MUSIC/CDs
Jeff is a proud writer and publisher member of ASCAP. All of Jeff's original material is copyrighted and is administered and published by Ba'alshazar Music (ASCAP).
JAZZ/WORLD
Jeff's award-winning group Aqabala has received international attention for its remarkable blend of world, jazz, classical and pop idioms. His solo piano playing has been heard and acclaimed by thousands.
"The best vocalists you've never heard of. Features surprising elements for jazz." -Jazziz
"Jeffrey Kauffman scores a hit. Impressive." -JazzScene
"An intriguing combination of sounds. Aqabala puts an exotic twist on silky smooth jazz grooves." -Willamette Week
"A glorious example of bringing Hebrew chant into the rhythmic and harmonic context of contemporary jazz. Captivating." -The Oregonian
AQABALA:
Wasn't It Spring Yesterday? (Mizmor L'Shekinah)
Brother, Can You Spare A Paradigm?
Eli, Eli/Chant of the Four Worlds*
TRIO DE JANEIRO:
Triste (Jobim's classic sung by Jeff in Portuguese)
Greensleeves (Jeff's original arrangement)
PIANO/VOCAL:
Frances Farmer WIll Have Her Revenge on Seattle
SOLO PIANO:
Misturada (Airto Moreira's infectious Brasilian gem)
Autumn Reverie (Jeff's original ballad, reminiscent of Bill Evans)
POP/ROCK
Jeff has written and arranged original music for several vocalists. He has also crafted original arrangements for singer/songwriters who have brought him nothing more than a melody hummed into a cassette player.
Light at the End of the Tunnel (Jeff's original, featuring McKinley Williams)
Take Me Back (Jeff's original, featuring Matthew Stowell)
Exposed (A work for hire for singer/songwriter Carla Schaeffer, who asked for an arrangement like Quarterflash or Alannah Myles. Carla only had a melody and a lyric and asked Jeff to do everything else.)
SOUNDTRACKS
Jeff supplied the original score for the pilot of the ambitious CBS broadcast Pillars of Portland. This pilot was envisioned as the launching pad for the first locally produced daily soap opera. Jeff was therefore commissioned to not only compose a score for the pilot itself, including themes intended for re-use for the proposed daily show and scene specific cues, but also to develop a library of character motifs and bumpers that could be used in future broadcasts. Pillars ultimately aired in a drastically edited version as a two-hour television movie, using some of Jeff's source music, as well as contributions by such artists as Quarterflash and Craig Carothers.
Jeff also wrote the solo piano score for the children's ballet Alice in Wonderland, which garnered Portland's first ever CableACE nomination for Outstanding Production.
PILLARS OF PORTLAND
Laaka's Theme (Billy Oskay, violin)
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
MUSICAL THEATER/OPERA
Jeff has been fortunate to have several of his original musicals produced in fully staged presentations, as well as others done in readings. His adaptation of the cult propaganda film Reefer Madness has received uniform raves for its "tuneful and witty"*** pastiche score, which relies heavily on the Latin rhythms that were considered so "dangerous" in the 1930s, the setting of the musical. His nationally commissioned work for the Resident Artists of Portland Opera contains some of his most challenging vocal music, including tour-de-force soprano arias for a trio of Portland's most gifted opera singers. Starcrossed is a pet project of Jeff's, based upon a real life 1967 meeting between legendary actresses Judy Garland and Frances Farmer in Indianapolis. Jeff is also asked to write specialty material for many artists, as in the case of Some Girls.
SPECIALTY
Some Girls (Shayna Maidel's Lament) (performed by Susannah Mars)
ANGEL IN THE COCKPIT (Opera) (Lyrics by Gene Freedman)
Belle/Rachel (performed by Pamela Mahon and Elizabeth Lower) Belle is a street person known as "Scream." Rachel is a nun returning from India. Their paths will soon cross. (Note: this track is uploaded in its entirety and may take some time to begin playing depending upon your connection speed).
Laurel/Rudyard (performed by Teresa Koon and Shawn Rogers) Laurel is a hermitess visionary. Rudyard is Belle/Scream's father, a world traveller who has lost track of his daughter.
GOING TO POT: THE REEFER MADNESS MUSICAL (Lyrics by Russ Cowan)
Who Do You Think You're Kidding? (performed by Stacy Tilbury and Johnny Hamilton) The war of the sexes, 30s style.
Minds and Bodies (performed by Joseph Butler) The Coach reveals his strategy.
You Got Jack (performed by James Lawrence) Jack is his own best friend.
Getaway Song (performed by Debra Lund and James Lawrence) Mae and Jack make plans.
STARCROSSED
Just Look at You Now (performed by Adair Chappell and Susannah Mars) Judy and Frances meet each other backstage after Judy's concert.
Rainbow Morning (performed by Adair Chappell and Susannah Mars) The masks begin to crumble as memories intrude.
Little Sister (performed by Chrisse Roccaro) Lillian Farmer sings to her daughter Frances.
Papa (performed by Susannah Mars) Frances yearns for her often absent father.
Lullaby (performed by Adair Chappell and Susannah Mars) The women mourn their aborted children.
On the Edge (performed by Adair Chappell and Susannah Mars) Act One finale.
Judy's Solution (performed by Adair Chappell) Judy has the answer to her problems.
*Eli, Eli by David Zahavi and Hannah Senesh; **Speak No Evil, Music by Wayne Shorter, original lyric by Jeffrey Kauffman
***Manhattan Theater Club
WRITINGS
Read Jeff's acclaimed short story The Eleventh Commandment at NPR's Gather Community.
Jeff also wrote A Million Little Ironies, discussing his response to the James (A Million Little Pieces) Frey controversy and Jeff's very personal mission to set the record straight on another book that was supposedly non-fiction.
From 2007-2009, Jeff reviewed well over 500 film, DVD and Blu-ray releases for DVDTalk (link will open new page featuring all of Jeff's reviews in reverse chronological order). Starting in August, 2009, Jeff began reviewing exclusively for Blu-ray.com.
Jeff is working on a major novel entitled The Morningstar Stratagem, which preliminary reviewers have called "The Da Vinci Code on steroids," as well as a memoir detailing his long journey to find out the truth about Frances Farmer, tentatively titled The Frances Labyrinth.