Garland Jeffreys is eternally youthful, and today he celebrates his 80th birthday. Unbelievable!
Garland is a New York R&B rock icon, famed around the world and one of Bruce Springsteen’s favorite performers. His lifelong friend was Lou Reed — they went to Syracuse University together.
To celebrate his birthday, Garland has dropped a collection of rare, unreleased demos on Spotify. Its called “American Boy and Girl Unplugged,” and I haven’t stopped playing it all morning. He gave us a gift!
Garland’s devoted wife and manager Claire tells me: “We found these demo reels under the bed and had them digitized and then mastered by the great Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound. It’s just Garland on rhythm guitar and vocals and Alan Freedman on electric/acoustic guitar. No tracks added! Some of these songs were recorded on the American Boy & Girl album. They are labeled (acoustic). The rest were never released. It’s all about the innocence and freedom in G’s singing. Really charming.”
All of Garland’s big albums are on Spotify, and on Amazon, and on his website. I discovered him in 1977 when his landmark album, “Ghost Writer,” was released with his signature single, “Wild in the Streets.” The album sounds as fresh as ever, as do all his famous releases on A&M and Epic Records. His voice is a lilting miracle mix of Brooklyn, Puerto Rican and African American roots. His music combines the best of REAL R&B, reggae, and rock. Every song, no matter the subject, is incredibly catchy. Jeffreys specializes in gorgeous melodies, often peppered with lyrics that run from poppy to serious stuff about race. His work deserves a Pulitzer Prize for its innovation, courage, and enjoyment.
Happy birthday, Garland!
Listen to this amazing album:
