Jeff

Jeff Keys is skilled at performing as well as teaching Trumpet and Flugal Horn. He earned a B.A. in Music from Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. Jeff was influenced at a very young age by watching his older brother rehearse at their home in Chicago, Illinois. Often he would sneak in the basement to fiddle around with a variety of instruments; but never choosing one.

His first opportunity to pick an instrument came when he entered the sixth grade. Jeff chose the saxophone, but his music teacher had too many reed instrument players and needed more brass players, specifically trumpet. Jeff realized that any instrument would be good enough for him as long as he could play! His brother and his band members encouraged him to try and jam with the band; and so he did. Jeff quickly learned to play by ear before learning to read music. In high school he was exposed to Jazz by Tony Smith, who played on the Chicago jazz circuit. Jeff played in the Jazz Band and also the Concert Band while attending high school He played in the All City Jazz Band his junior and senior year in high school. He performed in the Gentlemen of Leisure Band on the Chicago hotel circuit. Jeff earned a four year scholarship to Livingstone College where he played in numerous musical organizations. He also played with the East Coast Entertainment Booking Agency where he performed in major hotels from Florida to Boston. Mr. Keys formed his own band (Stone Band). Stone Band was partial to performing rhythm and blues. After college Jeff returned to Chicago where he continued to play with the Gentlemen of Leisure Band and also recorded with the billboard hit group Smoke City. Smoke City opened shows for The Whispers, Jeffrey Osborn, Atlantic Star and Patti Labelle in addition to other recording artists.

Since arriving in Minneapolis, Jeff has performed with the Dean Brewington Quintet, the MCTC Jazz Band and also has a combo (Urban Cadence). He is on the advisory board for the Capri Theater and the Freedom Jazz Festival. He will start teaching at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College in the fall of 2009. Jeff believes that music is by nature ephemeral, but that doesn’t keep it from being transcendent. The goal is to pull the student into the pocket.