Introduction: Doggone & Community
Jeffrey Silverstein’s latest album, Doggone, is out in the world and available on Digital/CD/Vinyl. Today is also Bandcamp Friday, so now’s a great time to buy a copy. As Glenn Kimpton shared in his recent album review, Doggone is an impressive album, recorded in Portland, Oregon, where Jeffrey now lives, and is fully rooted in the creative community around him: “Not only do I have community, but I feel it all around me, and I’m able to reap the benefits of having that community.” He is joined by local musicians like bassist Alex Chapman and drummer Dana Buoy, as well as producer Ryan Oxford. Guests on the album include Devendra Banhart and Merle Law.
The album has attracted plenty of praise, not just from the music press, but also from fellow musicians; Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats) shared:
“Jeffrey’s latest album exists in a world between worlds. One is a nether region of cinematic eyelid movies, definitely set somewhere out west in the nighttime. The other is earthbound and rooted and in daylight and swings with the best of my guys – JJ and Jerry and Dr. John and all the best ones. This is a world I wanna live in.”
In our latest Off the Shelf, a series in which artists photograph and present objects from around their home and talk about them ( a form of storytelling through objects), we get to experience a bit more of Jeffrey Silverstein’s world…which is steeped in the tangible world of analogue; this may well take you all on an onward journey.
Jeffrey tours the UK and Ireland in March next year (dates at the end of the article).
Off the Shelf with Jeffrey Silverstein
Daniel Johnston – Original Artwork
I love hearing music that feels human – music with mistakes, where you feel like you’re hearing the person’s true self. I don’t think I had considered how much I valued this until I found the Devil and Daniel Johnston documentary in college. I felt like I kind of ‘woke up’. There is always equal parts joy/comedy and pain in Daniel’s music. I’m always looking for art that sits at that intersection. Daniel’s music is also a reminder that being a highly ‘skilled’ or ‘technical’ player matters very little in comparison to truly having your own perspective. Willie Nelson was right – you can’t make a record if you ain’t got nothing to say. Daniel’s drawings are just as powerful as his music. My wife gifted me this original piece some years ago. I love that Daniel reuses characters across albums/artwork. You get to see Captain America on this one, and I often think of the phrase, ‘and in the end the love you make is eaten like a piece of cake.’ DJ Forever.
Michael Hurley – Pin
I’m not sure their worlds would have ever crossed, but I put the late Michael Hurley into the same camp of artists as Daniel Johnston. Someone who had a vision and didn’t compromise. I am so fortunate that I got to see him perform as many times as I did. One of the most amazing things about moving to Portland was being able to walk from my apartment to a free Michael Hurley show at Laurelthirst Public House most Friday evenings. I picked this pin up at one of his last Laurelthirst shows. Big Bad Mike Hurley did his own thing in his own time. Was playing shows right up until the end. Kind of one of the most famous, not famous musicians. His guitar playing and artwork are singular. Grateful to have been on the same timeline as him for a little while.
Rain Dragon – Novel by Jon Raymond
Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy is the movie that made me want to live in the Pacific Northwest, or at least planted the seed in my mind subconsciously. Old Joy is adapted from a short story by Portland-based writer Jon Raymond. Old Joy led me to dive into Raymond’s novels. Rain Dragon follows a young couple who leave Los Angeles to seek a simpler life on an organic farm and yogurt cooperative in Oregon. I love Raymond’s pacing and use of simple language, two values I attempt to apply to my music. He does such a wonderful job of world-building- it becomes easy to conjure images in your mind while reading, and he tackles topics like fate, ambition, and love so beautifully. I never tire of discovering movies, books, television shows, etc. that are based in Portland or Oregon, and this remains one of my favorites.
George Harrison – Baseball Card
It’s challenging to write about how much George means to me. My dad showed me the Concert for Bangladesh for the first time while I was home from college. Something about seeing George in that white suit ripping through ‘Wah-Wah’ did something to me. I’ve been a ‘George Guy’ ever since. My dad also gave me this George Harrison collector card around the same time. George is 100% responsible for turning me on to Eastern thought, Buddhism, and having a spiritual practice. Perhaps one of the biggest lessons George bestowed on me as a guitar player is that of restraint and patience. In comparison to, say, Daniel Johnston, George was a highly skilled player, but he never overplays or tries to make himself the main character. He sits back and occupies just the right amount of space – something I try to do both in music and in life.
The Grateful Dead – Dead Ahead VHS
This one combines two of my favorite things to collect – Grateful Dead memorabilia and VHS tapes. Love a good concert film – this tape captures the best of the Dead’s historic week-long marathon of shows at Radio City Music Hall. It opens with the song that helped me really ‘get’ the Dead – ‘Bird Song’. Similar to Daniel and George, I learn something every time I listen to or watch the Dead play. How could you not? There are a million and one ways to analyze their music, but I love that on the most simple level, they were just committed to having a good time. Their chemistry is otherworldly. Music, as much as possible, should be fun. The Dead remind me not to take myself too seriously.
Bill Walton – Photo
One of my favorite weekend activities is browsing estate sales. I love coming across vintage Portland Trailblazers collectables, and simply couldn’t pass on this signed photo of Bill Walton. It kind of looks like he is on the cast of Star Trek here. Bill was a larger-than-life type of person and a lifelong superfan of the Dead. Big Red credited the Grateful Dead’s musical style with shaping his basketball philosophy. Just as Jerry Garcia never played a song the same way twice, Walton read the floor and improvised his passes rather than running rigid set plays. During his time with the Boston Celtics, he also famously organized a team field trip to a Grateful Dead concert in Massachusetts. Portland, basketball, and the Dead, always a winning combination.
Rhythm Ace – Drum Machine
Something else I love to collect – drum machines! This was the first one I bought and would serve as such a major foundation for my early recordings. I love the wood grain encasing, how satisfying each button/knob is to twist or push, and how vintage drum machines look on stage. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing with a live drummer, but a proper drum machine choogle gets me every time. For me, the drum machine is still one of my most utlized songwriting tools. It can help me get ideas flowing quickly without overthinking. Super fun to layer drum machines and live drums in the studio. Now go listen to some JJ Cale and Sly Stone.
Grandpa’s Harmonica
I inherited a few special items from my Grandpa after he passed: an old point-and-shoot camera, a black-and-white TV/radio, some of his Brooklyn Dodgers gear, and his trusty Hohner harmonica. He wasn’t necessarily a musical person, but he loved to sit around and play when we were all together. I haven’t used it in a song yet, but it sits in front of me anytime I’m playing guitar or working on music. Kind of makes me feel like we are back in New Jersey, just passing time. He was such a gentle and tender man, and I think I absolutely get that from him.
Big Dog – Jeff
This is a custom piece of art my wife made of our enormous Doberman/Great Pyrenees dog named Jeff. It was part of a dog-themed gallery show. Jeff is a big dog with big emotions, and much like some of the aforementioned musicians, I learn so much from being his dad about patience, routine, fun, spontaneity, and trying to be in the moment wherever possible.
Folk Art – Fisherman
Truth be told, I could not tell you how this dude came into my life. I’ve had him since living in Baltimore, and he’s made an appearance everywhere I’ve lived ever since. I wish I knew who the artist was. I love his hair, beard and expression. Seems like he’s got some serious stories to tell / wisdom to share. Now I’m thinking about writing a song told from his perspective.
Note from the Editor: We ask artists to write about ten objects. Jeffrey was clearly spoilt for choice, so the bundle of photos he sent me included other objects he’d obviously considered; without wanting to leave them out, here they are:
UK & IE Tour 2027
20/03 – London – The Lexington
21/03 – Brighton – The Prince Albert
22/03 – Bristol – The Louisiana
23/03 – Leeds – Hyde Park Book Club
24/03 – Glasgow – The Hug and Pint
25/03 – Dublin – BelloBar
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