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BIOGRAPHY
Jeff has
been playing the guitar since the
age of seven. He
grew up alongside the influence of
a musically inclined family,
particularly his grandfather
Alonzo "Buddy" Howard, who sang
and played
guitar in his own Texas country
music band, "Buddy and the
Travelers."
As a boy, he received several
years of classical music
instruction on
the piano; however, his guitar
skills were from the very
beginning
self-taught.
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photo
by Tyler Butrill
2004
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Jeff was
introduced to traditional Irish music
in 1995, when he met Texas Irish
flute player Larry Rone. From that
point on he began to make a study of
traditional Irish music generally and
more specifically he focused on
what the great guitarists like Arty
McGlynn, Michael
O'Dohmnaill, Daithi
Sproule and Paul
Brady were doing to back the
music using alternate tunings like
DADGAD. Encouraged to pursue an
instrumental involvement with the
music, Jeff began to collaborate with
Irish fiddler and friend Michael
McCullough and also became a regular
at Austin tune sessions, during
which time he developed his own unique
style of accompaniment.
Over the years Jeff has had the
opportunity to perform with some of
the
Southwest region's top players. A
founding member of the high energy
Texas Irish band Cluan,
Jeff has also performed with regional
bands such as Carey Street, The Sarah Dinan Band,
Poor Man's Fortune
, Gilmer & Moore and
continues to perform in a
duet with Cluan fiddler Chris Buckley.
Jeff has also had the great
pleasure of accompanying
international artists such as Joe Burke, Johnny
B.
Connolly, Jerry
Holland, James
Keane, James
Kelly, Brian
McNeill, Ed
Miller, Mick
Moloney, Mark
Stone, John Taylor and John Williams. |
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In addition to being a singer,
accompanist, bodhran player,
composer,
arranger and producer, Jeff is also
becoming known as an accomplished instructor,
teaching workshops and
demonstrations at festivals and
music camps as well as providing
private instruction to students in
the Austin TX area.
Jeff plays guitars by C.F. Martin
tuned to DADGAD and bodhrans by Metloef Irish
Drums, Rob
Forkner.
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