Bio

Jeffery Straker

Singer-Songwriter-Pianist

“Musically delicious” - Outlooks Magazine, National / Canada (Aug ‘08)

Jeff

NEW NEWS
2008 Toronto Independent Music Award nomination–best pop album
OPENED FOR MEL C (Spice Girls)–TORONTO (Jun ’08)
#11 on Proud fm (Toronto) Top 20 chart (summer ’08)

If you put a little Elton John, and a little Rufus Wainwright in a blender, tossed in a dash of Mika & Ben Folds - then hit puree - you’d get Jeffery Straker. This Canadian singer-songwriter-pianist takes inspiration from pop-rock, folk, & cabaret leanings and blends in his distinct tenor voice. His vocal range runs from the highest falsettos to deep, rumbling bass notes and is delivered with lively stage flair. Jeffery is an actual musical descendant of both Beethoven and Chopin (see below for the full true story!) and the piano-man recently released his new chamber-pop album “Step Right Up” produced by Justin Gray (LA/Toronto). He’s now on the road with his unique brand of piano-vocal music and people are taking note of his tunes. As one New York City reviewer recently put it:

“If Jeffery’s songs have elements of wackiness, it’s always inspired wackiness
(Jed Ryan – New York City Reviewer; jedryan.com/Outmusic-2007)

Jeffery grew up listening to classical and pop music while nursing an addiction to his classical piano studies. He practiced for hours every day. This wouldn’t be abnormal except he grew up in a small farming community in rural Saskatchewan (population 250) where the norms were country music and ice hockey. He trended a little against the grain and got a kick out of doing things a bit differently.

Being the son of an auctioneer and a church organist might explain why he enjoys making music for an audience. His musical mother recognized his talents and had him in piano lessons by age 6. At his peak Jeffery practiced piano 4-5 hours a day and earned a degree in piano performance from Trinity College of Music (England) when he was just 19. But he was also listening to his parents’ Elton John and Fats Domino LPs which began seeping into his soul and his fingers started to produce something different. “I remember learning the intro to Tiny Dancer, and the riff to Blueberry Hill and feeling like I’d slipped into a new skin”.

Plant Biochemistry

Off at university he earned a degree in (naturally) plant biology/biochemistry. “I think I’d burned out on classical piano at that point and needed something completely different. I thought a career in piano wasn’t for me and I just wanted to study something new”. But invites to play keys and sing in various bands opened a window to a new musical world. He started writing songs for some of these groups and became hooked. Providing a nice escape from his studies and then from day-jobs, he soon found that people were actually asking for his songs. Incidentally, a short job stint in a lab with the National Research Council saw him wanting to poke his eyes out with a test tube due to absolute boredom so the move to another career was inevitable. Music re-entered his life at just the right time. Fellow writers encouraged him and he received the first of what evolved into many demo development awards from FACTOR (the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records). With time he re-found his love of music, thankfully, in smoky bars. As the smoke clears we’re now able to see and hear what he has to offer.

His Previous Release

He spent 2006/2007 touring his previous album “Songs from Highway 15”- a collection of piano-folk-pop songs inspired by growing up on the Canadian prairies. FACTOR hopped on board to support the album, while CBC radio helped grow his fan base. Having performed over 200 shows in 2 years he created some good momentum for his music with tour stops including Canada, China, Ireland, and Panama (touring there with the Canadian Embassy). He also performed in New York City with a nomination for ‘Recording of the Year’ at the Outmusic awards. He sold almost 2000 CDs - quite a feat for an indie artist in Canada - and reviews said things like:

“One of the hottest entertainers on the Canadian prairie music scene”
(Northeast Sun, Ryan Land)

Songwriting aspirations

Jeffery’s songwriting & performing aspirations are frighteningly high - to be able to captivate through song, like his favorite storyteller did through word. That mentor was a neighbour, Carl Krall, who lived near his parents’ farm in rural Saskatchewan when he was growing up. “Carl could tell a story like no one else I’ve ever met - if the story was gripping it took your breath away, if it was funny you fell off your chair laughing”. Incidentally, Carl (related to Canada’s Jazz sensation Dianna Krall) was Jeffery’s first glimpse at the touring life. Carl spent his weekends traveling from town to town playing music at dances, weddings, and the like. The seed of the itinerant musician taking his music on the road was planted at an early age.

“You blew me away with that song”
(Jason Blume, May ‘07)

The 2008 Album Release

Following the release of “Songs from Highway 15″ Jeffery found himself wanting to experiment, and started infusing cabaret into his sound. He penned over 40 new songs and found his songwriting shifting gears a bit. So for this new album he followed his muse and took his piano-driven compositions into fresh territory.

The most recent release is his new chamber-pop album “Step Right Up”, produced by Justin Gray (Joss Stone, Emma Bunton, Jacksoul) in Toronto & Los Angeles. The two met at a songwriting workshop and with the pairing Straker’s artful songs met Gray’s incomparable pop-touch that has helped him sell 20 million+ albums worldwide. The recording features industry heavyweights Randy Cook on drums (Five For Fighting, Chantal Kreviazuk, Kelly Clarkson), and Justin Abedin on guitar (Amanda Marshall, Jacksoul). It also features a tuba and a string section caressing Straker’s cabaret leanings. And to tap into more musical vibes while recording in LA, Jeffery slept at the famed Alta Cienega Motel in room 32 where Jim Morrison slept during his Hollywood stint in the late 60’s.
With the help of the Steven Rosen Music Corporation (Los Angeles) the recording is now being shared within the industry and Jeffery is enjoying touring the album. When Straker speaks of the recording he mentions: “When I perform live I like to create a little world that people can enter into and just be there with me for awhile - and I really wanted to do that with this album”.

“You’re a superb performer! . . . your music has great energy”
(Sandra Butel-Artistic Director Regina Folk Festival)

Songs on the new Album

The songs create interesting and colourful narrative snapshots for the listener. “Flat Lines” paints the picture of a friend as she struggles with bi-polar disorder. The 3rd verse chases her as she steals a black-forest cake from a Tim Horton’s and feeds it to a statue of Alexander the Great. The gospel-tinged “Tykie’s Comin Out” spotlights a friend who came out of the closet in 8th grade in small town Saskatchewan to unexpected results while “Hypnotized” tips its hat to early Elton John with its driving piano as the uptempo love tune unravels. Also, a trilogy of piano-vocal songs dot the album (“Bookmark”, “Emoticons”, “Dressed to Kill”) in a tongue in cheek ode to on-line dating.

“Another great disc of music!! I am always happy to spin good tunes, thanks for continuing to make them!”
- Dan Reynish - Host/Producer, Saskatchewan Weekend CBC Radio

Early Music/Early Years

“Thank God that my grandparents gave their old upright piano to my mom when she moved out” sometimes I think she gave birth to me under it, because I’ve been glued to a piano my whole life.” In his early days growing up in rural Saskatchewan (near his hometown of Punnichy), Jeff was in front of audiences at concerts, on local TV productions, and in music festivals. Starting piano lessons at age 6, he was soon writing music (mostly grand endings to imaginary sonatas) and banging it out on the keys with great gusto. From the get go he was ‘pretty serious’ about his piano studies and actually enjoyed practicing and performing with the help of two local piano teachers “Mrs. Young and Mrs. Mctavish who helped him along with heaps of encouragement. He remembers the autumn day when there weren’t enough local boys to make up a 14-&-under hockey team that season, which allowed him to quit hockey and move on to study at the conservatory of music at the University of Regina while still in high school. A few years later he won the conservatory’s Directors’ Silver Medal for performance.

A Bizarre Musical Pedigree Jeffery|Beethoven|Chopin| huh?

While studying at the conservatory Jeffery worked with Frank Crumly who tied Jeff to the grand musical lineage of both Beethoven and Chopin. What on earth are you talking about, you ask? You classical piano buffs will want to check this out: Beethoven taught Czerny, who taught Leschetizky (the greatest teacher of all time), who taught Howard Wells, who taught Thomas Manshardt, who taught Frank Crumly who taught Jeff (6 degrees of separation). Also if that’s not enough: Chopin taught George Matthias, who taught Cortot, who taught Thomas Manshardt who taught Crumly who taught Jeffery (5 degrees of separation). We’re sure Kevin Bacon fits in here somewhere. It’s inevitable.

Since launching the album in 2008

Jeffery is touring across Canada at a feverish pace. The past 4 months have seen 65 dates all tolled including opening for Brit Superstar Mel C (Spice Girls) in Toronto, playing to 10,000. He was nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award (Best Pop Album), and in August performed a knock-out set with the Regina Symphony bringing the audience to its feet. Add to that some steady gains in radio play with songs spinning on Z99 FM Regina as well as the CBC. All summer long on Toronto’s PROUD FM the anthem “Tykie’s Comin Out” sat at #11 on the top 20 chart ahead of artists like Moby and Chris Brown. Jeffery landed performances at festivals including JUNOfest, Ness Creek Fest, and many PRIDE festivals across Canada while his recent CD release concerts in both Regina and Saskatoon sold out. Organizers expect the same for his upcoming Toronto release concert. Additionally, Jeffery’s engaging stage flair-and frequent sprints through the crowd with tambourine in hand- caught the attention of the CBC who recorded and broadcast a performance at their Regina studios.

As touring momentum continues to build with these new songs, Jeffery looks forward to getting “Step Right Up” into more and more listeners’ hands. He’s riding out the rest of the year, piano and top hat in tow, performing dates across Canada. He’ll finish the year with shows in Saskatchewan – back where his fingers first touched the ivories.

Historical Footnote

After his first piano lessons in his hometown of Punnichy, Saskatchewan Jeffery was accepted into the Conservatory of Music at the University of Regina at age 15. He completed his Licentiate Diploma in Performance from Trinity College of Music, London England at age 19, having performed major works to strong acclaim. He spent time on further vocal training with the talented Elizabeth Davidson (Toronto) to create his signature sound. His first band experience was in his parents’ farmhouse basement playing piano & bass along with various traditional musicians from that ‘neck of the woods’. He’s also been known to be a mean fiddle player when you get a few drinks in him…..which doesn’t take much…