Jeff Kazee is an American pianist, vocalist, songwriter and Hammond B3 organist for the Rock/Soul band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. He has also worked extensively with Bon Jovi and with Jon Bon Jovi in his solo career. [1]
Kazee hosts a concert series at The Cutting Room in New York City under the name of kazeedigs—featuring shows dedicated to the songs "in heavy rotation on Jeff Kazee's turntable, 8-track player, and iPod".[ citation needed ] The first two shows were titled Greats Of The 88's and Soulsville, NYC: Stax Rides The Subway. The shows featured such NYC-based artists as: John Conte, Rich Pagano, G.E. Smith, Southside Johnny, Craig Dreyer, Neal Pawley, Jack Morer, Shawn Pelton, Jeffrey Lee Campbell, Tony Tino, Chris Anderson, Art Hays, Christine Ohlman, and Billy Joel saxman Mark Rivera.
Kazee released the album No River in 1998.
Kazee was raised in Lima, Ohio, and is married with two daughters, Vassileia and Sophia. He resides in New York City, NY.
His great-uncle was the early country and folk singer Buell Kazee. [2]
A few of the many artists that Kazee has worked with include: Southside Johnny, Bon Jovi, Chocolate Genius, Dar Williams, The Blues Brothers, G.E. Smith, Gavin DeGraw. He occasionally filled in for bandleader Paul Shaffer on the Late Show with David Letterman . Kazee's presence as a keyboardist/vocalist/arranger has been seen and heard in "house bands" for many special events, backing such stars as James Taylor, The Band's Levon Helm, Bruce Springsteen, John Mayer and Snoop Dogg, among others.
He has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , The Today Show , Late Night with Conan O'Brien , Oprah , VH1, Larry King Live , CBS This Morning , Austin City Limits , MTV Unplugged and many other talk/music shows, award shows and specials.
In 2008-09, Kazee wrote and produced the theme song for the Garden Of Dreams Foundation (Madison Square Garden's charitable arm). Kazee shared the lead vocals with Robert Randolph on the original composition Give Some More, which is featured every night at each New York Knicks, Rangers and Lady Liberty home games at The Garden in New York City.
In 2009, Jeff joined Fab Faux drummer Rich Pagano and Asbury Juke bassist John Conte in an ongoing side project performing music selected from Elton John's Trio Years ('70-'72), entitled Early Elton.
In 2010, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes released Pills and Ammo with most of the songs co-written by John Lyon and Jeff Kazee.
In 2010, Kazee, under the name of Kazeedigs, performed two shows celebrating the re-issue of the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. [3] The first performance was held at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey (Exile on Ocean Avenue) and again in New York City at The Canal Room (Exile on Canal Street) Among others joining Kazee onstage was Southside Johnny.
In February 2013, with (Southside) John Lyon, Kazee wrote and produced the debut album of Southside Johnny and The Poor Fools, Songs From The Barn.
In 2015, he again cowrote and produced another album Soultime!, with John Lyon, this time under the name of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. [4]
Kazee toured with Bon Jovi in 2003 during This Left Feels Right Live session and the Have a Nice Day Tour from 2005 until 2006.
In July 2010, Kazee and other members of the Asbury Jukes joined Bon Jovi onstage at Blossom Music Center (Cleveland) for a performance of the song "Treat Her Right."
Kazee filled in for David Bryan on keyboards and vocals for night five of Bon Jovi's 2010 London O2 Arena residency as Bryan was attending The Tony Awards in NYC.
Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. The band currently consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John Such left the band in 1994, and longtime guitarist and co-songwriter Richie Sambora left in 2013. The band has been credited with "bridging the gap between heavy metal, rock and pop with style and ease".
John Francis Bongiovi Jr., known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He has released 15 studio albums with his band as well as two solo albums.
The Stone Pony is a music venue in Asbury Park, New Jersey, known for launching the careers of many New Jersey music legends, including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. The club opened in 1974.
John Lyon, known professionally as Southside Johnny, is an American singer-songwriter who usually fronts his band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg is an American trombonist originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a former member of the house band on Conan O'Brien's late-night talk shows.
Vincent Lopez, nicknamed Mad Dog, is an American drummer. Between 1968 and 1974 Lopez backed Bruce Springsteen in several bands, including Steel Mill and the E Street Band. He also played on Springsteen's first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle. Both during and after his time with the E Street Band, Lopez played drums with numerous Jersey Shore bands.
The Miami Horns are an American horn section best known for touring and recording with Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven and The Max Weinberg 7. They have also toured, performed or recorded with, among others, Diana Ross, Gary U.S. Bonds, Robert Cray, Bon Jovi, Cissy Houston, Joe Cocker, Dave Edmunds, Darlene Love, The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow and Ricky Martin. As individuals, the various members have also worked with the likes of Aerosmith, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Power Station, Graham Parker, and They Might Be Giants.
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are an American musical group from the Jersey Shore led by Southside Johnny. They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. They have recorded or performed several Springsteen songs, including "The Fever" and "Fade Away". Springsteen has also performed with the band on numerous occasions and in 1991 guested on their Better Days album. During the band's formative years Steven Van Zandt acted as the band's co-leader, guitarist, songwriter, arranger and producer while other E Streeters including Clarence Clemons, Max Weinberg, Garry Tallent, Ernest Carter, Patti Scialfa, and Soozie Tyrell have all performed, toured or recorded with the Jukes.
Hearts of Stone is the third album by New Jersey rock band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, released in October 1978. The album peaked at number 112 on the Billboard 200 chart during the week of January 13, 1979. All of the album's songs were written by Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, and E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt. Van Zandt, the band's manager, also produced, arranged and played guitar.
Ed Manion, also known as Eddie "Kingfish" Manion, is an American saxophonist, who plays both tenor and baritone sax. As a solo artist, he released his own instrumental album titled Nightlife in 2015. Manion is currently a recording and touring member of Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. He was a touring member of the horn section for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and also a member of Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour, later called Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band. He is an original member of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, The Miami Horns, and Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. As a session musician, he has recorded, toured, and/or performed with, among others, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Diana Ross, Gary U.S. Bonds, Bon Jovi, Willy DeVille, Dave Edmunds, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Dion, The Allman Brothers Band, Kim Wilson, and Graham Parker. As a solo artist, he released his own CD titled Follow Through in 2004.
"Runaway" is the debut single by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was originally recorded in 1981 for the so-called "Power Station Demos" at the beginning of singer Jon Bon Jovi's career, featuring the vocalist backed by session musicians.
Robert "Bobby" Bandiera is an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter from New Jersey. Bandiera played rhythm guitar for Bon Jovi in live performances from 2005 until 2015 and for nearly two decades was lead guitarist for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Bandiera and his band have backed Bruce Springsteen at benefit concerts.
"The Fever" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen in 1973. The song would not see formal release until the 1999 compilation 18 Tracks.
Reach Up and Touch the Sky, sometimes called Reach Out and Touch the Sky, is a 1981 double live album by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Released on Mercury Records in 1981 to satisfy the contract of the band, which had recently broken up, it was a moderate commercial success, charting in the United States and reviving the band's flagging sales. It was also critically well received. In 2003, the Rough Guide to Rock indicated that the album was the band's "defining moment".
Better Days is an album by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, released in 1991. It yielded minor hits "It's Been a Long Time" and "I've Been Workin' Too Hard". The song "It's Been a Long Time" features shared lead vocals by Southside Johnny, Steven Van Zandt, and Bruce Springsteen and is a reflection back on their early years together in the music business. "I've Been Working Too Hard" features a duet with Jon Bon Jovi. Eight of the eleven songs were written by Van Zandt, harkening back to the Jukes' first three albums which also featured Van Zandt writing, playing guitar, and singing harmony and sometimes duet vocals. One track, "All the Way Home", was written by Bruce Springsteen who later recorded his own version of it for his 2005 solo album Devils and Dust.
The Asbury Park Music Awards is an annual award ceremony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States that recognizes musicians for their work.
Francis Valentino is a drummer who performs and records with a variety of artists.
William Rush is an American musician, guitarist, composer, producer, arranger and engineer who started working professionally in 1964. Rush is especially known for his lengthy association with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes as guitarist and composer and for his work as guitarist and musical director with Serge Gainsbourg from 1984 until 1991.
The Upstage Club was a legendary coffee shop, music venue, and afterhours club in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The club is featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Influential musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Bill Chinnock, Southside Johnny, David Sancious, Little Steven Van Zandt, Garry Tallent, Vini Lopez, and Danny Federici first honed their live performance skills at the club. It was where the Asbury Jukes, Steel Mill and the Blackberry Blues Band were formed.
Slow Dance is an album by the American musician Southside Johnny, released in 1988. It was marketed as a solo endeavor, although a few Asbury Jukes played on the album.
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