Jeff Black (singer-songwriter)

Jeff Black
Background information
Birth name Jeff Black
Born 1960s
Origin Kansas City, Missouri
Genres alternative, folk, singer-songwriter
Instruments vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
Years active 1990s - present
Labels Lotos Nile
Website jeffblack.com

Jeff Black is an American singer-songwriter originally from Kansas City, Missouri and now based in Nashville, Tennessee. His writings have been described in the Allmusic as "impressionistic songs that are smart without forgetting the emotional undercurrent."[1] His songs have been covered by Waylon Jennings, Sam Bush and BlackHawk. BlackHawk's cover of Black's song, "That's Just About Right," was a Top 10 Country single in 1994. Since then Black has released four of his own albums and tours widely. He also maintains his own free weekly podcast, Black Tuesdays.[2]

Biography

Jeff Black was born circa 1960 and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri.[3] Black received his first guitar as a present for his tenth birthday.[4] In his twenties Black began performing at Blayney's, a Kansas City blues club where he also worked as a bouncer. Soon Black began touring and eventually relocated to Nashville, Tennessee where he met, among others, Iris DeMent (Black lends some backing vocals on DeMent's 1992 debut album, Infamous Angel).[3]

Black's own first album, Birmingham Road, was recorded with the members of the band Wilco, minus lead singer, Jeff Tweedy. The songs have been described as "fine portraits of American life without the sappiness or self-consciousness often attributed to the singer/songwriter genre."[5]

Discography

References

  1. ↑ Ronnie Lankford, Jr. "Review: Tin Lily", Allmusic
  2. ↑ Melissa Block, "Singer as DJ: Jeff Black's Podcasts", All Things Considered, National Public Radio, August 9, 2005
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Arthur Wood, "From Missouri to Nashville", FolkWax (link requires free subscription)
  4. ↑ Charlotte Dillon, "Jeff Black: Biography", Allmusic
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 James Chrispell, "Review: Birmingham Road", Allmusic
  6. ↑ Arthur Wood, "Review: Honey and Salt, FolkWax, June 11, 2003 (8 out of 10)
  7. ↑ Arthur Wood, "Review: B Sides and Confessions" , FolkWax, March 26, 2003 (9 out of 10)
  8. ↑ Scott Sheldon, "Jeff Black: Tin Lily" (Review of Tin Lily), Peterborough Folk Music Society, 2006
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Jedd Beaudoin, "Jeff Black: Plow Through The Mystic" (Review of Plow Through The Mystic), PopMatters, December 14, 2011 (8 out of 10)

External links