Join V. Jeffrey Smith, Melanie Athena, and Bruce Balmer for a set of live music, followed by an
open stage for musicians at Common Good’s first “Music Night”. Bring your instrument, share
your tunes, or just sit back and enjoy an evening of great music and community!
V. Jeffrey Smith is a musical phenomenon whose career spans more than 4 decades. He’s a master musician, multi instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer who has played on countless gold and platinum records.
V. Jeff’s vast credits include his iconic and instantly recognizable sax solo on Billie Ocean’s “Caribbean Queen”, and his equally notable sax solo on “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car”; and his trademark sound can be heard on hundreds more memorable albums!
His talents are showcased as an arranger on Stephanie Mills’ “If I were your Woman”, and as a writer on hits like Paula Abdul’s “Promise of a new day”, and The Family Stand’s “Ghetto Heaven”. V. Jeff was signed to Atlantic records first as an artist and soon became part of the Atlantic production team with his partner Peter Lord. He’s worked with Whitney Houston, produced Daryl Hall, Johnny Kemp, Kashif, Corey Glover, Heather Headley, Tamia, and hit songs like Paula Abdul’s “Rush Rush”, along with Average White Band’s “Shower The People” on their latest album. V. Jeff most recently produced, co-wrote, played and sang on The Family Stand’s newest soon to be released album, “Evolve”, on which he and Melanie Athena also co-wrote the song “Blindsided”.
Bruce Balmer is a prolific singer songwriter and accomplished guitar player, raised in Woodstock NY, in a musical household surrounded by a noisy family and over 40 well- and often-played instruments in various states of repair. Guitar followed piano, banjo and tenor guitar as his main teacher.
He later discovered the vibrant underground folk scene in in NYC. Bruce owes the writing and editing of many of his songs to the Greenwich Village Songwriter’s Collective, and accompanied the late and dearly missed Jack Hardy on some wild and lean road tours in the USA and Italy.
Bruce now divides his musical time between performance with his brilliant wife, Lisa Markley, as Markley & Balmer, solo Bruce Balmer performances, and wood-shed study of 20th century standards. Bruce has released three solo singer/songwriter albums, “Upstream,” “Blues/Boss/Jump/Waltz + 4,” available below, and “Get Outta Park,” available at https://soonasongs.com/product/bruce-balmer-get-outta-park-download/
Bruce’s music lives in this strange and dangerous territory between jazz and folk, complexity and simplicity, poetry and raw, honest truth that very few people are willing to enter.
Melanie Athena is a bass player, singer songwriter who was raised in Ellenville by classical musician parents before moving to Manhattan. She quickly found herself a part of NYC’s musical community, and in the inner circles of some of America’s greatest musicians such as The Neville Brothers, Will Lee, Hiram Bullock and Night Music, B.B. King, The Meters, and Les Pauls’ band. Soon she was playing in bands with such luminaries as Charles Neville, Bill Sims and the Bullet Proof Blues Band, Lew Gatewood, and legendary folk writer and co-creator of The Fast Folk Cafe, Jack Hardy.
Melanie co-founded the band “Gatewood”, playing in the same venues and sharing the stage with their peers John Popper, The Spin Doctors, Joan Osborne and Jimmy Vivino in their pre-fame years. After 12 years playing bass on the NYC scene, she shifted her focus to song writing. As a member of Jack Hardy’s weekly songwriter’s group she wrote hundreds of songs, including “Do it for love”, a co-write which was chosen for a Michael Kors TV ad campaign.
The Paradigm Shift is V. Jeffrey Smith and Melanie Athena, a musical partnership with a signature song by the same name. The song reflects the current state of our world in these uncertain times - social unrest, calls for change, and a nation divided - all amidst a global pandemic unprecedented in our lifetime. Now available through link below.