styles he describes as roots rhythm & blues. His expressive vocal style infuses the ten songs on the album with grit and honesty.
Gritzbach is supported throughout by a seasoned rhythm section featuring Scott Lariviere on bass, Christian McCarthy on drums, Pete Mann on keyboards with Peter Murray on saxophone. Funky horn lines add flavor, spice and texture throughout the album. The album also features guest appearances by critically acclaimed harmonica great Jerry Portnoy. Portnoy was a fixture in the Muddy Waters Band and also toured with Eric Clapton.
About the Band
The George Gritzbach Band plays inventive takes on classics and a healthy helping of innovative originals offering a great mix of blues, roots, and R&B. The band has appeared at a wide variety of venues and Festivals across North America, including opening for B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray and many others as well as local nightclubs and Performing Arts Centers. They also have the versatility to play unplugged acoustic sets for a more intimate experience. The band, lead by George, a serious blues devotee who caused a sensation when he first debuted on the New England blues scene, is now backed by a seasoned rhythm section featuring Scott Lariviere on bass and backing vocals and Pete Mann on keyboards and Christian McCarthy on drums, percussion and backing vocals. Rounding out the group is Peter Murray laying it down on the sax. The ensemble, featuring Gritzbach originals, continues to be in demand as a high energy R&B dance band strongly rooted in blues, funk and New Orleans styles.
The Band’s
Website & Socials
”"An exceptional songwriter" [and described a recent CD] "as good and surprising as he is in person, with wonderful original material and knock-out slide guitar work.
The Washington Post
”Exquisitely gritty and gravely on one cut, mellow and clear on the next...excellent vocal style.
Frets Magazine
”sizzling hot, no-holds barred bluesman.
The Boston Globe
”I have respected George Gritzbach for a long time. He is a keep-the-faith artist with an honest, no-frills voice that sounds equally at home on blues, soul and funk, as his new "Full Circle" album suggests. George can be playful and rock with a Friday night, just-got-paid frenzy, but also has a serious streak, as heard in the affecting message song, "One Race, Many Faces," where he urges "color-blind human kindness." His band is top-notch and he also assembles some great guest musicians such as harmonica ace Jerry Portnoy, who has toured with Eric Clapton. A fine effort all around for the Cape Cod-based Gritzbach, whose devotion to his craft continues.
Steve MorseFormer staff music critic for the Boston Globe for 28 years
