At a time when musical and ethnic diversity is being portrayed by certain segments of society as being a bad thing, the need for an artist like Garland Jeffreys has never been more necessary. Throughout his career, the Brooklyn native has regaled his loyal fan base with a canon that not only draws from a wide-ranging base of influence that encompasses rock and roll, jazz, blues, soul, reggae and folk, but has been driven by a lyrical deftness that’s reflected in the heart of an urban poet. This year looks to be a big one for Jeffreys, who’ll be releasing 14 Steps to Harlem, his first recording since 2013’s Truth Serum. He’s also working on Who is Garland Jeffreys?, a documentary that traces a career that’s yielded seminal albums like Ghost Writer, Escape Artist and Don’t Call Me Buckwheat and includes commentary from the likes of Harvey Keitel, Laurie Anderson and Graham Parker. Jeffreys and his crack trio will not only be road-testing material, but serving up classics like “Wild In the Streets,” “35 Millimeter Dreams,” “96 Tears” and “I May Not Be Your Kind.”
Garland Jeffreys will be appearing on March 12 at the Long Island Museum, 1200 Rte. 25A, Stony Brook. For more information, visit www.longislandmuseum.org or call 631-751-0066.
