 The Vintage Houston, Texas |
to the music of  |
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The Vintage Houston, Texas |
to the music of |
Before becoming a member of "The Grangers," Jeff experimented with a finger-style of music he had been trying to achieve since the middle 70's when he first picked up a guitar. He could hear in his mind how he wanted it to sound, but could never play it. On and off the guitar playing went from one year to another. Rests were taken when the frustration became too much to bear. The guitar was never given up, only set aside.
When that particular sound made itself known there would be no mistaking it! Beginning with the sound track to a local theater production of Sam Shepherd's "True West," a style of chords accompanied by simultaneous melody lines developed.
In his excitement, years of pent up music flowed out. Jeff took advantage of this flow of creativity and wrote more and more music, recording it to tape for future use in other theater productions, or just for the sake of having the music on hand. Here you will find some of those early recordings.
Feel free to download and play the sample MP3's for your friends. They're great for driving. But, be careful, they might make you sleepy!
 Selections from: TRUE WEST True West | Debra | Amazing Grace A friend was directing the play, "True West," by Sam Shepard. When she heard Jeff play one evening, she immediately asked him to record the pre-show, intermission and curtain call music for the production. Jeff readily agreed, jumping at the opportunity to have his music heard by the public. After reading the script and getting an idea of what he thought the characters were like, Jeff sat down and carefully composed a piece for each of them. Each piece became a musical metaphore for the characters. The director, Debra, wasn't forgotten either. So, click on the title track and enjoy. 
As more and more music was being created, Jeff noticed that the tone was beginning to change. The music seemed to have a medieval feel to it. Jeff thought maybe it was the fact that a lot of the newer pieces were written in 3/4 time. The time signature seemed to give the compositions a lilting feel to them. So, a general phase of medieval music began. Jeff experimented with this "feel," and came to the realization that it was his intellectual interest in medieval times that was shaping the music. The reasons really didn't matter, it just sounded good.
 Henry II After several pieces were recorded, the play "The Lion in Winter," came up for production at a theater across town. Not just wanting to play Henry II, Jeff offered a sample tape in hopes of at least being able to do the music for the production. Jeff didn't get to the part, or the music. At least he doesn't think so, because the director didn't contact him to discuss the possibility.
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 Selections from: IMPRESSIONIST EXHIBIT She Arrives Unattended | My Love Remembers You | All Good Things The director of "True West," asked that Jeff only use one guitar. She was adamant that there should be no other instruments. But, if you listen carefully, some of the tunes have a bass in them. They just needed some bottom end, something to hold them up. (Sh-h-h-h!) The reason for telling you that was to tell you this; Jeff wondered what his music would sound like with two, or more, guitars. Could two guitars playing in similar style create an interesting piece of music? Or would they just cancel one another out? In an attempt to answer the question, Jeff recorded composition after composition with two or more guitars. The sound was incredible! Jeff began to amass several tapes of music, varying in feel and sound. There came a time when a production of A.R. Gurney's play "Love Letters," needed some music. Jeff offered the director a tape of a few pieces that reflected the general emotion of the play, while at the same time giving the director an idea of the style of music Jeff produced. The director loved the music and gave his go-ahead for a soundtrack to the production. "Impressionist Exhibit," was born. Jeff selected pieces of music that were already recorded. Each piece represented an emotional shift in the play. After compiling the selections to be used in the production, Jeff mixed the music, focussing on the overall melody and mood each piece suggested.
For more of Jeff's music,
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