Madcap Friend & Brilliant Musician: Jeff Lloyd
A heavenly birthday remembrance of one of my great teachers
As one who chose obscurity in a Florida suburb, Jeff Lloyd loomed large as a multi-talented comrade who unwittingly mentored my career and my life. He was also the “leader of the pack” who encouraged me and a group of friends to “invade” California in 1977—a move that changed everything! As a good-looking and charismatic guy, Jeff had what it took to be “the next big thing” in showbiz. However, despite Chrysalis Records taking an interest in him as a singer-songwriter, he wasn’t into being a flash in the pan pop star.
We were introduced in late 1975 by my high school friend Mark Jones (another multi-talented madcap). I’d just moved back to Florida after a run with a band in New York and I was hungry for new projects. The following year Jeff and I recorded together, with him setting the bar for studying tone, compression, signal processing, miking, etc. Our mutual friends will report that Jeff was a patient and meticulous teacher, and he is one of my first serious guides into the world of recording and songwriting. He was skilled on synthesizer, and he encouraged me as a keyboardist. I benefitted from his eclectic knowledge of stringed instruments, and he showed me alternate tunings and the mechanics of electric guitar.
He also taught me how to mindfully probe recordings—how to learn from them and to celebrate the work that went into the finished production. We spent hours analyzing world music, electronic and fringe music, and our favorite records by Badfinger, Beatles, Bee Gees, King Crimson, Kinks, Roxy Music, 10cc, Yes, and Beach Boys—Jeff exposed me to the splendors of The Beach Boys catalog and I became a major fan.
Jeff was also a comic, with a knack for turning the most mundane situation into a hilarious epic, complete with cartoon voices. What made all the difference, though, was his passion. He could hold people spellbound with his contagious excitement for the diversities of art, music, philosophy, religion, science, and the cosmos (from Beat Poets to lasers). Example: He was keenly interested in Paolo Solieri, the respected architect-philosopher. Solieri is hardly a household name, but everyone in our circle read his books because of Jeff’s enthusiasm. He even visited Soleri’s home in Arizona, spent hours with the old man, and came out with a collection Soleri’s hand-made bells that Jeff gave out as presents (I got one).
Jeff and I kept in touch over the years, even till recently exchanging goofy postcards and random music shares. Our last in-person time was around 2007-10. I was touring with Davy Jones and we were frequently gigging in central Florida. Jeff stopped by, taking video and hanging out with the band. In turn, we (Davy and band members) went to see Jeff play percussion with a hardcore flamenco dance group in St. Petersburg.
As of this writing, there’s little of Jeff’s original music available in any format. Recently I made videos based on recordings from 1973 with his cover band Crystal Drive:
Also available are ten Youtube clips of his collaboration with the world music group Tree of Life from 2011-12
Over the years Jeff and I performed a few concerts together (including a 1980 crazy-noisy San Francisco art gallery gig from which we stormed out of mid-set). We wrote at least four pieces together, and some were recorded and issued publicly in the 80s-00s. I aim to round up these tracks and create a tribute site. Meanwhile, please enjoy this collaboration, “Ya Gotta Care”
I’m very grateful that Jeff did care to share his incredible talents and gifts with the world. His influence and example inspired countless musicians and creatives
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