Episode 30 - Jeff Spero
from Contra Pulse Hosted by Contra Pulse
The intro and interstitial tracks from today’s episode are Julia Delaney/Farewell to Chernobyl from the Syncopaths’ first album Rough Around the Edges, Waves and Smiles performed by Audrey Knuth and Jeff, the Fifth Gear set from the second Syncopath album Five Gears, and Waltz for Ann Marie from Michael Mendelson’s album A Fiddler’s Notebook. See the Contra Pulse website for transcripts and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent. See and hear Jeff Spero in action: One of Jeff Spero’s main musical projects over the years has been The Syncopaths: Hear them in concert at Echo Summit dance camp in 2017 And here they are rocking the dance hall at Balance the Bay in 2015 Jeff also plays with the Rhythm Raptors Here they play at Fiddling Frog in 2015 And at Labor Day Dance Away in 2017 In 2013 videographer Doug Plummer captured this video of Jeff expounding on his “boom chuck” piano accompaniment style at BACDS AmWeek AND he writes dances! Check out some of Jeff’s contra choreography here on his website Jeff has also co-written a book with James Hutson titled “(Southern) California Twirls: A Collection of Contradances and Three Community Histories.” Some other people and topics mentioned in this interview: Jeff mentions pianist Kate Barnes as a major influence—Kate has been interviewed on this podcast! He also plays with another Contra Pulse favorite, Rodney Miller, interviewed in Episode 24 of this podcast. Another west coast band, Hillbillies from Mars, has had bearing on Jeff’s style
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What this episode covers
This episode, Julie sits down with pianist, caller, dance choreographer, and west-coaster Jeff Spero. Jeff has been playing piano and singing since he was five years old. At a young age he discovered an affinity for popular music and later brought his rhythmic style to American and Celtic folk and dance music. Now he plays dances, concerts and festivals with bands such as Syncopaths and Rhythm Raptors. Jeff and Julie discuss his early influences, the nuances of the west coast contra dance scene, the evolution of his signature style, and how he thinks about playing music for dancers. He did the interview over Zoom sitting at his home piano in Culver City, California and the conversation is embellished with tunes and musical interludes.
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