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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 and continues to perform in a
duet with fiddler Heather
Gilmer. 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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