Jeff Jolly
Jeff grew up on a dead end street in Brooklyn NY.
. Watching his grandmother and sister one Christmas, playing piano and entertaining the family, he found what he was looking for; Music! The music was it. Got a banjo for Christmas and started to play. First song he wrote was “You Can’t Play the Blues on a Banjo”.
When Neil Young played in Manhattan he was so impressed with his performance he went out and got a guitar the next week. Later, the neighborhood gang would bring what they called “The Bible” to their gatherings, singing while Jeff worked out every chord to the works of that book whose author was Bob Dylan. Jeff honed his skills at these “sacred” meetings, held in the public school parks, often brought to an abrupt halt by police raids called out by irritated neighbors who could take the serenading no more!
Jeff has traveled the country, writing songs, playing in the street for change and anywhere else he could find to express his life and love for music. When he hit San Francisco in 1994 the Jeff Jolly Band was created and his first CD was released entitled “The Runner”. The CD received airplay at KFOG Radio in San Francisco and at KHUM Radio in Northern California. It got rave reviews from such national trade magazines as Album Network and Relix Magazine. Since then, Jeff Jolly has released two more CD’s: “Raw Material” and “Jeff Jolly Live”, the latter being recorded in Paris, France at a ten-night packed house.
2007 ended with a bang playing for 60,000 people at the 40th Anniversary of “The Summer Of Love” in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. 2008 brings a new CD where Jeff draws on friends from the road. Guests include Bill Payne (Little Feat), Joe Craven and The Uptown Horns, to name a few. 2008 looks like a great year for the Jeff Jolly Band! From California to New York to Europe, Jeff has opened for George Thorogood, Little Feat, David Crosby, Edgar Winter, Elvin Bishop, Bad Company, and many others. The band ranges from solo acoustic to 4 to 10 players depending on the venue. They have played for crowds ranging from 10 to 60,000 people who have enjoyed Jeff’s style and the unmistakable influences of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Hendrix.
Just good time Rock and roll! For more info and reviews see www.jeffjolly.net. You can also find the Jeff Jolly Band on myspace.com.
Jeff Jolly: Bio
Hitt Music Group
From Manhattan to Haight-Ashbury--and everywhere in between.
With an all-star band and unstoppable songwriting talent, Jeff Jolly has rocked his way across the country for over a decade. After years spent drowning out the sounds of a turbulent childhood with radio and resilience, Jeff picked up his first six-string as a teenager. Tossing genre definition to the wayside from his very first creation, "You Can't Play The Blues On A Banjo", Jeff dove into music full force and has never looked back.
After honing his skills on the stages and street corners New York City, Jeff eventually migrated to San Francisco and began collaboration with Desiree Parker (Background Vocals), Dave Fairchild (Bass/Vocals) and Steve Vandewark (Vocals/Drums). In six years together, the Jeff Jolly Band has released three studio compilations and a live album from their headlining debut in Paris. At the root of the band's sound is a dynamic blend of country, rock and blues. From thoughtful ballads to uptempo wit and wordplay, each track features Jeff's signature combination of rhythm and lyrical agility. Nuanced harmonies and biting guitar lines are crafted around messages of life, love and the essence of the environment.
This dance inducing combination has attracted the attention of industry heavyweights. The Jeff Jolly band has garnered national radio airplay, a coveted feature on the hit NBC drama Friday Night Lights, performed at the 40th Anniversary of "The Summer of Love" in Golden Gate Park and regularly headlines music festivals across the country. Jeff's talent and innovation have earned international acclaim with features in Relix Mag, Catsask.com and Album Network Magazine along with stellar reviews from Canadian music sites and Blue Frog Blues Reviews.
Seasoned performance veterans, the band have gigged their way across the globe and rocked crowds up to 60,000 strong. After touring in support of James Brown, David Crosby and other industry icons, the Jeff Jolly Band has developed a dedicated fanbase and continue to light up the Pacific live circuit and beyond.
The group's latest effort, Jeff Jolly's Pizza, has posted impressive independent sales. Featuring intricate harmonies and bold juxtapositions of rock and acoustic style, their latest work has drawn comparisons to Neil Young and My Morning Jacket. They look forward to touring in support of the release and developing licensing platforms for film, television and major media outlets. Standing on the pulse of a rising career, The Jeff Jolly Band is set to reacquaint growing audiences with the sounds of driving Americana and remain true to the spirit of good time rock n roll.