Jeremiah Birnbaum
Encyclopedia
Jeremiah Birnbaum is a singer/songwriter
falling mostly in the Americana
vein; in press his music has also been described as a combination of folk
, blues, country
, and compared to such artists as Sheryl Crow
, Mark Kozelek
, John Mayer
, Johnny Cash
, Jim Croce
and Van Morrison
. Birnbaum currently resides in New York and is often seen performing solo, with his band, The Ramblers, and with any or all of a collection of fellow songwriters, known collectively as MercyDriver. These include Illinois' Kara Kulpa and Shelley Miller, and New Yorker Dave Golden
.
Birnbaum was born 1 March 1978 in Boston
. In 1983 his family moved to Maplewood
, New Jersey
. He began playing guitar
at age ten and started writing his own songs at seventeen, in 1995.
In 1999 he moved to Boston to study audio engineering
at Berklee College of Music
. In 2001, Birnbaum moved to London where he worked in a recording studio
and studied musicology
at City University, London
. Birnbaum relocated to New York City and attended the New School
. He graduated in 2003 having studied literature
and western philosophy
.
In 2004, Birnbaum independently released his debut EP
, Dawn. He was a pre-finalist for the new song competition at the 2004 Newport Folk Festival
, and has been the recipient of a PLUS Award from ASCAP in 2004, 2005, 2010 and 2012. In New York City, he plays often in the Lower East Side
and the East Village
, and has opened for such acts as Levon Helm
, Jack Hardy, Greensky Bluegrass
, and Suzanne Vega
. Birnbaum was the longtime host of a popular weekly open mike
at Micky's Blue Room and later Banjo Jim's in Alphabet City
. He often plays lead guitar
for other artists on the scene
, and was the lead guitarist in the Late Night band at Rockwood Music Hall in 2007 and 2008, performing weekly for most of its 18-month residency.
Birnbaum has toured North America extensively. He released his first full-length album
with The Ramblers in June 2008, recorded with David Immergluck
of Counting Crows
on additional lead guitar. In 2008, The Ramblers were the opening act for Levon Helm
of The Band
, at the Midnight Ramble
in Woodstock, New York in June, and again at the Woodstock Playhouse that September.
In July 2007 Birnbaum played lead guitar at Rockwood Music Hall with folk pop artist Jon Rajewski who is signed to Los Angeles/Nashville-based New Model Records.
In April 2010 The Ramblers released their second CD at Joe's Pub
.
In September 2010 Birnbaum played lead guitar with Kent Burnside, grandson of R.L. Burnside, at Buddy Guy
's Legends in Chicago. The Ramblers also headlined Mercury Lounge
that month.
In October 2010 The Ramblers showcased at the CMJ Music Marathon
in New York City, where they were noted as "Artists To Watch" by The Jazz Lawyer blog. http://www.thejazzlawyer.com/2010/10/29/cmj-2010-five-artists-to-watch/
In July 2011 The Ramblers opened for Heartless Bastards
at Mercury Lounge.
Jeremiah also studied ballet
as a young boy. He is the grandson of the late Philip H. Sechzer
, M.D., inventor of patient-controlled analgesia
.
Birnbaum resides in New York City.
http://resonatormagazine.com/features.cfm?fID=9
http://music.download.com/jeremiahbirnbaum/3600-8691-100172418.html?tag=quickurl
http://www.citybeat.com/2006-09-20/cover4.shtml
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880904017
http://poptarts.tumblr.com/post/1185066071/tonight-the-ramblers-mercury-lounge-the
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
falling mostly in the Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
vein; in press his music has also been described as a combination of folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, blues, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, and compared to such artists as Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek is an American singer/songwriter Producer and frontman of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters.-History:...
, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
and Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
. Birnbaum currently resides in New York and is often seen performing solo, with his band, The Ramblers, and with any or all of a collection of fellow songwriters, known collectively as MercyDriver. These include Illinois' Kara Kulpa and Shelley Miller, and New Yorker Dave Golden
Dave Golden
Dave Golden, born January 23, 1979, is a musician and a Fulbright Scholar, originally from New York, who currently resides in New Orleans. His career playing stringed instruments, composing and producing music has spanned from jazz to classical to folk and includes work as a music supervisor and...
.
Birnbaum was born 1 March 1978 in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. In 1983 his family moved to Maplewood
Maplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 23,867.-History:...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He began playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at age ten and started writing his own songs at seventeen, in 1995.
In 1999 he moved to Boston to study audio engineering
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
. In 2001, Birnbaum moved to London where he worked in a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
and studied musicology
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
at City University, London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
. Birnbaum relocated to New York City and attended the New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
. He graduated in 2003 having studied literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and western philosophy
Western philosophy
Western philosophy is the philosophical thought and work of the Western or Occidental world, as distinct from Eastern or Oriental philosophies and the varieties of indigenous philosophies....
.
In 2004, Birnbaum independently released his debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Dawn. He was a pre-finalist for the new song competition at the 2004 Newport Folk Festival
Newport Folk Festival
The Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival...
, and has been the recipient of a PLUS Award from ASCAP in 2004, 2005, 2010 and 2012. In New York City, he plays often in the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
and the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
, and has opened for such acts as Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
, Jack Hardy, Greensky Bluegrass
Greensky Bluegrass
Greensky Bluegrass is a five-piece American bluegrass band. The band was founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the year 2000 and has toured consistently throughout the past decade, playing many of the nation's finest clubs, music halls and festivals.-Career:...
, and Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
. Birnbaum was the longtime host of a popular weekly open mike
Open mike
An open mike or open mic is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies. These events can be focused on poetry and the spoken word, music, comedy, and the open format of open...
at Micky's Blue Room and later Banjo Jim's in Alphabet City
Alphabet City, Manhattan
Alphabet City is a neighborhood located within the Lower East Side and East Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is also known as Loisaida, a Spanglish adaptation of 'Lower East Side'. Its name comes from Avenues A, B, C, and D, the only avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter...
. He often plays lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
for other artists on the scene
Scene
- Arts and media :* Scene , an element of a larger fictional work such as a play* Scene , a part of action in a single location in a TV or movie, composed of a series of shots* Scene , a BBC drama anthology for teenagers...
, and was the lead guitarist in the Late Night band at Rockwood Music Hall in 2007 and 2008, performing weekly for most of its 18-month residency.
Birnbaum has toured North America extensively. He released his first full-length album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
with The Ramblers in June 2008, recorded with David Immergluck
David Immerglück
David Immerglück is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom...
of Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
on additional lead guitar. In 2008, The Ramblers were the opening act for Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
of The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
, at the Midnight Ramble
Midnight Ramble
A midnight ramble was a segregation-era midnight showing of films for an African American audience, often in a cinema where, under Jim Crow laws they would never have been admitted at other times.. The films shown were often from among the over 500 films that were made between 1910 and 1950 in the...
in Woodstock, New York in June, and again at the Woodstock Playhouse that September.
In July 2007 Birnbaum played lead guitar at Rockwood Music Hall with folk pop artist Jon Rajewski who is signed to Los Angeles/Nashville-based New Model Records.
In April 2010 The Ramblers released their second CD at Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub at Public Theater is a nightclub that hosts live performances regularly. The venue, which is a non-profit operation, is located at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan, New York City...
.
In September 2010 Birnbaum played lead guitar with Kent Burnside, grandson of R.L. Burnside, at Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
's Legends in Chicago. The Ramblers also headlined Mercury Lounge
Mercury Lounge
The Mercury Lounge is a club/music venue, in the Lower East Side section, of New York City. The structure, at 217 East Houston Street, housed the servants to the Astor Mansion, connected to it by an underground labyrinth of tunnels...
that month.
In October 2010 The Ramblers showcased at the CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is put on by CMJ Network. CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2010 is scheduled for October 19–23 and will be headquartered at New York University and other downtown NYC venues.- History :...
in New York City, where they were noted as "Artists To Watch" by The Jazz Lawyer blog. http://www.thejazzlawyer.com/2010/10/29/cmj-2010-five-artists-to-watch/
In July 2011 The Ramblers opened for Heartless Bastards
Heartless Bastards
Heartless Bastards is a garage rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2003. They are often compared to fellow Ohioans and Fat Possum labelmates The Black Keys.- History :...
at Mercury Lounge.
Jeremiah also studied ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
as a young boy. He is the grandson of the late Philip H. Sechzer
Philip H. Sechzer
Philip H. Sechzer was a pioneer in anesthesiology and pain management. He was the inventor of patient-controlled analgesia , now commonly used post-operatively...
, M.D., inventor of patient-controlled analgesia
Patient-controlled analgesia
Patient-controlled analgesia is any method of allowing a person in pain to administer their own pain relief. The infusion is programmable by the prescriber...
.
Birnbaum resides in New York City.
Sources
- Top Ten Gigs of 2008, Local Music Now: http://www.meetnowlive.com/blog/local-music-now/new-yorks-top-ten-live-music-gigs-of-2008/
- Glide Magazine, Under-TheRadar Bands, Jan 21, 2009, http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/blips-four-under-the-radar-bands-4/
- Nuvo Newsweekly (Indianapolis, IN), 8.18.04, Midwest Music Summit '04 in Review, http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2004/08/18/mms_04_in_review.html
- Nuvo Newsweekly (Indianapolis, IN), 6.8.05, MercyDriver review, http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/06/08/emotiondriven_music.html
- Resonator Magazine, Online Interview,
http://resonatormagazine.com/features.cfm?fID=9
- Download.com, Editor's Review,
http://music.download.com/jeremiahbirnbaum/3600-8691-100172418.html?tag=quickurl
- Cincinnati City Beat, Midpoint Music Festival Preview,
http://www.citybeat.com/2006-09-20/cover4.shtml
- Poughkeepsie Journal, show preview, Sep 5 2008,
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880904017
- Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, Sep 24 2010
http://poptarts.tumblr.com/post/1185066071/tonight-the-ramblers-mercury-lounge-the