The Beatles, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Mamas & the Papas, The Hollies, The Supremes, The Who, The Kinks, The Doors, Crowded House, Bad Finger, Jelly Fish, U2, Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Michael Penn, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zepplin, Traffic, Joni Mitchell, Todd Rundgren, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Roy Orbison, The Police, YES, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Tears for Fears, XTC, Steely Dan, Prefab Sprout, Dave Clark Five, The Cars, The Pretenders, The Jam, The Bangles, Nickel Creek, The Grass Roots, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Glen Miller, Mozart, Beethoven... to name but a few.
Jeff Tracy was born and raised in California. The natural beauty of the land, coupled with the energy of the people, created an atmosphere of constant inspiration. Like millions of musicians and non-musicians alike, Jeff’s life was forever changed the night the Beatles first performed on the Ed Sullivan Show. Boyhood dreams of exploring space, and discovering ancient civilizations, were forever replaced with the desire to write, record, and perform music. A love for melody and lush harmony vocals made the Beatles, the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and the Mamas & the Pappas, main staples of Jeff’s early musical diet.
Picking up the guitar at age 11, Jeff is completely self-taught. He formed his first band in 5th grade. The following year that band won his school’s talent contest with a well rehearsed rendition of ‘Day Tripper’. That summer the band went on to be the youngest group to perform in the Fender Battle of the Bands in San Jose, California, and got their first paying gig.
Serious efforts to write, record, and perform original music began as Jeff entered his teens. Several years would be spent forming bands with two close friends (Jeffrey Foskett of Beach Boys & Brian Wilson bands fame on guitar & vocals, and Jeff Sielaff on drums – bass players tended to come and go, thankfully NOT due to spontaneous combustion!). Performances at Bay Area High Schools, and venues like the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds gave momentum to the dream of a career in music.
Jeff also enjoyed the benefits of having an older brother (Dennis Tracy) who was signed to several major recording & publishing contracts over the years. Dennis knew Jeff’s love of music equaled his own, and made it possible for him to spend time in some of the finest recording studios on the West Coast, along with providing the opportunity to meet and converse with people like record producer luminaries Fred Catero (Santana, Chicago, Janis Joplin), Jack Daugherty (The Carpenters), David Kirshenbaum (Joe Jackson), and musicians Nigel Olsen (Elton John’s Drummer), and Steve Carlton (studio guitarist), to name but a few.
By the early 80s Jeff owned & operated his own recording studio. He was also the guitarist/vocalist for ‘The Feel’, a popular 3 piece San Francisco Bay Area band described as a cross between the Beatles & the Police, doing openers at sold out shows for the likes of up and coming bands like Huey Lewis & the News.
Today Jeff resides in Austin, Texas where over the last decade he has been one of two primary writers for indie roots pop/folk rock pop band 'Blue Cartoon'. To date four BC CDs have been well received by the global indie community. A growing catalog of songs led to the desire to release a solo disc. With ‘a little help from his friends’ he has produced an inspired debut effort sure to provide listeners many joyful spins as the years fly by.
The new 'Moments In Time' CD is available from Amazon.com, CD Baby, i-Tunes, Kool Kat Music, Not Lame Records, Napster, Target.com, and others.
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Hey, great to get your friend request! Really like the new songs here on myspace - any chance you want to send a CD or mp3s along for inclusion on the show!? Hope so, and happy 2008 to you!
Welcome to the world of The Rock and Roll Report, Rock and Roll Report Radio and the Rock and Roll Report Podcast. Make sure you stay in touch and email me if you would be interested in being considered for the podcast.
The next podcast will be released on January 9th.
Thanks again!
Mark www.rockandrollreport.com rockandrollreport@gmail.com
Hi Jeff, Al Chan here from Vox Pop. Nice to meet you here on myspace, your songs and voice sound great! It's driving me crazy, have I met you before? I know that I met your brother Dennis at Smoky Mountain years ago. He wrote the Rubinoos first single "Gorilla" and I thought that it was cool that he went to Willow Glen High with one of my best friends Chuck Oeland. All the best to you and keep on writing the great tunes.
Hi Jeff...love your new tunes, especially "Sundown in Smalltown." You have a very refreshing sound. Many thanks for the friendship and I hope our paths cross here in gitar town. Happy Holidays!!! Peace, Susie
