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Jeff is the proverbial big fish in a little sea. After playing in Bucerias for five years, he is a go-to guy to organize gigs, as he was when the excellent variety Wisconsin band, Road Trip, came to the Puerto Vallarta area. Jeff found suitable venues for them to play at, rounded up equipment, and enlisted local musicians to open for them.
Jeff also attracts good ex-pat musicians to sit in with him when he plays solo. That was the case today. Ken, a drummer from Saskatchewan, and Mel, a singer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, came to today’s show at the Sunshine Bar. Ken didn’t bring his drums down to Bucerias, but he did bring his voice. If he drums half as well as he sings, he must be a percussion demon. Ken has an impossible vocal range and can hit high notes that many female singers can’t hit. And he hits them with strength and accuracy. The best part is that Ken sings just about any song Jeff can find words for on his iPad. Jeff would suggest a tune. Ken would say, “I never sang that one.” Jeff would call up the lyrics on his iPad, and Ken would belt it out like he owned the song.
Mel, another extraordinary singer, used to sing backup in the Miracles as in Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. The way I understand it is that after the Motown hit-days faded away, Smokey went his way, and the Miracles went their way. Mel hooked up with the Miracles. Anyway you slice it; Mel has that silky smooth sweet Motown style. Jeff learned a dozen or so Motown hits, and Mel knocked them out of the park. Additionally, Jeff has good-sounding tracks with wailing horn sections, and Ken came up to sing backup. It was a great gig, and I was excited to be a part of it.
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