(insert title here) - Volume 1 Issue 1 - Jennifer Tefft etc by Dave Wininger

The issue at hand: The Jennifer Tefft Band. Heard of them? See, that's part of the problem I have. It's not that you wouldn't like it (in fact you really ought to), it's more that we may have a bit of trouble relating to one another. How about I start with some comparisons and then a bio? If nothing else, it will move us closer towards harmonious understanding (can't you just picture the fuzzy bunnies now?).

Whenever music is involved comparisons are inevitable. They are also often the most difficult thing to make, as more often than not it involves an extreme stretch. Not that the sound of the Jennifer Tefft Band is 100% unique, but there are no handy concrete examples that my cracker-jack research staff was able to come up with. Other articles I've read compare her to such artists as PJ Harvey, Ani DiFranco, Tori Amos, and K.D. Lang to name a few. If that excites you, and makes you think: "Hey, I like those artists, and if she sounds anything like them, I'm very interested." Then I hate to tell you this, but I don't agree with any of the comparisons. I recognize how (un)helpful that is when I have no comparisons to offer myself, but it at least lets you know how someone feels on the matter. Don't go thinking I'm completely useless though, as I can give you a description of the sound as it has progressed over time. For that the bio comes into play, for the story of the sound is interwoven with the development of the band.

Jennifer Tefft started out performing solo in the subway stations of Cambridge, Massachusetts; getting up at 4 a.m. in order to claim the sought after real estate in which to practice her art. Back then there was no "Band" just Tefft and an acoustic guitar. Not the glamorous rock star life, but it helped pay the bills. It allowed her to develop as a songwriter as well as kill a nasty case of stage fright. As her repertoire grew she began to assemble the aforementioned "band." The first band member to be found was guitarist John Parrillo, who she met in the summer of '94. Together they formed an acoustic duo, taking the name "Living in Exile." They began to write together and travel the open mic circuit; eventually releasing a six-song cassette called Naked.

The Band: Parillo, Antoniades, and St. Pierre

The first album, Dig This Thing (Gypsy Spin Music, 1997) was started with songs tested in the tunnels during the winter of 1997, and completed when she asked some musician friends (including Parrillo) to make an attempt at it. It received enough attention for a Boston Music Award nomination and spots in the final rounds of the Lillith Fair Showcase and Discmakers Independent Music World Series. As all 10 songs were written for a single acoustic guitar, they have a stripped down sound that occasionally borders on folk, but is more riff-driven than a folk album is capable of being.

A year later the collaborative effort B-Sides to Nothing was released. The lineup behind her had changed, and so had the sound. John Parrillo remained, while Jason DeWaard (bass) and Jim Hollister (drums) signed on. Each had a part in the writing of nearly every song on the album, and Tefft focused more on singing than playing. The riffs were still there, but there was nothing stripped down about it. This album brought more acclaim, with the Jennifer Tefft Band being hailed as one of the best unsigned bands in Boston and receiving airplay on 200 mostly college radio stations nationwide, even reaching #1 on rotation at WMEB in Orono, ME.

Fast forward to late September of last year and the release of the album Shift. She was now reaching a larger audience due to the help of such venues as RadioBoston.com, who vended the new disc in addition to spinning it like crazy. Shift was titled as such to indicate yet another change in sound. While not dramatically different from B-Sides to Nothing, it was once again featuring a new band (although "new" isn't exactly right, as the band now consisted of Parrillo and two musicians who helped out on Dig This Thing, Jeff St. Pierre and Phil Antoniades) and dropped the "Band" title from...well...the band. In addition, it was produced by Fran Flannery who's production credits include Aerosmith, among others. Changes include electronic influences and layered background vocals. The result is a different, and slicker album.

Well, now you're up to speed. Believe it or not, the original purpose of this was to do a concert review of her Boston CD release party, but I got a little carried away. Although, if you made it this far your interest is sufficiently piqued and you may now go off to convert others. Shift was sent to radio stations across the country as of last week (including our own), so make some requests and jump on the bandwagon, I'm lonely.

Oh, and go visit her website so her music can do the talking and my vague attempts at comparison can be ignored.

Jennifer Tefft: An Overly Specific History and Not Specific Enough Description

by Dave Wininger