JEFF SOHN BIOGRAPHY
As told by Martin Yale Sohn
Born in New York City and raised in Massapequa, Long Island, in the looming mega-watt shadow of Big Apple AM radio years before the Baldwin brothers, Jerry Seinfeld, Brian Setzer, Dee Snider, Ron Kovic, Elliot Easton, or Joey Buttafuco were even on the map. It was the sound of the 60s coupled with my preference for 50s crooners like Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis all culminating into one great event in 1965 when he sees The Beatles at Shea. In that one August evening, there was no turning back. Soon every basement and garage became a testing ground for one of his bands offered to the hormonal high school gods at dances, battle of the bands, leading to his first paying gig at 15. Nothing was ever the same as FM took hold, Dylan went electric, the Byrds went country, and the Fab Four went broke. With an acoustic guitar in the back of a VW bug off to Albany where a few years of playing the 70s plaintive singer-songwriter led to Lena's famous caffe. Musically restless in the 80s and determined to find a new sound he created fully-charged-guitar-driven-college-radio-friendly-music honing his writing and performing skills. Settling back in the 90s and playing closer to his roots, which lie halfway between unabashed garage band ethos to thoughtful folk and twang, he reassumed his natural role of collaborator and arranger working with countless artists and friends as the guy-to-call for the right sound or the perfect space. He's always armed with a guitar or bass searching for some elusive song or perfect chord change. It's really the only way I know my brother and maybe you do too.
PERFORMANCES
Live appearance roster
Shared stages with: Rosanne Cash, The Replacements, Charlie Daniels, Pete Best (The Beatles), the Blasters, New Model Army, Fred Eaglesmith, Eric Roscoe Amble (Steve Earle, Del Lords, Joan Jett), Tommy Womack (Government Cheese), Tim Easton, and others.
Performed with: Jason Ringenberg (Jason & the Scorchers), Hayseed, Jimmy Ryan (Blood Oranges, Beacon Hillbillies), Rich Schell (Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Pinmonkey), Nikki Sudden (Swell Maps, The Jacobites), Dennis James (Stevie Wright/the Easybeats), Kent Hughes (Lucky Oceans/Asleep at the Wheel), and some of New York Capital Region's best musicians known for their work with the Rascals, Commanda Cody, Savoy Brown, Aimee Mann, Marshall Crenshaw, the Gibson Brothers, Blotto, Robin and Linda Williams, and many others.
PROJECTS
Bands and projects (past and present)
THE LAZY SUNS
American roots n’ roll featuring former members of Tern Rounders, Coal Palace Kings, and the Sidewinders.
IMAGINING LENNON
Roll up for Tom Raider's (The Brits) musical mystery tour celebrating the artistry of Beatle John Lennon.
WEEKEND ROCK GODS
C'mon, you want to be one too! A real rock n' roll party band playing the good stuff you grew up with.
KNOTWORKING
Alt-country indie rockers bring their beautiful spatial regressive mix home again.
THE NEW SANTA MONICA FLYERS
A genuine to the bone recreation of Neil Young's 1973 Tonight's the Night Tour featuring Diego and friends.
THE LAST CONSPIRATORS
Morons’ frontman Tim Livingston's critcally acclaimed edgy garage-psychadellic-punk-rock supergroup.
THE EVS
Aussie/American combo featuring Dennis James, guitarist for Easybeat’s ledgendary frontman Stevie Wright.
WIZARDS OF OZ
More Aussie down under & over rock with Kent "Beast" Hughes (Lucky Oceans, Asleep at the Wheel, Dave Hole).
HAYSEED
The music of the "New Time Preacher Man" is the kind that separates the country posers from the real thing.
COAL PALACE KINGS
The legendary cow-punk band from upstate NY. Hey hey, my my. Missed, but not forgotten. RIP 1995-2005.
NAMERS FOR NUMBERS
Twenty years after blowing the roof off of 288 Lark Street comes the 2 CD with live, rare, and studio tracks.
FALLEN ANGELS HOUSE BAND
House band for area premiere of the documentary "Fallen Angle" about country rock music legend Gram Parsons.
And these bands: The Fan Club, Mike Romeling and the Schodack Hedgehogs, Tequila Mockingbird, Growing Up With Rockets, the Kleins, and Big Blue Dot.
STAGES
New York to Nashville and Europe
The Mercury Lounge (NYC), Rodeo Bar (NYC), The Basement (Nashville TN), Helsinki Hudson (Hudson NY), Caffe Lena (Saratoga Springs NY), Maxwell's (Hoboken NJ), Toad's (Cambridge MA), Poe's (Richmond VA), Mohawk Place (Buffalo NY), Hogs and Heifers (NYC), Americana Music Association (Nashville TN), Roots on the River Festival (Bellows Falls VT), Brand New Opry (Troy NY), Lark Fest (Albany NY), the Empire State Plaza Stage (Albany NY), Abbey Lounge (Somerville MA), The Van Dyck (Schenectady NY) and others.
DISCOGRAPHY
Studio, film, and production credits <arrangements/mixing/production/writing>
The Last Conspirators: When It All Comes Down - Bass <a/s>
The Last Conspirators: Warparty - Bass <a>
The Last Conspirators: Capital Underground, The Album Volume 2 (compilation)
Tales From The Script (soundtrack) - Bass <website>
Coal Palace Kings: Live at the Garden Grill - Bass, vocals <a/m/p/s>
Coal Palace Kings: Upstate - Bass, acoustic guitar, Hammond organ, percussion, vocals <a/m/p/s>
Coal Palace Kings: Metroland Retrospective 25 (compilation)
Mike Romeling: Rough Mix <p>
Mike Romeling: Collected Recordings, 1990-1997 (credits below)
Mike Romeling: Cold Northern Rain - Bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals <a/m/p>
Mike Romeling: Faraway Trains - Bass, electric guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals <a/m/p>
Mike Romeling: Obstacle Illusion - Bass <a>
Free Agents: Why'd You Go - Electric guitar
Free Agents: Feel Good About Yourself - Electric guitar <a>
Billy Reily: Lead into Gold (compilation) - Keyboards, vocals
The Radiators: American Underground (compilation) - Electric guitar, vocals
The Fan Club: American Underground (compilations) - Bass, vocals <a/s>
STORE
Buy more music
Visit CD Baby and iTunes to purchase music from many of the artists listed above. Coal Palace Kings CDs can be found here.
CONTACT
Hellos and bookings
jeffsohn@nycap.rr.com
copyright 2011 jeffsohn.com
