Key West, Florida-based singer-songwriter jefff recently released a brand-new single/music video, “The Fire,” a track lifted from his forthcoming album, My Last CD, slated to drop later this year via Conch Town Music.
My Last CD merges tropical savors with tasty funk, courtesy blends of the musical gifts of Hiram Garzaro (drums), Wayne Hammond (bass), Ric Robertson (keyboards), Dave Hammer (slide guitar), and jefff (guitar, vocals).
Originally from Pennsylvania, jefff took piano lessons beginning at age 7. As he hit his teen years, he began writing songs. Eventually, he studied music theory, history, jazz, and philosophy in college, followed by playing with Entrain.
Relocating to Florida, jefff has since dropped four solo albums, jamming with celebrity musicians like Zach Brown, G-Love, and Jimmy Buffet, along with others.
“The Fire” opens on a swirling, simmering blend of brass and braying organ, followed by segueing into a cool one-drop beat topped by lush, skiffing guitars. The creamy, glowing reggae melody, conveys sensuous, rippling colors as jefff’s evocative voice infuses the lyrics with scrumptious flavors.
“Sun rise up in the morning / Sun goes down in the afternoon / So I say don’t you worry / I’m coming home real soon / I’m coming home to you / If the fire burns bright / We can burn it all night.”
A tantalizing guitar solo, dirty and slightly growling, give the tune an alluring texture. Rather than trying to impress listeners with glitzy, incinerating licks, the solo eschews dramatic bombast for the yummy concept of ‘less is more.’
I love the layered drawl of the organ merging with the crisp beat and accenting inflections of the saxophone, eliciting a feeling of tripping and sashaying along a white sandy beach with a beautiful lover.
With “The Fire,” jefff demonstrates his innate feel for rootsy reggae delivered with stylish aplomb, as well as contagious vocals aromas.
