Jon Fadem’s “Thankful” — A Guitarist’s Life in Sound

With Thankful, Jon Fadem steps into the spotlight after years of touring and collaborating, unveiling a solo debut that feels both intimate and expansive. It’s a fully instrumental, all-original collection that tells a personal life story through tone, texture, and groove — a musical autobiography written in the language of the guitar.

Across its tracks, Thankful traverses the landscapes of rock, jazz, and soul — sometimes soulful and contemplative, sometimes burning with fusion energy. Fadem’s guitar sings in voices that nod to his heroes — Jeff Beck, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, and Steely Dan — yet his phrasing and melodic choices make this record unmistakably his own. The result is a sonic journey that’s as organic as it is precise, a body of work that invites deep listening but also flows effortlessly into the rhythm of everyday life.

Fadem not only plays guitars but also bass, keyboards, mandolin, and dulcimer, crafting each piece with meticulous care. Drummer John Kimock (of Mike Gordon and Oteil Burbridge’s bands) adds subtle but vital pulse and color throughout. The album’s production team — including engineers Bob Stander and Phil Joly, mastering by Heba Kadry, and artwork by Ashli Truchon Novak — helps Thankful radiate warmth and detail, giving it the feel of a classic ’70s record heard through a modern lens.

As Fadem himself puts it, “After many years of playing and touring nationally with different cover bands, I decided to make an album of my own music, and it is a very personal project to me.” Influenced by the spirit of Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow, Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book, and Joni Mitchell’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Thankful is designed to meet listeners wherever they are — whether they’re tuned in with headphones or letting the grooves carry them through their day.

An album built from gratitude and persistence, Thankful is both a reflection and a release — a testament to a musician who has spent years preparing to sound exactly like himself.