Jay Sherman-Godfrey profile picture

Jay Sherman-Godfrey

TWOSCORE is my solo debut

About Me

After years as a band member, sideman, session player, producer, and engineer, Jay Sherman-Godfrey has moved front and center with Twoscore, his solo debut. Pressed for a concise description of his style Sherman-Godfrey offers, “Rock with a pop sensibility and country lean,” an approach exemplified in his dramatic, waltz-time reading of the Beach Boys' classic Girl Dont Tell Me, the centerpiece of the disc.
For the six originals, Sherman-Godfrey chose both new and old songs, from the gentle ballad Someone Like You, written in one long night after a mesmerizing Cheri Knight performance in 1996, to Twoscore, his rumination on fatherhood and turning 40, and finally the haunting waltz Hell Gate, composed and recorded just weeks before the EP's completion.
Firmly rooted in the lingua franca of classic mid-60s to mid-70s rock and country, the instrumentation and production project a rootsy front, echoing country-era Byrds, The Band, and Neil Young. The songs, however, owe as much to the intricate pop/rock of Badfinger, The Kinks, Carole King, and George Harrison.
While first making his mark in New York's roots-rock scene as a lead guitarist, Sherman-Godfrey is perhaps best known for his work producing and playing guitar on Laura Cantrell 's debut CD, Not The Tremblin Kind, and its follow-up, When The Roses Bloom Again, each of which received widespread acclaim. Highlights of his tenure with Cantrell include recording two Peel Sessions, performing in support of Elvis Costello, and appearing on Late Night with Conan OBrien.
In addition to Cantrell, Sherman-Godfrey has had the pleasure of working with They Might Be Giants , Amy Rigby, Michael Moore , Eric Ambel , Michael Shelley, Tandy , and Mojo Nixon , among others. He co-founded the seminal NYC country-rock band World Famous Blue Jays with singer and songwriting partner Jeremy Tepper, and enjoyed long-term stints as lead guitarist with Rigby, appearing on her debut Diary of a Mod Housewife , and Angel Dean and the Zephyrs. He collaborated with They Might Be Giants on their full-band debut John Henry, and its follow-up Factory Showroom, also appearing on CDs from John Flansburgh's side band Mono Puff, and on John Linnell's solo project State Songs. As a guitarist and/or co-songwriter he has worked on all four of Michael Shelley's CDs.
Recording Twoscore, Sherman-Godfrey was joined by drummer Phoebe Summersquash (Small Factory, Dave Derby, Sarah Silverman), guitarist Chris Erikson (Matt Keating, Florence Dore), and bassist Jeremy Chatzky (Bruce Springsteen, Loser's Lounge, Laura Cantrell). Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams, Amy Rigby, Laura Cantrell) added pedal steel, and Buddy Project studio proprietor Kieran Kelly played drums on a song. Twoscore was self-produced and self- recorded and mixed by Tony Maimone at Studio G Brooklyn .
BUY TWOSCORE NOW directly from my SNOCAP store above. Also available at . For an actual CD with lovely artwork by Mark Paul and all the proper credits, etc., visit CDBABY .

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 7/20/2006
Band Website: JayShermanGodfrey.com
Band Members: Phoebe Summersquash: drums, vox
Chris Erikson: guitars
Jeremy Chatzky: bass
John Lee: bass
Jay Sherman-Godfrey: vox, guitars, keyboards, harmonica
Influences: Beatles - Beach Boys - Badfinger - Merle Haggard - Gram Parsons - Kinks - Byrds - Neil Young - George Harrison - The Band - Gene Clark - Carole King - Dylan - Gordon Lightfoot.

Oct ‘07 Top Ten

Old Brown Shoe -- Beatles/Ballad of John and Yoko (B)
Miles Ahead -- Miles Davis /Miles Ahead
Too Much of Nothing -- Peter Paul and Mary/Very Best of...
Cross Eyed Mary -- Jethro Tull/Aqualung
Moonlight In Vermont -- Frank Sinatra/Come Fly With Me
London By Night -- Frank Sinatra/Come Fly With Me
Our Love Was -- The Who/The Who Sell Out
Behind That Locked Door -- George Harrison/All Things Must Pass
Crackerbox Palace -- George Harrison/33 and a 1/3
September Gurls -- Big Star/Radio City
Sounds Like: ...something from between 1965 and 1975, mostly.
Record Label: Able Mobile
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Happy Summer

So, I know I've been remiss, but here to wish all a happy summer (unofficial as yet it is) w/ my daughter singing that popular anthem of summer, Take Me Out To The Ball Game. She does quite a bit of i...
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:52:00 PST

The Beatles in Three

Lately, I've been into pop songs in ternary meters (three, six, etc.), and I wondered how many Beatles songs were in three. Counted eight or so off the top of my head (w/ help from UtopianTurtleTop).B...
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Sat, 17 Feb 2007 07:49:00 PST

On your mark, get set...

Go!Clock starts today on the next EP. Twoscore was to be the first of 3 to be released over 5 years more or less -- by my 45th b-day originally. I got behind from the get go, but I'm gonna try to see ...
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Sun, 11 Feb 2007 06:59:00 PST

Piano Shopping

I've decided to get a piano for the house. I used my mother-in-law Bonnie's piano, a beautiful 1911 Steinway Vertagrand for recording Twoscore, but it's an hour and a half away, and practice and perf...
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:06:00 PST

Hairy Birthday

Today is my beard's birthday.My beard is one year old.My beard's birthday is easy to remember. It is precisely two days after Elvis' birthday.Happy birthday, beard.
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Thu, 11 Jan 2007 04:53:00 PST

Chi-Town

Went to Chicago a couple of weekends ago to surprise my Dad on his 70th birthday. The trip was a gas -- he was indeed surprised. Once by me and once by my brother. I always love visiting Chi. Growing ...
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 03:19:00 PST

New Twoscore Review

A lovely review from premier good music booster Lindsay Hutton at Next Big Thing.Pull quote: "Gear like 'Silver Shoes' can light up this often dreary slog." Shucks, I can't attest the the powers of Si...
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Sat, 09 Dec 2006 02:40:00 PST

EMUSIC Daily Dowload Today

They've got Someone Like You up as the free daily download at Emusic today, and today only, plus a nice thumbnail review. Cheers,JSG...
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Mon, 20 Nov 2006 04:11:00 PST

November Housekeeping

Some changes in the music offerings:Retired Girl Don't Tell Me after 500 plays, and put Someone Like You into the first spot, adding the title track of the EP, Twoscore, below. Also changed up the ins...
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Tue, 14 Nov 2006 03:54:00 PST

Radio Radio

Continued hosannas to the wonderful Joe Belock for more Twoscore spins on Three Chord Monte, Tuesdays 12-3pm on radio station WFMU. This past Tuesday he also played Michael Shelley's so-fine Think Wit...
Posted by Jay Sherman-Godfrey on Thu, 09 Nov 2006 07:44:00 PST