Jeff Young
Announces only NZ show:
Coast - 10 February 2005
Presented by R Records
Highly acclaimed vocalist/musician Jeff Young is coming to New Zealand in February for one special show at Coast Bar,
Princes Wharf.
Defying categorisation, Young's work crosses the divide between reggae, blues, R, gospel and Jamaican infused pop. With each track comes a unique flavour reminiscent of such bands as UB40, Blind Boys
of Alabama and early U2. With a voice as smooth as Aaron Neville or Otis Reading, it's no wonder Young has been in such
demand since his first tour of Europe with Randy Crawford on the Crusaders' Street Life tour (1978).
"I have a kiwi wife and love the place; it's a real honour to be playing in New Zealand with my own band. Having
performed here on other musicians' tours, it's now great to be able to put together my own band with a multi-cultural
assembly of musicians of South American and Maori descent, including Kipa Royal who I have a great affinity with," says
Young.
Young's music is influenced by songwriters like Jackson Browne, who Jeff has a long history with, reggae artists like
Dennis Browne and Bob Marley, and blues singers such as Bobby Blue Bland and Sam Cooke, many of which he saw perform
live at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem as a child.
Classically trained at Ithaca College in New York and London, Young has toured with luminaries such as Jackson Browne,
Vonda Shepherd, Phoebe Snow, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Randy Crawford, Curtis Styger, Boz Scaggs, Donald Fagen, Donna Summer
- a veritable who's who of acclaimed musicians from around the globe. He has also collaborated with NZ artist Greg
Johnson on his recent single 'Save Yourself'.
Young met Vonda Shepherd in 1994 when Jackson Browne was auditioning a new singer for an upcoming tour. Vonda was such a
hit singing with Jackson, Jeff and Scott Thurston that she joined the band after only three songs. Vonda subsequently
hired Jeff for many Ally McBeal sessions and even introduced Jeff to his wife, Susanna. Jeff Young has also written with
lyricist Keith Reid - known for writing the lyrics to 60s hit 'Whiter Shade of Pale' (Procol Harum).
Jeff Young is being brought to New Zealand by R Records - an independent label established in 2003 by Peter Rishworth as
part of the Rishworth Group of international companies.
Tickets at $37 will be available through Ticketek from December 17, 2004. Show starts at 8pm with special guest.
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