Jeff Parker (born April 4, 1967) is an American guitarist and composer based in Los Angeles.[1][2][3] Born in Connecticut and raised in Hampton, Virginia, Parker is best known as an experimental musician, working with jazz, electronic, rock, and improvisational groups. Parker studied at Berklee College of Music and then moved to Chicago in 1991.[4]
Jeff Parker | |
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Background information | |
Born | Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. | April 4, 1967
Genres | Jazz, experimental, post-rock, free jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, drum programming |
Years active | 1991-present |
Labels | Delmark, Atavistic, Thrill Jockey, International Anthem, Eremite Records |
Website | www |
Also a multi-instrumentalist, Parker has been a member of the post-rock group Tortoise[5] since 1996, and was a founding member of Isotope 217 and the Chicago Underground Trio in the 1990s and early 2000s. He is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and has worked with George Lewis, Ernest Dawkins, Brian Blade, Joshua Redman, Fred Anderson, Meshell Ndegeocello, Joey DeFrancesco, Smog (aka Bill Callahan), Carmen Lundy and Jason Moran.[6] A prolific sideman, he has also released seven albums as a solo artist: Like-Coping, The Relatives, Bright Light in Winter, The New Breed, Slight Freedom, Suite for Max Brown, and Forfolks.[7]
Discography
editAs leader or co-leader
edit- Vega (with Bernard Santacruz and Michael Zerang) (Marge, 2002)
- Like-Coping (Delmark, 2003)
- Out Trios, Vol. 2 (with Michael Zerang and Kevin Drumm) (Atavistic, 2003)
- Song Songs Song (with Scott Fields) (Delmark, 2004)
- The Relatives (Thrill Jockey, 2005)
- Bright Light in Winter (Delmark, 2012)
- The New Breed (International Anthem, 2016)
- Slight Freedom (Eremite, 2016)[7]
- Diagonal Filter (Not Two, 2018)
- Suite for Max Brown (International Anthem/Nonesuch, 2020)[8]
- Some Jellyfish Live Forever (with Rob Mazurek) (RogueArt, 2021)
- Forfolks (Nonesuch, 2021)
- Eastside Romp (with Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits) (RogueArt, 2022)
- Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy (Eremite, 2022)
With Tortoise
edit- TNT (Thrill Jockey, 1998)
- In the Fishtank (In the Fishtank, 1999)
- Standards (Thrill Jockey, 2001)
- It's All Around You (Thrill Jockey, 2004)
- The Brave and the Bold (Overcoat, 2006)
- Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey, 2009)
- The Catastrophist (Thrill Jockey, 2016)[9]
With Joshua Abrams
edit- Cipher (Delmark, 2003)
- Represencing (Eremite, 2012)
- Magnetoception (Eremite, 2015)
- Cloud Script (Rogueart, 2020) with Cloud Script
- Chicago Underground Quartet (Thrill Jockey, 2001)
- Good Days (Astral Spirits, 2020)
- Possible Cube (Delmark, 1999)
- Flamethrower (Delmark, 2000)
With Hamid Drake and Bindu
edit- Blissful (RogueArt, 2008)
- Reggaeology (RogueArt, 2010)
With Isotope 217
edit- The Unstable Molecule (Thrill Jockey, 1997)
- Commander Mindfuck/Designer EP (Aesthetics, 1999)
- Utonian_Automatic (Thrill Jockey, 1999)
- Who Stole The I Walkman? (Thrill Jockey, 2000)
With Rob Mazurek
edit- Playground (Delmark, 1998)
- Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra (Thrill Jockey, 2008)
With Tricolor
edit- Mirth + Feckless (Atavistic, 1999)
- Nonparticipant + Milk (Atavistic, 2001)
With Makaya McCraven
edit- Universal Beings (International Anthem, 2018)
- In These Times (International Anthem, 2022)
With Matana Roberts
edit- The Chicago Project (Central Control, 2008)
With Daniel Villarreal
edit- Panamá 77 (International Anthem, 2022)
- Lados B (International Anthem, 2023)
References
edit- ^ Los Angeles Times (May 14, 2013). "Guitarist Jeff Parker leaves his comfort zone in relocating to L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Biography of Jeff Parker". Nme.com. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Jeff Parker Interview on GuitarPlayer.com
- ^ "Jeff Parker Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ "Tortoise". Nme.com. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Marsh, Peter. "BBC - Music - Review of Jeff Parker - Like-Coping". Bbc.co.uk.
- ^ a b "Jeff Parker Discography". AllMusic.
- ^ "Jeff Parker: Suite for Max Brown". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ "Tortoise Discography". AllMusic.
Bibliography
edit- Fabian Holt, 2007. Jeff Parker and the Chicago Jazz Scene. In: Genre in Popular Music. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0-226-35039-4