| Jeff Pevar | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jeffrey Pevar |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar Bass guitar Mandolin Dobro Lap Steel |
| Years active | 1970s - Present |
| Associated acts | CPR Ray Charles Crosby, Stills & Nash Phil Lesh & Friends Jazz Is Dead Joe Cocker Rickie Lee Jones Marc Cohn Jefferson Starship |
| Website | pevar.com/ |
Jeff Pevar is an American musician who has recorded and toured with hundreds of renowned artists and is a member of CPR with David Crosby.[1] Although primarily a guitarist, he is also a multi-instumentalist, also playing bass, mandolin, lap steel, dobro and more. Jeff records his own music, composes music for film scores also produces other artists.
Some of the musicians Jeff has recorded and/or toured with include Crosby, Stills and Nash,[2] Donald Fagen's Rock & Soul, James Taylor, Marc Cohn, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Jimmy Webb, Rickie Lee Jones, Dr. John, Carly Simon, Kenny Loggins, Wilson Pickett, Jazz Is Dead, Meat Loaf, Phil Collins, Aztec Two-Step, Richie Havens, Odetta, Jonatha Brooke, Willy Deville and Peter Gallway.
Jeff's first major break was in 1983 when longtime friend, Michael Ruff, invited Jeff to audition for Rickie Lee Jones. Jeff toured nationally with Rickie and her band which included Michael, and other world class musicians such as Reggie McBride and Tony Braunagle.
Around 1984 Jeff arranged an audition with Ray Charles and toured playing guitar with the Ray Charles Orchestra from 1984-1986 in the US, Asia and Europe. Jeff also performed with Ray in the Ray Charles Quartet. Ray Charles invited Jeff into the recording studio and Jeff played on the Ray Charles recording, "The Spirit Of Christmas".
In 1985 Jeff was invited to record with James Taylor on his "That's Why I'm Here" record. A few years later, James introduced Jeff to up and coming singer songwriter, Marc Cohn, when Marc moved to NYC in the early 1990s. In 1988 Jeff toured all over the world with Joe Cocker promoting his Unchain My Heart record.
Jeff toured as a duo with Marc Cohn all over the US and Europe around 1991-1992. While Jeff was touring with Marc Cohn, Jeff and Marc opened for Crosby, Stills and Nash. For many years, Jeff then toured with David Crosby & Graham Nash, as a trio. Performances included a trio performance at the world famous, Carnegie Hall, in NYC and a full band performance at Red Rocks in Colorado with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.
Around the latter part of the 1990s Jeff was invited to be a partner in the band CPR, along with David Crosby and his son, James Raymond. The trio put out four records in the years that followed with other invited musicians including Steve DiStanislao on drums. The band played all over the US and Europe and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival and various festivals and concert halls. Jeff co-wrote many of the band's songs with David and James.
Jeff was invited to tour with the Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh and Friends in the spring of 2000 alongside guitarist, Jimmy Herring. Some of the special guests during those performances were Warren Haynes, Branford Marsalis and Derek Trucks.
Jeff joined in for the recording of the 2004 release of Crosby/Nash. This record features a beautiful song Jeff co-wrote with Graham Nash called "Jesus Of Rio" which also features James Taylor on vocals.
Jeff toured with Graham Nash for a solo tour in 2004 along with Dean Parks, Russ Kunkel, Larry Klein and James Raymond.
Jeff toured with Crosby, Stills and Nash in 2005 and 2006 in the US and Europe including another visit to the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Jeff toured with the jamband, Jazz Is Dead, for various tours, performing interpretive versions of Grateful Dead material with musicians including T Lavitz, Rod Morgenstein, Alphonso Johnson, Billy Cobham, Kenny Gradney, Dave Livolsi, Jeff Sipe, Jerry Goodman and others.
Jeff toured as a bassist during the 40th anniversary of Woodstock with Jefferson Starship on the Heroes of Woodstock Tour also featuring Ten Years After, Big Brother & The Holding Co., Country Joe McDonald, Canned Heat and many other acts from the original Woodstock line up.
Jeff performs in the Oregon based band Bohemian Soul, with his partner Inger Jorgenson. The duo performed at Schildersweek, the Artist Festival in Domburg, Holland, in 2009 and 2010. The duet is also sometimes joined by singer Jaese Lecuyer and vocal instrumentalist, Cornflower.
In 2011 Jeff was invited to take part of a reunion tour with Rickie Lee Jones, featuring a big band, celebrating her first two records. Jeff opened for David Lindley at the Rogue Theatre in 2011.
In addition to his work as a session musician, film music composer, and hired touring musician, Pevar often performs with his own eponymous band in his home state of Connecticut and in the band Guitarness with his long time friend, guitarist extraordinaire, Scott Murawski, of Max Creek.