Jeff Greene

Rock ‘n’ roll legend Jeff Greene will surely attract the crowds to Silky's in Ballinrobe this Friday night, August 29, when the Grammy-nominated American-born star will play tracks from his latest album Dark Nite of the Soul.

Jeff, who has been living between The Neale and Ballinrobe since 1997, rose from humble beginnings to wind up playing with of the best musicians and legends in the rock ‘n’ roll world.

At the beginning of his music career, a friend of Jeff's sent a demo recording of his to a record company and the next thing he knew, he was in New York city recording at Atlantic Records’ studio with staff producer John Mahoney.

“I found myself listening to Celine Dion next door to me while I was recording my new album, listening to names like Sting, U2, and The Rolling Stones being thrown about like it’s no big deal, while watching Ahmet Ertegun get out of his car to come to work!� Jeff recalled.

Jeff's musical career really took off in the ’90s. He is now playing with some of the top musicians in Ireland, the UK and the US - Johnny Scott (Van Morrison/Nick Lowe), Liam Bradley (Chieftains/VanMorrison), Henry McCullough (Paul McCartney), and Steve Holley (Paul McCartney), to name but a few.

Jeff has just finished his latest album Dark Nite of the Soul, which contains 11 songs written and recorded by Jeff himself. The album was recorded between Windmill Lane studios in Dublin, Metropolis studios in London, and Sound Kitchen in Nashville, Tennessee. Jeff is now in the process of organising a tour here in Ireland, as well as in the UK and the USA, and where better to start off than in his adoptive home!

On Friday night, Jeff will be joined by special guest Henry McCullough (guitarist for Paul McCartney, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix, etc). The gig in Silky's will be recorded live, with MTV already anxious to get their hands on the video. - Western People, Ireland

by Deana Lane
deana@themusiccitymuse.com




When I was asked to review this CD, I was so expecting to dislike it that the following morning, prior to opening it, I used it to scrape frost off of my windshield. The album is titled 'Dark Nite of the Soul' which I find very cheesy and Ronnie James Dio-esque. The cover looks more like that of a romance novel than an album, and I imagine that Jeff Greene is the kind of guy that sleeps under a dream catcher and smokes cheap cigarettes. However, after popping it into my CD player, I was pleasantly surprised.

The first shocker to me was the recording quality. Even though the cover may mislead you, the quality of the sound is definitely that of a national act. Everything is balanced out in a very neat ratio. The sound is crystal clear, that is, for a bluesy album. Kudos to Declan Gaffney, who did a great job of mixing and recording the CD.

I also felt like a fool as I played the first few songs. They are driving and poisonous, sure to attract anyone, no matter their preferred genre. 'Rich Man' is the opening track, and it's a fantastic choice to begin the album. The next couple of songs seem to follow the vivacious lead, twisting blues, rock and soul into attractive, feel-good songs. These tunes have a classic bar sound to them. They would definitely fit in at sports bars or small bars that fifty-somethings attend to meet forty-somethings and 'dance.' However, I was slightly disappointed with several other tracks that seemed to be weak filler songs. Tunes like 'Life is a Merry Go Round' and 'I'm a Singer' bring the good vibe down to boredom. The music seems to drone on rather than trigger emotion or heart. But really...what album doesn't have a few songs that aren't quite as good as the rest? That's what they make 'seek' buttons for. The album is wrapped up with a great song that, to be honest, I listened to several times. It's titled 'No Way on Earth' and the feeling is accented much more than on any other tracks. It's a song that would probably be easy for just about anyone of any age to relate to.

All in all, I'm surprised to say this is a pretty good album that, for the most part, I enjoyed. If you enjoy Bret Michaels or newer Kid Rock, or if you need some music with a light vibe to drive around to, this is definitely worth your money. I know I'm going to hold on to it. - the Music City Muse

I don't think you can find any better music then Jeff Greene! His music makes you wanna bob your head and sing along! This guys got talent!- V! is for VAMPIRES - V! is for VAMPIRES