Jeff Blake profile picture

Jeff Blake

Enjoy the soothing sounds...

About Me

You know those people that just LOVE music too much? The ones that are always listening to or thinking about it, or trying to scrape up some cash to buy some more albums or CD's. If you've ever worked in a record store, you know the type. These frequent customers are likely to be buying a dub reggae CD, a used Les Baxter album, and some honkytonk country in the same purchase. They know the most obscure trivia about the most obscure trivial bands? They live to hear something they've never heard before... I'm one of those guys. Music is like air to me. I couldn't imagine living without it.
Previously, I was a member of the following bands: Broken Arrow (1986), The Withdrawal (1986-1987), Just Population (1987-1989), The Sunshine Truck (1989-1993), Saturn Return (1993-1994) and the Crumbling Lights (1998-1999).
During the years 1993-1997, I recorded five solo albums on my trusty 4-track:
1994 - Smarvelous
1995 - Fozzyburger (Looking For My Marbles in the Chapel Perilous)
1996 - And I Fly
1996 - Pandemonium
1997 - Sunflowers
I haven't done any solo recordings in the last decade, but in January 2007, I resumed writing and recording. I've been enjoying the process of creating again. It's strange how addictive recording is. I forgot how easy it is to get lost in the music. I just love making music, it brings me joy.
I am currently recording my next album, The Mad Capricorn, which I plan to release in 2008.
If you like what I'm doing, know where I'm coming from, or just want to say hello, please write. I'd love to hear from you.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 12/22/2006
Band Website: jeffblakedesign.com
Band Members: Jeff Blake - Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Lap Steel, Keyboards, Vocals, etc...
Influences: I really love a lot of different music. I don't really know how my influences show in my music, but here are some of my favorites:

Late 60's San Francisco/UK Folk/Psych, Bakersfield Country, Jazz (Swing, Bop, Hard Bop, Avant Garde), Bluegrass, Reggae, Krautrock, Classical, almost anything with drones & overtones, All Night Radio, Syd Barrett, Beach Boys, Beachwood Sparks, Beatles, Jimmy Bryant, Tim Buckley, Byrds, CAN, Captain Beefheart, Gene Clark, Cluster, John Coltrane, Julian Cope, Elvis Costello, David Crosby, Cure, Current 93, Dillard and Clark Expedition, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Brian Eno, Flying Burrito Bros, Grateful Dead, Merle Haggard, George Harrison, John Hartford, Lee Hazlewood, Jimi Hendrix, High Llamas, Icicle Works, Incredible String Band, Charles Ives, Jefferson Airplane, Waylon Jennings, Kaleidoscope (US), Albert King, Freddie King, King Crimson, Kinks, Kraftwerk, Fela Kuti, Led Zeppelin, Long Ryders, Loop, Love, Paul McCartney, Moby Grape, Mother Hips, Music Machine, Willie Nelson, Nilsson, Nurse With Wound, Buck Owens, Pentangle, Pink Floyd, Popol Vuh, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Radiohead, early R.E.M., Sagittarius, Ravi Shankar, Soft Machine, Sorrow, Spacemen 3, Skip Spence, Stereolab, Surf, Supergrass, David Sylvian, Talk Talk, Velvet Underground, Scott Walker, T-Bone Walker, Speedy West, Clarence White, Bob Wills, Robert Wyatt, X, XTC, Yes, Neil Young, Frank Zappa

And there's a lot more... a big ol' hodge-podge... I pretty much like a little of everything.
Sounds Like: Me
Record Label: None
Type of Label: None

My Blog

New Song Posted - Please, Mister

©Jeff Blake 2008Everyone tells me my songs are too slow and mellow, so here’s something different...A quick explanation on the words in the chorus. They come from the scene in the Beatles’...
Posted by Jeff Blake on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:44:00 PST

New Song Posted - Tell Me (Song for Mary Beth)

New Song Posted - Tell Me (Song for Mary Beth)©Jeff Blake 2008
Posted by Jeff Blake on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 01:10:00 PST

Lyrics: Reno Morning

Here are some old lyrics that I recently found. I wrote these when I lived in Reno in 2004. I thought I'd go ahead and post them (since I haven't posted much of anything for a long time). One of these...
Posted by Jeff Blake on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:21:00 PST

New Song Posted - Closed Again (38o04)

Here's another new one for your listening enjoyment... I just can't help myself. I love posting new songs as soon as I finish them (and sometimes before I finish them).This one is acoustic guitars, vo...
Posted by Jeff Blake on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:53:00 PST

New version of the Windmills posted

I've been sick, so I haven't been able to do much, but I did remix The Windmills yet again and I think I like it this time... so this should be it for awhile, at least until I add drums or keyboards, ...
Posted by Jeff Blake on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 10:45:00 PST

New Song Posted - The Windmills (38o03)

I've posted a new recording. Like cookies, it's fresh out of the oven. I hope you like it.Edit: I made some changes and have uploaded the new version. Sometimes... cookies need to go back into the ove...
Posted by Jeff Blake on Fri, 02 Mar 2007 01:04:00 PST

Music I'm listening to: Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden (1988)

I plan on regularily making posts about the music I'm listening to. I'm not a reviewer and I don't plan on making doing technical analysis. I'm just going to share my impressions and possibly bring at...
Posted by Jeff Blake on Mon, 19 Feb 2007 04:58:00 PST

Free downloads available

I have posted downloadable mp3s of my CD, Pandemonium, on my webpage at:www.jeffblakedesign.com/musicI will also post of few tracks each from And I Fly and Sunflowers.I hope you enjoy my music....
Posted by Jeff Blake on Sun, 18 Feb 2007 01:36:00 PST

New Song Posted - Instrumental 38o02

It's 3:24 am. I've been doing some recording tonight and have posted the new song I'm working on. I really shouldn't start recording at 11:30 at night... no wonder I'm so sleepy at work.Back to the so...
Posted by Jeff Blake on Sat, 17 Feb 2007 03:28:00 PST