NYC ORIGINS, WITH COAST TO COAST VIBE.

As Jeff likes to say, "I learned about music from CBGBs and about sex from Studio 54." Jeff, born and raised in NYC, found his musical sound in the 70's and played the same on the streets of the city. “My schooling had a more progressive tone with Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant tossing in some classic rock, Led Zeppelin and acoustically James Taylor, Jimmy Page, Carly Simon and Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna. Round that off with a little Billy Joel and Elton John toss it on the table and you have me,” Jeff says.

Musically the seventies had the rise of disco and decline of hair bands. Progressive rock was sliding into the basement again. The underground scene was starting to happen but Jeff being more melodic didn’t follow that path. He started with original music at 16 years old and has never looked back.

Jeff Adams

THE CREATION OF 11:21

Eleven Twenty-One has been the working name for material generated by Jeff and his collaborations since Eleven Twenty-One’s inception. The band originated in New York City with James Hellman on bass guitar and bass pedals, Fred Maher on drums and percussion and Michael Beinhorn on keyboards, mini moog and mellotron. At the time the band shared studio space with Jason Flom (Virgin/Atlantic Records) and his band.

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STEFFIE AND THE DIRTY VIRGINS

Jeff spent 4 years with Detroit’s Steffie and the Dirty Virgins, (yes he was officially a Dirty Virgin) playing the local Detroit circuit voraciously. At this time, Jeff teamed with Mark Schneider an incredible guitarist from Julius Victor and who played the Grande Ballroom many times. They created a colorful and dynamic guitar duo; stylistically very different, but powerfully and brilliantly blended.

THE DIRK KROLL BAND

Jeff and Mark meet Dirk Kroll and a new band formed; The Dirk Kroll Band. Jeff and Mark added guitar power to Dirk’s eclectic catalog of songs, and Jeff began a seven year collaboration with Dirk. You can hear Jeff's work on Dirk’s two albums Living Inside and This Broken Play.

THE TILTED AXES

Jeff has been with the Detroit Chapter of Tilted Axes since 2013. Tilted Axes is an award-winning project of post-rock composer and performer Patrick Grant, which brings especially composed electric guitar music into public spaces. The group consists of 15-18 electric guitarists playing instrumental music through wearable mini-amps, accompanied by percussionists and other performers. Stylistically the ensemble covers a number of genres, centering on the nexus where rock, classical, and world music meet. Tilted Axes performs in public squares, museums, and festivals of all kinds. Recently the group has been creating free online content in response to the current crisis.