Jeffrey Gilliam

SHORT VERSION:

Jeffrey’s paid his dues playing in bands that were doing shows with Elton John, India Arie, Ani DiFranco, STS9, Mickey Hart, Particle, The Flaming Lips, String Cheese Incident and more.

Inspired to create "Healing America" a 2014 CD/DVD to help veterans and all Americans in their healing process, Jeffrey now has a very well rounded repertoire which includes original piano, pop and American themed music.

Music was Gilliam’s focus all through school in Southern Oregon. He played many different roles including singer/songwriter, rock n' roll band member, solo pianist, jazz band member and choir accompanist.

In the school of real life Jeffrey has now independently wrote and produced four CDs and one DVD, also entitled 'Healing America'.  Jeffrey's 2000 release, “Dolphin Memories” became a finalist in the Song Of The Year Contest and aired on radio shows nationwide.


LONG VERSION:

When Jeffrey was still just an infant, his mother would spend hours just listening to lots of different piano music (jazz, classical, contemporary).  Well it must have affected him on some level since he was the one, at nine yrs. of age to go to his parents and ask if he could take piano lessons! They were delighted!

He says he was lucky to have had a great piano instructor, Jerome Moffit, who taught a well balanced method of technique (classical, and jazz & improv.).  Jeffrey remembers, "My teacher and I would play a four hands duet by Bartok at the beginning of the lesson, then he put on a record of Oscar Peterson, the great jazz pianist, and blow my mind with the possibilities of improvisation." Music was his focus all through grammar and high school. He played many different roles including singer/songwriter, rock n' roll band member, solo pianist, jazz band member, choir accompanist, well . . . you get the picture.

In 1987, he went on to study Music at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, OR honing his composition, and performance skills.   The reggae band he played in while at school had the chance to travel to Jamaica and ended up jamming with Earl “Chinna” Smith, one of the greatest reggae guitar players and owner of “High Times Records” who has played with Ziggy Marley and many others.

After touring around for some years in the 1990’s with his dance/movement partner, Ariel Kala-Royal and performing at spiritual retreats, Jeffrey was able to put together his first independent CD in 2000,  "Dolphin Memories" which received airplay on new age radio shows nationwide.

Then after years of taking what he jokingly calls his private schooling program for recording/engineering, he produced his second CD, "Cloud 19"  in 2007 which is a little more experimental but with way better sound quality.

Also, around 2003 to 2006 he had the privilege of playing keyboards for Lunagroove, an electro-soul computer/instrument hybrid group based in San Francisco.  They played many of the big festivals and did shows with Elton John, India Arie, Ani DiFranco, STS9, Mickey Hart, Particle, The Flaming Lips, String Cheese Incident and many more.

In 2009 Jeffrey took a dramatic departure from the mellow instrumental recordings and wrote, recorded and produced a fantastic group of upbeat pop songs entitled, "Treasure Island".


Mostly due to a large amalgam filling from 2008, Jeffrey developed many severe symptoms from mercury poisoning.  At one his lowest points, his legs were getting weaker and it was getting harder to walk.  He was fighting for his life and his health.  Jeffrey used a mercury free dentist to remove all metal fillings and a holistic detox strategy with herbs, and a specific diet to pull the toxic metals out of the body. 

He also began using meditation as a very effective tool for pain relief, peace of mind and even inspiration.  It turns out that his 2014 CD/DVD project, "Healing America" was created out of doing the meditation practice.  One of the aspects of the practice is to notice coincidences in your life then take action when you see the meaning behind them.  After many coincidences around veterans, patriotic music, Washington D.C. and more, Jeffrey knew he was meant to create this healing oriented DVD for veterans.

Now that he is “mercury free”, Jeffrey is gratefully looking forward to sharing his music with a much bigger audience.