A.J. Croce is a piano man, first and foremost, and a vocal stylist second. His muted growl pulls from a host of American traditions and anti-heroes – it’s part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul, and somehow evokes New York. He is further a songwriter, driven by a personal muse, informed by a life on a boomerang of tragedy.

Croce has lived longer than his father did – at 45, he is 15 years beyond the age his father was when he died. With his gritty and accomplished ninth studio album, Just Like Medicine, he tells an authentic version of his story, which contains both unimaginable sorrow and many blessings. It is arguably his greatest effort yet.

A.J. has spent his very musical life forging deep connections with music and musicians. As he explains, “I’ve has the chance to work with a lot of my musical heroes and a lot of people who became my heroes as I worked with them. These people don’t have a lot to prove. And one thing I found out is that even with all they’ve done and all they’ve achieved, every one of them is really open in the end. Even though they may have a certain style, and are sometimes stubborn about how they do things, when push comes to shove, they are open, willing and able to go in any number of directions to chase a good song. They’ve all taught me a lot about how to follow the music and find the truth. That’s why Just Like Medicine sounds real and raw – it’s meant-to-be music. This music here was not fixed. This music here was made.”

Croce’s nine albums have been released via both major and independent labels, and have charted 17 Top 20 singles and all nine albums on the radio including on Top 40, Americana, Independent, Blues, and Jazz. A virtuoso piano player, he has performed at TED Talk and gave a masterclass at the University of Barcelona. Croce has also performed on major talk shows and news programs including The Late Show, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, CNN, MTV and VH1.