BIOGRAPHY
Born in Chicago in 1956, Jeff Silvertrust has been influenced by such musical artists as Sun Ra, Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane and Miles Davis.
In 1980 while living in San Francisco, Silvertrust worked in various jazz clubs playing trumpet and also performed his one-man band act. He played trumpet with his right hand, piano with his left hand, hi-hat with his right foot and developed programmable bass lines as each tune dictated. In this way, Silvertrust performed Jazz-standards with occasional drum breaks and tasty riffs to the delight of appeciative audiences. The phenomenal musical act allowed him to work exclusively as a full-time musician since 1980.
Starting in 1981, Jeff Silvertrust traveled to Europe. After two years of globetrotting the entire European continent and performing everywhere, he eventually settled down, using Helsinki, Finland as his home base of musical operations.
In 1986, Silvertrust founded his own record label Bulldozers from Jupiter Records and returned to San Francisco to do the first recording of his own music. His first Jazz offering Jeff Silvertrust Quintet was highly praised by well known Bay Area pianist Jessica Williams, who aptly commented: “One of the best albums I´ve heard in a long time!”.
In 1989, Silvertrust returned again to San Francisco to cut a second record with the same musicians including the legendary Harry The Hipster Gibson. This record THE CRASH includes some very positive liner notes written by Anthony Braxton.
By 1991, Jeff Silvertrust played with Danish musicians and recorded the CD No Strings Attached in Copenhagen. Ben Besiakov of Steeple Chase Records who played on this recording is known to be Denmark´s number one pianist.
In 1993, Jeff traveled to New York to record the prophetic AKANPESÄNRANTA. Here, the great Sonny Fortune is playing alto sax along with Ron McClure (bass), Chip White (Drums) and Jon Davis, the original pianist from his earlier 80´s recordings. Option Magazine´s great review opened a lot of doors for Silvertrust this year.
Most of this same group of New York musicians came together again in 1995, for the next Silvertrust CD Plasma Transfusion this time with the drummer Steve Johns, from the Mingus Big Band and previously with the Mingus Dynasty.
In 1998, Silvertrust hired creative genius Sam Rivers on sax where he performed on Jeff´s latest CD release Plan Et Surf Is. Here Sam Rivers is playing more straight ahead than usual. This unique recording is a must for Sam River fans not to mention Silvertrust´s compositions an trumpet playing combined with these heavy weight musicians.
In 2002 a new release featuring Archie Shepp with McCoy Tyner´s Rhythm-Section (Aaron Scott on Drums, Avery Sharpe on Bass, Marc Copland on Piano).
Jeff did a compilation CD in 2004 of selected songs from all previous recordings (produced by Evert Verbeek).
All of Jeff Silvertrust´s recordings are currently available on his Bulldozers from Jupiter Records label based in Chicago. The entire history of Silvertrust´s recordings can be found in the Encyclopedia of Jazz by Cadence Jazz Magazine out of Redwood, New York.
Silvertrust also has a european home base now in Belgium. While residing in Europe he is active playing with his german quartet and gigs as a one man band.