But when it came to recording his first solo album, he went underground.
"I was asked to score a PBS documentary about the Oregon Caves by filmmaker Greg Frederick," says Pevar, who lives in Talent, Oregon, where he has a home studio.
Pevar traveled about a mile into the caves carrying his 6-string acoustic guitar and 8-strong mandocello and composed a dozen songs in about three hours, which are used to score "The Marble Halls of Oregon."
The producers asked Pevar to release the music in CD, but Pevar wanted to do more studio work on the cave music. "From the Core" is his new CD with added instruments, most by him and some, such as double bass, flute and violin, by others.
Jon Anderson, vocalist for Yes, is featured.
"Chalk that up to modern technology," says Pevar. He sent Anderson a song through the Internet, asking for his opinion. "Three hours later, he sent back lyrics and vocals." The result is "River of Dreams."
He credits himself on the label: "composer, producer, overdub engineer, editing and final mixes, acoustic guitars, accordion, bangoes, banjo, coral sitar, dobro, drums, dumbek, fretless basses, Emery fretless acoustic guitar, harmonica, harmonium, kalimba, mandocello, marimba, mandolin, percussion, sax, slide guitar, tabla, ukulele, vocals and wineglasses."
Jim Chapdelaine of Multimedia Services in West Hartfordmastered the project. Bill Holloman, who has played with Pevar and in Connecticut bands Mohegan All Stars and Eight To The Bar (and he toured with Bruce Srpingsteen), contributes clarinet on "Stalagmite St. Blues."
Pevar has written music for other movies. Most recently, the indie "Walk-In," where he plays all the instruments on the soundtrack.
Pevar has made a living playing in other people's bands, opening for other acts, and fronting his own band. In August he played a free concert in the Blue Back Square series in West Hartford.. Later that week he performed at Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk with Danny Kotchmar, another musician who has backed headliners such asCarole King, James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Don Henley. Last year he played a reunion tour with Rickie Lee Jones, who he first worked with in 1983.
Pever returns to Infinity on New Year's Eve to play with the Marshall Tucker Band.
"I've been in all kinds of bands," says Pevar, 55. "I played for years with Street Temperature," a local jazz fusion group started in 1979. "I'll always think of Hartford as my home."
JEFF PEVAR releases "From the Core" this month. Information: http://www.pevar.com. He performs Dec. 31 at Infinity Music Hall, 20 Greenwoods Road W, Norfolk. The New Year's Eve show begins at 9 p.m. tickets are $95. Information: 866-666-6306 and infinityhall.com.