ABOUT JEFF PEVAR

Bio:

Jeff Pevar, a distinguished inductee of the New York Blues Hall of Fame, stands as a versatile force in the music industry. Renowned as a guitarist, composer, producer, performer, and multi-instrumentalist, he has left an indelible mark on the world stage and in international studios. Jeff's unique style has graced collaborations with iconic artists such as Crosby, Stills & Nash, Ray Charles, Bette Midler, Joe Cocker, Phil Lesh, Marc Cohn, and many others, showcasing his exceptional talent across diverse genres and musical landscapes.

Jeff is not only a sought-after session musician but also a prolific composer, crafting scores for film and TV. His original music, featured on his own releases, showcases his creative depth. In addition to his solo work, Jeff has co-written numerous songs with recording artists such as David Crosby and Graham Nash, further solidifying his impact on the music landscape. Jeff Pevar is known for his guitar innovation, musicality and ease of improvisation in live performance, and he is an internationally sought-after studio musician.

Jeff’s home studio is located in Oregon where he and his wife, Inger Nova Jorgensen (Singer/Songwriter/Performer, Sculptor & Painter), host a house concert series at “The Stone House” where they play their own music as well as occasionally host and collaborate with musician friends!

Partial List of collaborations/tours (see Projects for more):

David Crosby Band, CPR (w/ David Crosby & James Raymond) , Ray Charles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bette Midler, Joe Cocker, James Taylor, Jimmy Webb, Carly Simon, Kenny Loggins, Jefferson Starship, Phil Lesh and Friends, Marc Cohn, Jennifer Warnes, Laura Nyro, David Foster, Rickie Lee Jones, Jazz Is Dead, Danny Kortchmar, Maceo Parker, Jeff Pevar & Inger Nova Project, Jazz Is Dead, The Gilmour Project, Zepdrix, and many others.

JEFF Pevar Music story:

RICKIE LEE JONES

Jeff's first major break was in 1983 when longtime friend, Michael Ruff, invited Jeff to audition for Rickie Lee Jones. Jeff toured numerous times with Rickie and her band which included Michael, and other world class musicians such as Reggie McBride and Tony Braunagle. Jeff was also part of a Pirates reunion tour in 2011.

RAY CHARLES ORCHESTRA

Around 1984, Jeff arranged an audition with Ray Charles and toured playing guitar with the Ray Charles Orchestra from 1984-1986 in the US, Asia and Europe. Jeff also performed with Ray in the Ray Charles Quartet. Ray Charles invited Jeff into the recording studio and Jeff played guitar on the Ray Charles recording, "The Spirit Of Christmas".

JAMES TAYLOR

In 1985, Jeff was invited to record with James Taylor on his "That's Why I'm Here" record. Years later James added background vocals on the song “Jesus Of Rio” that Jeff wrote with Graham Nash for the last Crosby/Nash record released in 2010.

Donald Fagen Rock & Soul Review

Jeff played a number of gigs with Steely Dan frontman, Donald Fagen and the Rock & Soul Review around 1990. 

The ensemble included Dr John, Phoebe Snow, Jerry Jermott, Buddy Williams, “Blue" Lou Marini, Fathead Newman, Alan “Mr Fabulous” Rubin and others.

MARC COHN

Jeff’s first tour as a duo with Marc Cohn in the US and Europe was in 1991-1992, but it was James Taylor who introduced Jeff to up and coming singer songwriter, Marc Cohn, when Marc moved to NYC in the early 1990s. Their chemistry led to numerous tours with Marc as a duo, including performing on the Tonight Show and a memorable performance on Austin City Limits. 

JOE COCKER

In 1988, Jeff toured all over the US, Europe and Australia with Joe Cocker promoting his Unchain My Heart record. Joe was selling out 20,000 seat concerts all over Germany and the ensemble played behind the Berlin Wall in East Berlin and Dresden to over 100,000 people.

DAVID CROSBY & GRAHAM NASH

 While Jeff was touring with Marc Cohn, Jeff and Marc opened for Crosby, Stills and Nash. David & Graham were so impressed with Jeff’s playing that they asked Jeff to join them and for many years, Jeff toured with David Crosby & Graham Nash, as a trio. Performances included the world famous Carnegie Hall and at Red Rocks in Colorado with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.

CPR (Crosby, Pevar, Raymond)

Around the latter part of the 1990s, Jeff was invited to be a partner in the band CPR, along with David Crosby and his son, James Raymond. The trio put out four records in the years that followed and performed in the US and Europe including the Montreux Jazz Festival. Jeff co-wrote many of the ensembles songs.

PHIL LESH & FRIENDS

Jeff was invited to tour with the Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh and Friends, in the spring of 2000 alongside guitarist, Jimmy Herring. Special guests during those performances included Warren Haynes, Branford Marsalis and Derek Trucks.

GRAHAM NASH BAND

Jeff toured with Graham Nash for a solo tour in 2004 along with Dean Parks, Russ Kunkel, Larry Klein and James Raymond. Jeff & James were singing all the 3-part harmonies with Graham on this tour, which was an amazing opportunity for Jeff to be able to learn and perform the harmonies that Nash conceived for his own recordings and material he performed with Crosby, Stills & Nash.

One of Jeff’s favorite moments on this tour was when Joni Mitchell came to see the band in Los Angeles, as she has had a profound influence of Jeff’s music.

Besides touring with Graham in this band, Jeff also performed with Graham, as a duet. The songs "Unequal Love" and “Liars Nightmare” are duet performances, featured on Graham’s Box Set, Reflections recorded live in 1993.

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH

JAZZ IS DEAD

Jeff toured with the jamband, Jazz Is Dead, for numerous tours performing interpretive versions of Grateful Dead material with some of Jeff’s favorite musicians including T Lavitz, Rod Morgenstein, Alphonso Johnson, Billy Cobham, Kenny Gradney, Dave Livolsi, Jeff Sipe, Jerry Goodman and others. Jeff decided to take the project into the studio and recorded and released the Jazz Is Dead CD “Grateful Jazz” which Jeff produced, financed and arranged for the ensemble.

JEFFERSON STARSHIP

Jeff was asked to fill in for Starship guitarist Slick Aguilar, during a Starship tour in Europe in 2008.

A few years later in 2013, Jeff was asked to tour with the band as a bassist for the 40th anniversary of Woodstock with Jefferson Starship on the Heroes of Woodstock Tour also featuring Ten Years After, Big Brother & The Holding Co., Country Joe McDonald, Canned Heat and many other acts from the original Woodstock line-up.

Jeff also played acoustic guitar with the band Ten Years After during this tour on the song “I’d Love To Change The World”. It was a true honor to learn these iconic songs with such a rich history of the melding of styles of music, from celtic, to folk, to rock and more!

BETTE MIDLER

In 2015, Jeff was recommended by his long time friend and musical collaborator, Mo Pleasure, to tour with the iconic performer, Bette Midler, for a tour of the US and Europe. Mo as the band leader of an incredible ensemble of musicians, also featuring Sonny Emory on drums, Sam Sims on bass, Tariq Akoni on guitar, Darrell Smith on keys, Taku Hirano on percussion and included the 5 piece horn section of, Adrian Crutchfield, Mike Eyia, J P Floyd, Mike Cottone and Chris Bautista! 

JEFF INDUCTED INTO THE NY BLUES HALL OF FAME

In 2016, Jeff was inducted into the NY Blues Hall Of Fame in CT at the Katherine Hepburn Theatre in Old Saybrook, CT along with Jaimoe of the Allman Brothers.

MACEO PARKER & THE RAY CHARLES ORCHESTRA REUNION

Jeff was invited to perform for a reunion of the Ray Charles Orchestra fronted by James Brown alumnus, Maceo Parker, and many members of the RC Orchestra that Jeff performed with in the early 80’s! The ensemble performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Saratoga Jazz Festival among others and continues to do select performances.

ALAN PARSONS PROJECT

Jeff performed in Mexico City with Alan Parsons and his band along with the Mexico City Orchestra and was invited to perform other concerts with this amazing artist.

JEFF PEVAR & INGER NOVA JORGENSEN

Jeff composes original music with and performs in the Oregon-based duet Jeff Pevar & Inger Nova with his talented wife, Inger Nova Jorgenson. The duo performed at Schildersweek, the Artist Festival in Domburg, Holland, in 2009 and 2010 and toured Italy in the fall of 2018 and Italy & Denmark in 2019. The duet also sometimes performs with special guests, including singer/songwriter, Jaese Lecuyer, and vocalist/beatboxer, Cornflower.

Jeff & Inger released their debut CD, “ANTHEM” in 2019 and also have a few side projects, a funk band called LOVEBITE and a Zeppelin-Hendrix tribute band called ZEPDRIX that plays Theaters and performed MainStage at the Oregon Country Fair.

JEFF PEVAR

Jeff performs solo and also in a duo format with Inger Nova Jorgensen. Occasionally, opening for concerts, including support for David Lindley, Robben Ford, The Subdudes and others at the Rogue Theatre in Grants Pass, OR.

In addition to his work as a session musician, film music composer, and hired touring musician, Pevar often performs with his own eponymous band in his home state of Connecticut and in the band Guitarness with his long-time friend, guitarist extraordinaire, Scott Murawski, long-time collaborator and member of Phish bassist Mike Gordon's solo band & Max Creek.