Artist Information
Biography
A long time member of Spokane Washington’s professional music scene, Jeff Aker has been playing both electric and acoustic guitar, professionally, since 1971. Both as a solo act and as a member of numerous bands, he has played everything from ‘ballsy’ Rock to 80’s Punk to traditional folk; Jeff has played it all. Regardless of the musical ‘detours’, his first music love has always been the Blues. Jeff’s guitar specialties are playing acoustically in the finger-picking Piedmont style, the underlying powerful base of the Mississippi Hill Country, the historically deep rhythms of the Delta and electrically, in the driving beat of Chicago Blues. Though his music career has been located in Spokane, Jeff has not been limited to ‘living room gigs’; he has opened for both Larry Garner – electric blues out of Louisiana and the world famous harp player, James Cotton. He has also played several Washington state festivals, including The Ritzville Blues Festival, The Spirit Lake Blues Festival, and The Spokane Blues Festival. The Inland Empire Blues Society has nominated Jeff two years in a row for Best Acoustic Blues Act, and for Best Slide Guitarist.
Electric Blues influences for Jeff are Albert King, B.B. King, Lucky Peterson, and Otis Rush. His acoustic inspirations are Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Blake, Mance Lipscomb, Big Bill Broonzy, John Lee Hooker and Skip James.
Jeff Aker is a Bluesman, who loves the traditional, explores the inventive, strives for authenticity, treasures the joy of playing his guitar and when all is said and done – PLAYS THE BLUES!
Instrumentation
I play acoustic and steel bodied National guitars
Discography
Video
Press
Setlist
My typical set list , would be a combination of Eric Clapton, "UNPLUGGED", like Layla, Keb Mo', Robert Johnson, and some originals. I would also have some things by blind boy Fuller, and John Lee Hooker. A typical set would be 45 minutes.
