Jeff Brisbin Soulful Troubadour with Deep Local Roots

By Lawrence White

the spirit and give strength. That is the gift Jeff Brisbin provides with his music.

Jeff’s heritage is deep-rooted in Saratoga. His family is of Scottish origin and goes back several generations in the area. The Brisbin family were the earliest settlers in Wilton, and over the years they have owned land throughout the area including several hundred acres of farmland near Schuylerville. Historic family burial plots are found in both Victory and Wilton.

in Saratoga Springs. In explaining his musical roots, Jeff reflects, “My brother was quite a bit older than me. He had a 45 RPM record player and lots of records. I used to love to listen and sing along with the tunes. He would make special marks on the labels of my favorite songs because I was too young to read. I would play them over, and over again.”

“From that point on, I would make up songs in my head and sing them. Later, when the Beatles came along, their songs were so different

Jeff Brisbin connects. Attending one of his many solo musical performances or listening to any of his three self-produced albums is like hearing from an old friend. His honest reflections on life, love, and the condition of mankind can lift

Fifth-generation Schuylerville resident David Bullard tells me, “The Brisbin family were very active in the community. They were involved in commerce, banking, and farming. Their farm on what is now County Road 68 is in a spectacular location. They still maintain the historic family burial ground on the piece of land where Route 32 meets 68.”

Jeff grew up in the family house on East Avenue near Broadway and attended what was known as St. Peters Academy from anything I had heard before that I was hooked immediately.” This is very evident in not only the melodies that Jeff creates but also in his home which is loaded with Beatles memorabilia and images.

I ask Jeff when he first picked up a guitar. “It was when I saw the Beatles on Ed Sul livan that I knew that had to get a guitar. In 1963, I went into Ross Beach’s guitar shop on West Ave. in Saratoga Springs and bought a Kay guitar for $30. That was the beginning of everything that I am doing now.”

“I tried guitar lessons but that did not work out, so I went into Fox’s Jewelry where they had a stand with music books and sheet music. I bought a guitar cord book and learned ‘Should have Known Better’ by the Beatles and that is how I learned to play guitar. We started up a rock band in high school that we called the Avengers because we were in love with Diana Rigg,” Jeff tells me with a smile, “It was a lot of fun.”

Much has happened since then. Most im portantly Jeff and his wife raised six children in Saratoga which resulted in a decades-long pause in Jeff’s musical aspirations. “I never stopped playing guitar and making up songs, but obviously there were more urgent priorities to deal with.”

Jeff’s children describe wonderful memories of his music filling their home and even per forming with him when they grew up. They agree that a childhood with Jeff meant constant music and encouragement to make music of their own.

By the time his children had grown up and moved on, Jeff was performing regularly. Sadly, one of Jeff’s children passed away tragically, and his marriage dissolved, so he had to depend on his resources to regain stability. Through friends, he was able to lease a small apartment at a below-market rate. This allowed Jeff to save every penny until he bought a sweet but distressed little bungalow home in Ballston Spa. Once Jeff took ownership, he set about to re model the interior into a very attractive, ef ficient, and inviting space complete with a music room.

Jeff has learned hundreds of popular songs that he performs during marathon gigs that he often plays straight through, no breaks. More importantly, over the years, Jeff has written a considerable amount of original material. He explains, “It’s weird at times, it’s like someone whispered the song whole to me.”

Jeff selected several of his original songs to in clude on three self-produced albums, two recorded with highly regarded recording en gineer, David Maswick, who also plays bass with the Stony Creek Band. Guest musicians on Jeff’s albums include legendary keyboardist, Chuck Lamb; super talented guitarists, An drew Saris and Joel Brown; and harmonica virtuoso, Joe Gitto.

Recording Engineer, David Maswick has been operating a professional audio studio for 10 years. He said that working with Jeff was col laboration at its best. I asked David how he started working with Jeff. He responds,” After attending Jeff’s gigs for about a year, I became familiar with his original material and commented about the sincere authenticity of his work several times. Eventually, he became confident enough in me to do some recording.”

I ask David if there are plans afoot to record another Jeff Brisbin album, and he responds, “Your question is prescient. Jeff texted me three times in the last half hour about going into the studio to record a new album.”

Multiple Grammy Award-winning producer/ engineer Joel Moss has worked with Jeff in Caffe Lena, and relates, “Jeff Brisbin is the em bodiment of the modern-day troubadour. He has a heart-on-his-sleeve personality and will shamelessly reveal his deepest feelings, in conversation or most likely, in song. He has an infectious tenacity and an unrelenting work ethic. His ‘Unending Tour’ is more than a clever turn of phrase and he can be found most nights, singing his songs about the feelings we all share in a lyrical simplicity that reminds us of our need for one another.”

Jeff is a very busy artist. In 2022 he performed over 260 gigs including private and corporate events. Local venues that often feature Jeff’s performances include The Iron’s Edge, Caffe Lena, Brook Tavern, and Henry’s in Ballston Spa which Jeff calls his “Cavern Club.” (Jeff’s calendar with upcoming performances is available online at his website).

Matt Hickey owner of Henry’s is effusive in his praise of Jeff’s performances. “Jeff always draws a nice crowd and delights the people who are regulars. He picks up new followers each time he plays here. Jeff is like family to us. The staff loves him because he brings good folks into Henry’s which makes their jobs easier and more fun.”

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Jeff’s musical career is that he operates every facet and shoulders all the responsibility himself. He designed his stage setup so that he can hand carry the PA system, including microphones, stands, and speakers, and his guitars with only moderate effort to load and unload them. He promotes his music through his website, social media, Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Jeff books and promotes all the gigs, and he makes a very impressive annual profit doing so.

Jeff sums it up by saying, “Music has been a huge part of my life since the very beginning, I am truly blessed by an embarrassment of riches. I am bathed in the love of my children and by the lasting connections with good friends who are always there. To top it off, I get to share the joy of music with great people locally and from all over the world who come to Saratoga and attend one of my shows.” Then, with a laugh, he adds, “I am the most fortunate person I know.”

Jeff Brisbin, Broken Compass Music, 518-522-2248 email:jbrisbin@jeffbrisbin.com http://www.jeffbrisbin.com