(2021 Bio)
Jeffery Parker is an award winning singer/songwriter and has played guitar & mandolin semi-professionally for over 30 years. Forming a bluegrass band with Gene Slaght called “Surewood” in the mid 70’s, working around the Seattle area. Then to Alaska and worked as a solo and duo performer with Juanita Parker. In 2003, he published a CD entitled “It’s About Time” consisting of original music (and one meaningful cover) and in 2015 published a 4 song EP called “Workin’ The Weather” and in 2019 released a second CD of original works named “San Juan del Puerto” that includes the 2017 3rd place song in the prestigious Will McLean Festival New Florida Song contest “Sugarcane Mill”.

In 2011 Jeff formed the duo “Road Less Traveled” with flutist Anne McKennon and enjoyed performing in the Jacksonville, Florida area until the recent move back home to the Great Northwest.

Jeff now calls Yakima, Washington home. Playing finger style and flat-picking guitar, he can easily adapt to provide driving, toe-tapping lead or more gentle background music. Jeff is a proud member and supporter of the Yakima Folklife Festival and volunteers as time allows from his busy schedule.

Jeff is currently playing and recording new and not so new music full time (the sea is always in the back of his mind). In addition to Jeff’s original songs, a partial list of cover songs is available on his ReverbNation page. https://www.reverbnation.com/jeffparkersongwriter/songs

In 2015 was a finalist in the Ray Lewis Mudville Music Room song writing contest and Gram Parsons Guitar Pull/River Keeper songwriting contest with the song “Chickabee”.

(Inspiration)
His 2017 3rd place award in the prestigious Will McLean Festival New Florida Song contest is one of the best examples of Jeff’s songwriting skills. The inspiration for the “Sugarcane Mill” song was a request by Suz Grandy to write a song about it for the 40th annual celebration of the Barberville Pioneer Settlement along with many other songwriters and performers. With Suz providing an interview with the settlement historian and some additional research on the sugarcane mills, there were some names that stuck out. Otis Lee, who donated much of the equipment for the settlement. And a charming fellow Wendle La Hoot whose face would light up telling stories from his childhood about grinding the sugar cane and cooking the juice down and “polecat” candy which was the crust build-up around the rim of the cook pot from skimming. On harvest day, dinner would be a cane syrup biscuit and half a sweet potato.

Find his award winning song here: http://willmclean.com