Jeffery Straker
Toronto, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2008 | INDIE | AFM
Music
Press
Sometimes NORTH STAR FALLING is a pop record of the kind Elton John made in his peak early period. But Straker covers a wide swath of musical territory on this new disc, keeping us wondering where we might go next, while never losing sight of the importance of a finely crafted tune. Why doesn't all pop music sound like this? Mark Rheaume - CBC Radio (Feb 2015) - CBC Radio
“Dramatic and melodic, Straker is a throw-back to days when a piano and sincerity ruled…there are lots of echoes of 60’s and 70’s pop, back when the writers, producers and arrangers worked at keyboards (but) Straker isn’t stuck in the past. It’s clear he’s more concerned with substance than style. Choruses soar, piano accents are always impeccable…It’s all classy” - Bob Mersereau top100canadian blog
“gifted in his ability to write intricate story songs buoyed by melodies that fit a listener’s ears like a beloved, broken-in glove…Straker the songwriter then ascends to the company of artists whose songs reverberate for audiences, and he’s already been compared to many of those by earlier reviewers. Billy Joel, Elton John for sure – but Walk Away is like a 70’s piano standard from Carole King”.
- Calgary Herald – Dan St Yves (Oct 2014) - Calgary Herald - Dan St Yves
“Let’s cut to the chase: Vagabond is one of the most faultlessly conceived and meticulously executed albums in any genre to come out of Canada in a long time... shifting moods and lyrics framed by thrilling chord changes, each one strikingly emphasized in (Danny) Michel's production… There’s rarely a note, chord or word too many or too few” - Toronto Star (4 out of 4 star review)
"Like the unexpected yet surprisingly down-to-earth lovechild of Neil Young and Elton John" - Xtra! Toronto
“Straker was simply spectacular”
Jeffery Straker has set an impossibly high standard for those following in his footsteps for the remaining Schumiatcher Pop shows this season...Playing to a full theatre at the Conexus Arts Centre, Straker put on a concert with the Regina Symphony Orchestra that was simply magnificent...The genial performer demonstrated his showmanship in every sense of the word throughout the evening. His masterful piano playing, soaring vocals, and catchy songwriting were goose-bump inducing...clearly one of the province’s best cultural exports.
He demonstrated the musical and vocal ability of piano-pop legends Elton John and Billy Joel - Leader Post - Oct 2011
...“great showman and piano wizard”... - Wainwright Star
"There are no wasted words for Straker as a lyricist. He’s like an artist painting a masterpiece without using excessive brush strokes. A number of the songs on Vagabond have limited phrasing, perhaps a total of 10 lines and the chorus, yet Straker is able to tell everything that needs to be told. His ability on the piano is remarkable and his voice has found a spot that is distinctly his — there is no way to confuse Straker’s voice with that of any other artist." - Leader Post - (4 out of 5 star review)
"Cycling through that Justin Gray-produced record I could not help but wonder why he’s not already a star in this country. Over time, he’s evolved into a fine songwriter with great lyrical sensibilities...His music is a marvelous marriage of style and substance. Straker is very much an artist to watch." (Jan-Feb 09) - Canadian Musician Magazine
Discography
2006: Songs from Highway 15
2008: Step Right Up
2011: under the soles of my shoes
2012: Vagabond
2014: Live with CBC Radio
2015: North Star Falling
Photos
Bio
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS:
- New album DIRT ROAD CONFESSIONAL: May 19, 2017: debuted at #5 on the iTunes Canada singer-songwriter charts
- Album 'Vagabond' top 20 iTunes singer-songwriter chart (Canada); Received 4/4 star review in Toronto Star.
- Launched and toured "Live with CBC Radio" album (2014)
- Winner Vina del Mar (Chile) International Song Festival (Feb 2014) - representing Canada (performed live to 20,000)
- Multiple National Tours (Canada)
BOOKINGS: Paquin Entertainment (Canada/US) agent: Grant Paley 416-962-8885 grant@paquinartistsagency.com
RECENT REVIEW QUOTES
“Dramatic and melodic, Straker is a throw-back to days when a piano and sincerity ruled…lots of echoes of 60’s and 70’s pop. It’s clear he’s more concerned with substance than style. Choruses soar, piano accents are always impeccable” Bob Mersereau: (Mar 15, 2015) top100canadian blog
Sometimes NORTH STAR FALLING is a pop record of the kind Elton John made in his peak early period. Why doesn't all pop music sound like this? Mark Rheaume - CBC Radio (Feb 2015)
“gifted in his ability to write intricate story songs buoyed by melodies that fit a listener’s ears like a beloved, broken-in glove." Calgary Herald – Dan St Yves (Oct 2014)
BIO
Singer-songwriter-pianist Jeffery Straker performs over 100 shows per year across Canada. He has recorded for CBC radio’s ‘Canada Live’, had a music video chart in the top 10 on Much Music and has toured internationally as far as Peru, Chile and Mexico. His tour stops range from intimate house concerts to club & theatre shows, folk & jazz festivals & recent sold-out concerts (capacity 2000) with several Canadian symphony orchestras. Canadian Musician Magazine has said, “Very much an artist to watch” while the Chicago Free Press has written, “Rufus Wainwright, as well as k.d. lang are among the Canadians making essential and beautiful music. Add the name Jeffery Straker to that list”. A significant recent career boost came from winning the prestigious Vina del Mar (Chile) song competition in 2014 representing Canada. Performing live to a festival crowd of 20,000 people and to a TV audience of 100,000,000 viewers across the Spanish speaking world he gained a fan following in Latin America.
In May 2017, Jeffery launched his latest collection of songs, “Dirt Road Confessional” (Acronym/ Universal Canada). The 12-song album puts a folk-roots stamp on his singer-songwriter-piano sound with dobro, banjo, & steel guitar entering the mix. National tour dates and European dates have been booked to support the new work that debuted at #5 on the iTunes Canada singer-songwriter charts.
His previous collection of songs (March 2015) reached #9 on the iTunes singer-songwriter charts and drew comparisons to classic songwriter albums of the likes of Harry Chapin, Harry Nilsson and a young Elton John. “North Star Falling” was produced by Dean Drouillard (Royal Wood, Justin Rutledge).
In 2012 Straker released his album “Vagabond”. Produced by Canadian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter Danny Michel the songs were recorded on Glenn Gould’s grand piano at the CBC in Toronto. The release was met with critical acclaim with the Toronto Star giving it 4 (out of 4) stars calling it “one of the most faultlessly conceived and meticulously executed albums in any genre to come out of Canada in a long time”.
Originally from small town Saskatchewan, the classically trained pianist was raised by a church organist mother and auctioneer father. He swears he was born under the piano on the family farm. All this might explain his incredible ability to share songs with audiences. Jeffery is a musical descendant of Beethoven through teacher-student lineage (see his website for the full story). He was a student of the Royal Conservatory of Music and received his licentiate diploma in piano performance from Trinity College, London when he was just 19.
Jeffery has been invited to showcase at major events including Canadian Music Week, NXNE, the Western Canadian Music Awards, & JunoFest as well as countless folk festivals and jazz festivals. He’s licensed songs for TV, film and theatrical use and has appeared on television several times. www.jeffstraker.com
Jeffery thanks FACTOR , and Creative Saskatchewan for the support.
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