On his 12th birthday, Jeff received a guitar as a present, and he wasted no time learning how to play it. He had a burning interest in playing guitar, and even had a guitar book that he was studying, “Led Zeppelin Complete”. It was not long before he was playing every song. Soon after an older and influential guitar player advised him to “learn the blues before anything else, because that is where modern music comes from", which set him on a course that he has maintained to this day.
Along with Led Zeppelin, Jeff’s early influences included Jimi Hendrix, Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton. He also spent many an evening at “Chord on Blues”, one of the Chicago area’s premier blues clubs, where he was exposed to some of the best blue’s artists in the country. Little by little, he developed a powerful, tough and dusty, Texas tinged style of his own.
Eventually, Jeff’s skills needed a venue, and with his bass-playing father-in-law, he co-founded the band, “RoadStyle”. Later, in 2005, Jeff and four other local musicians founded the blues/rock band “61 Beale Street”. This band was immediately successful, and for almost two years had Jeff playing weekly at local venues, private parties, and festivals, which included the Madison BYOB Bluesfest in 2005 and the Taste of Chicago in 2006.
Well now, Jeff is back once again with 61. His penchant for creating smoke and fire with his Stratocaster will have your hair standing on end. Stevie Ray has to be listening somewhere. It’s a great time, with a great band, and a great group of talented players…. and Jeff is leading the way with more to come! |
