RECENT REVIEWS: "Let’s cut to the chase: Vagabond is one of the most faultlessly conceived and meticulously executed albums in any genre to come out of Canada in a long time..." TORONTO STAR Oct 9, 2012 (4/4 stars) - review of new 2012 release "There are no wasted words for Straker as a lyricist. He’s like an artist painting a masterpiece without using excessive brush strokes... His ability on the piano is remarkable and his voice has found a spot that is distinctly his" REGINA LEADER POST Oct 2012 (4/5 Stars) - review of new 2012 release. “Rufus Wainwright, as well as k.d. lang, are among Canadians making essential and beautiful music. Add the name Jeffery Straker to that list." CHICAGO FREE PRESS (Jan 2009) “Witty…energetic & emotional. A comet of energy bursting off the stage”. SASKATOON STAR PHOENIX (Aug 2011) BIO Singer-songwriter-pianist Jeffery Straker performs over 100 shows per year across Canada. He recently recorded for CBC radio’s ‘Canada Live’, and had a music video rise to the top 10 (#6) on Canada’s Much More Music. His album ‘Step Right Up’ was the #5 selling album in his home-land of Saskatchewan in August 2010, ahead of both Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. He’s sure neither of them cared. But he is sure that he, in fact, did. He launched a new album in 2011, ‘under the soles of my shoes’, and toured Canada in support of it with shows ranging from intimate house concerts to a sold-out orchestral debut with the full Regina Symphony Orchestra (Oct 2011). His songs have played on both CBC and commercial radio. Straker has completed a new recording, 'Vagabond', released Oct 2 2012. The album was produced by Canadian multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter Danny Michel and they used one of Glenn Gould's pianos at the CBC in Toronto for the project. The album debuted in the top 20 on the iTunes singer-songwriter charts, has charted in the top 10 on both Winnipeg & Halifax college radio and was a top 20 selling album in the province of Saskatchewan in it's 2nd week. Michel's skilled production and arrangement savvy lend the album an earthy, organic quality allowing the songs to breathe and wrap around the listener. The recording has left critics speaking very favourably. Jeffery and his piano-folk-pop-cabaret music are often compared to a mixture of early Elton John, Ben Folds, Sarah Slean, and Harry Chapin. Originally from small town Saskatchewan, the classically trained pianist was raised by a church organist mother and an auctioneer father. He swears he was born under the piano on the family farm. All this might explain his ability to share songs with audiences. Highlights of his recent touring include: a debut performance at the National Arts Centre (Ottawa), his 4th invite to the Breakout West Festival (Western Canadian Music Awards), Regina Folk Festival performance, and showcasing at Canadian Music Week (Toronto). He has also performed at JunoFest and NXNE and recently toured in Ghana (Africa) in early 2012. His songwriting has seen him become a national top 10 finalist in the Canadian Radiostar Songwriting Competition and a top 20 finalist in the global Unisong Competition as well as twice placing in the top 10 in the prestigious Mountain Stage Newsong contest. Jeffery is a musical descendant of Beethoven through teacher-student lineage (seriously...see his website for the full story). He was a student of the Royal Conservatory of Music and received his licentiate diploma in piano performance from Trinity College, London when he was 19. www.jeffstraker.com www.facebook.com/jeffery.straker.music www.myspace.com/jefferystraker www.twitter.com/jefferystraker Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.