These days, Jeff Smith is part of a quartet called the Band
of Steves along with Jeff Severson,
(independent producer and former Four Out of Five Doctors
guitarist and arranger) and former members of The Sleepers
and Artful Dodger Steve Brigida and Steve Cooper. Smith,
Cooper and Brigida have been playing together for 15 years distilling
a funky rhythmic bottom to pin Smith's melodies and words in a rootsy/bluesy/poprockfolky
sort of style, (Americana might be a handle).
Smith's debut album has been compared to the likes of Tom Petty,
Pete Droge and Wilco. Backed by members of Mary Chapin Carpenter's
band, The Human Wilderness (Acetate 7002) sounds like Steve
Earle and the ghosts of Lefty Frizzell and Hank Williams jammin'
in the back of a broken down West Virginia grocery store on a sticky
summer night.
In recording The Human Wilderness, Smith enlisted long time
friends John Jennings, Jon Carroll, Rico Petruccelli and Robbie
Magruder to accompany him on what has been called >"as
welcome as a roadside diner on a lonely highway... (with) heartfelt
songs about life in small town USA, that are true masterpieces of
American music." >Jeff will be playing solo at Rappahannock Coffee.
Seating
is limited