"GENRE CLOWN" UPDATE - MARTIN & OLIVIA OLSON - DAVE DAVIES!!!

Jeff has just about finished writing material for his upcoming album, "Genre Clown". He has collaborated on two tunes with Martin Olson, "Digging a Garden for Eloise" and "Out of Nothing". Martin and his daughter Olivia, who starred in Richard Curtis' "Love Actually", have contributed a performance which will be woven into Jeff's rendition of "Out of Nothing". Jeff is also collaborating with drummer, Kim Miller, on a tune entitled "Making Out with Zsa Zsa". Basic tracks to nine of the twelve tunes have been laid down with Kim Miller, Scot Armstrong and Zack Root. The last basics session is slated for October 3'rd. Jeff's latest unconfirmed rumor is that he is number one to open for Kink's guitarist/songwriter Dave Davies at the Bull Run on February 12'th, 2010. Jeff is truly excited about this prospect as he has seen The Kinks perform at least a dozen times and regards them as the GREATEST live rock and roll act ever, combining over-the-top rock showmanship with British music hall and vaudeville tradition and satire. He also regards their catalog of recordings as the ZENITH of lyrical 60's pop/rock. Of course, Dave alone INVENTED the raucous, distorted root-fifth guitar chord debuted so viscerally on "You really Got Me" when he was 17 and Heavy Metal and Punk will be forever in his debt.

"PLASTIC WORLD" by G.S. PICARD - "NOT SO FAST" by ASHBROOK HAYNES (w/ J.GEILS) - 09/18/09

Jeff is helping put the finishing touches on two great new CDs by local artists this month. The first, "Plastic World" by Gayle Picard is slated for release at the Bull Run on 10/10/09. Many talented central MA musicians have contributed their time and talents to this amazing and diverse collection of tunes: Cheryl Robertson, Jane Fallon, Mary Carfagna, Reuban Bellingham, Perry Bakalos, Rob Carlson, Rick Cooper, Kris Lucander, Dave Gaudet, Tom Ruckey, Elizabeth Lorrey, Mark Fisher and Lori Diamond. Jeff contributed several bass tracks as well as some keyboards and hand percussion along with engineering and co-production. Ashbrook Heynes (Marc Rines, Karen Stanley, Dan Stanley, Paul Bradley and Bob Soar) are very close to completing their excellent new CD entitled "Not So Fast". They recently had J. Geils in for a howling/growling electric slide guitar track on their latest tune, "Too Close". It was a genuine thrill and pleasure to work with J. and the results were spine-tingling.

TRIPLE BILL - BULL RUN RESTAURANT - WITH ROB CARLSON & DAVE GAUDET - 08/15/09

Jeff will be sharing the bill with two incredible performers on August 15'th 2009 at the Bull Run Restaurant and Concert Hall. Jeff's longtime friend and collaborator, Rob Carlson, will be performing an original set of acoustic guitar tunes. A left-handed, upside-down and backwards guitarist, Rob's high tenor voice and fretboard frenetics will leave you speechless and amazed. Rob is currently backing Dell Smart and other local Boston based artists as a guitarist, writer and producer. Rob's brilliant and spontaneous contributions have graced the majority of Jeff's solo work. Rob and Jeff teamed up in the mid-80s as Einstein and produced one album, "Black & White", in 1986. Dave Gaudet is a seasoned, award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist who has helped many Central MA musical artists with his engineering expertise, production ideas and arrangements. One of Dave's own recent productions of a G.S. Picard tune, "The Aging Song" was selected as the Grand Prize winner for a compilation CD. Tickets for the show are $10 (prior to the day of show) and may be purchased directly from The Bull Run at (978) 425-4311. Jeff would like to thank Doleras Guercio, George Tocci and Steve Gaetz for their support.

NEW ALBUM UNDERWAY!! - 07/18/09

Jeff has written half of his album for 2009. He will be joined by Kim Miller using his latest TD-20 based V-drums, as well as bassists Scot Armstrong and Zack Root. Rob Carlson is also slated for some of his brilliant guitar work. Jeff will again be collaborating on songs and production ideas with his original collaborator Martin Olson. The first session is slated for Saturday, July 18'th with a second session scheduled for August 1'st.

ASHBROOK HAYNES, G.S. PICARD, LITTLE JOE COOK/MIKE MICHAELS - 07/18/09

Ashbrook Haynes are finishing up their third album with Jeff and it sounds great. Drummer Bob Soar opted to record his tracks with real drums and they sound fabulous. G.S. Picard is putting the finishing touches on her upcoming album, "Plastic World". Mike Michaels and Jeff recently visited Little Joe Cook at his home in Framingham, MA for several vocal overdubs.

ROOT SONGS DISTRIBUTED BY EOS MUSIC CORPORATION - 07/18/09

Several of Jeff's songs are being featured on Eos Music channels for their newly established customer base.

WICKED-COOL REVIEW FROM FRANCIS DIMENNO @THE NOISE - 04/30/09

JEFF ROOT - Root Cellar Records - "The Secrets of Love" - 12-song CD - There are lots of good songs to be mined from Mr. Root’s repertoire, though sometimes he reminds me of what my college ethnomusicology professor once said about Stevie Wonder: “Ah, yes—our young friend who writes so much.” Root’s songwriting is often in the tradition (though not at the level of accomplishment of) Bob Dylan and Randy Newman and Warren Zevon—albeit at their most mordacious. And he is not the most technically accomplished singer. A trouper, yes. A satirist, betimes. Sardonic, yet with a heart to care. Sure enough, on his latest project he casts about, sniping at various targets and indulging in his usual hooliganistic genre clowning: his self-announced “All I Want To Do” Beatles rip-off “The Heart of You” is actually a pretty neat song in its own right, and the novelty sludge-metal tribute “Like a Zombie” is good for a cheap laugh. Root alternates his gallery of the whimsical and the grotesque with some high-quality love songs such as “Across the Teak Parquet.” But there are, inevitably, in such a scattershot approach, some missteps: The reggae-fied track “Failure Is Freedom” is only tolerable; the title track is more than a bit treacly; and the metal-rap take-off “Snap, Crackle, Pop” initially seems too facile, though the alternating Chipmunks-homage sections are irresistable. However, his closing confection, “My Latest Masterpiece” puts me in mind one of those wide-awake goofs like Zal Yanovsky’s “As Long As You’re Here,” or the Kinks’ “People Take Pictures,” or even the Monkees’ almost goony “D.W. Washburn.” Great stuff, and well worth the price of admission all by itself. (Francis DiMenno)

ROOT CATALOG PICKED UP BY WWW.MUSICSUPERVISOR.COM - 04/17/09

Jeff's entire catalog has been picked up for non-exclusive representation by www.musicsupervisor.com, a leading internet resource for music supervisors and film editors for obtaining temporary and finished tracks for film and television.

"THE SECRETS OF LOVE" CD RELEASE EVENT - APRIL 11, 2009 - BULL RUN RESTAURANT

Kim Miller and Scot Armstrong will join Jeff to celebrate the release of his newest CD, "The Secrets of Love", on Saturday April 11, 2009 at 8PM. They will be performing an opening set for Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen (of "Hot Rod Lincoln" fame). Advance tickets are $15 and may be purchased at (978) 425-4311. The Bull Run Restaurant is located at 215 Great Road in Shirley, MA. Jeff would like to thank George Tocci, Deloras Guercio and Steve Gaetz for the opportunity and their support!

ROOT CATALOG PICKED UP BY EOS MUSIC CORPORATION - 03/18/09

All six of Jeff's albums, "The Spirit of '67", "Ordinary Guise", "Angst Cretin", "Kerouac King Kong", "Toadstool of the Realm" and his latest "The Secrets of Love" have been picked up under a non-exclusive agreement by Eos Music Corporation, a leading music provider for businesses. This agreement includes all 75 songs owned by Jeff's ASCAP Black Hole Publishing company.

"THE HEART OF YOU" added to SONG & FILM catalog - 03/01/09

Jeff recently signed "The Heart of You" to a non-exclusive placement agreement with Song & Film, a leading film and television song placement company. "The Heart of You" is the first cut on Jeff's new album, "The Secrets of Love" and is also a lyrical rewrite of an old Hot Dates chestnut.

NEW WEB SITE/NEW ALBUM! - 01/27/09

Jeff has just completed his newest album, "The Secrets of Love", rekindling a collaboration with his first musical partner, comedy writer Martin Olson, on the title cut as well as some of the production ideas. Musicians who contributed to the album are: BONGO POETS: Rob Carlson - lead guitar, Scot Armstrong - bass, Tom Ruckey - drums and Kim Miller - drums as well as GUESTS: Zack Root - bass, Reuban Bellingham - djembe, Nate Smith - piccolo banjo, Tom Duncan - mandolin, Diane Root, Rebecca Root and Gretchen Schlier - backup vocals. Jeff sang and played rhythm guitar (acoustic, electric and 12-string) as well as keyboards and hand percussion and also engineered and mastered all tracks. All songs were written by Jeff except the title track, "The Secrets of Love" which was co-written with Martin Olson. Jeff would like to thank the following individuals for their support with the writing and/or production of "The Secrets of Love": Mark Fisher and his amazing song-slimnastics team (Gayle Picard, Dave Gaudet, Lee Villaire, Pat Kenneally, Rick Cooper, Kris Lucander, Nancy Fisher and Cheryl Robertson) as well as Karl Sharicz, Adrienne Root, Zack Root, Rebecca Root, Diane Root, Dave Fitzgibbons and Elizabeth Lorrey. "The Secrets of Love" is dedicated to Jeff's folks on the year of their 60'th anniversary as well as to Wayne Wadhams, producer of Jeff's first band, Hot Dates, who passed away in August of 2008. The album cover was designed and created by Diane Root. The cover shot is of Jeff's folks, Henry and Claire Root, on their honeymoon to Henry's family in Jackson, Mississippi in August of 1949 outside the family home/WJDX radio transmitter station. The back cover photo was taken and edited by Peter Cristoph at Lee Villaire's CD Release Party.

C.N. aka Carlos Nieves!! Posted: Nov 24, 2008

Carlos has just finished production on a excellently written, arranged and performed three song Pop/Hip-hop demo. The tracks are available for review and purchase at: www.myspace.com/01cn

Reuban Bellingham! - 11/24/08

The finishing touches are being put onto Reuban's "The Messages" book & accompanying CD project. Gayle Picard, Cheryl Robertson, Lee Villaire and Diane Root layered backup vocals, Dave Gaudet had added solo guitar improvisations over the top and the CD is ready for mix and mastering. It is an inspiring piece of work with the timeless yet timely theme of world peace and love.

Little Joe Cook! - 11/16/08

Jeff has started production with local artist Peter Szoc to record the early gospel roots of legendary 50's artist Little Joe Cook of 1957 "Peanuts" fame. Joe toured with Alan Freed's original Rock and Roll Spectacular with Chuck Berry, The Coasters, B.B. King and many, many others. Joe recently visited the Root Cellar and plans another visit this year to lay down vocals on some of his early gospel tunes originally written and recorded prior to his Rock and Rolls days.

LEON REDBONE! - 11/11/08

Jeff was been asked to open for the legendary Leon Redbone on thursday, December 4'th - 8PM at The Bull Run Concert Series - co-sponsored by 92.5, "The River".

Root signs with Song & Film - 04/29/08

Jeff recently signed a music licensing agreement with Nashville-based Song & Film, a leading independent music licensing company for the songs: "Won't You Be My Betty Boop?", "Dirty Money" and "Beatlemaniacs". Song & Film has placed songs in many of the latest and upcoming feature films including: "Elegy", "Major Motion Star", "Jack Satin" and "American Pie 6" as well as television placements for E!, Disney, NBC and Fox Sports.

"The Mother Lode of Love" signed to indy film - 04/29/08

Jeff recently placed "The Mother Lode of Love" in the independent film "Never Lie To Your Mother" as co-producer with film maker Chris Lines of Between The Lines Films, a Baltimore-based independent film company.

Root Cellar News - 04/24/08

Two albums are slated for production in the Root Cellar in 2008:

1) G.S. Picard - with Cheryl Robertson, Elizabeth Lorrey, Tom Ruckey, Kris Lucander, Jeff and others.

2) Jeff Root - (The Secrets of Love) with Bongo Poets: Tom Ruckey, Scot Armstrong, Kim Miller, Rob Carlson and Zack Root.

Marty Nestor! - 04/08/08

Marty Nestor will be doing post-production mixing and mastering at the Root Cellar in 2008 for his new up and coming masterpiece!