Jabe Biography

Jabe Biography

Growing up in western New York, future songwriter Jabe Beyer would travel the rural routes of America with his craft show-going parents, absorbing at every turn the American roots music that would so influence him later in life. Arriving in Boston in 2000 to seek his way in the world, Jabe recorded his debut album, Twenty Point Turn, in his tiny apartment. It presented a gravelly voiced troubadour with a sound mixing elements of bluegrass, country, and cowpunk.Twenty Point Turn garnered numerous local accolades, including the Oustanding Debut Album Award at the 2000 Boston Music Awards.

Jabe supported his debut with self-financed tours throughout New England, the East Coast, and America, steadily building his fan base. In 2001, Jabe and his band released Outback Country Vampire, which built on the sounds of his first album, channeling old folk music, murder ballads, and the darker sounds of contemporaries like 16 Horsepower into his strain of driving folk-core. More touring followed, as did a move from Boston to New Hampshire. In March of 2003, Woodeye Records released Drama City, Jabe's third album. The ambitious project included one disc of music recorded by Jabe with his band -- bassist Jay Aucella, drummer Dave Westner, and mandolin player Sean Staples -- together with a second, video-enhanced CD featuring three live performances and unreleased mp3s.

So the mainstream music industry is crumbling to bits, and most people don't realize American Idol is nothing more than competitive karaoke. Cool. More room for independent artists like Jabe Beyer. Anywhere in Boston where good music is being made, chances are Jabe is in on it. Either on the stage, in the studio, or in the audience, trying not to fall down. His namesake band, JABE, has won Boston Music Awards, and the Abe Oleman Songwriting Award from The Songwriting Hall of Fame. Three self-produced, self-released albums along with extensive U.S. and European tours have earned JABE a reputation as one of Bostons best and hardest working live acts, with great songs and honest-to-the-bone live shows.

The Boston Globe hailed JABE as "a leader in the roots music renaissance," and called his 2003 double-disc album, Drama City, the best thing he has ever done. Jam Magazine listed the album at #2 in their Best 100 Albums of The Last 10 Years. Prolific and seemingly tireless, Jabe is releasing his 4th album, "Where Are We Going & When Do We Get There" on Hi-N-Dry. With the help of the area's best musicians, and mixed by Paul Q. Kolderie, "Where Are We Going & When Do We Get There" shows an artist continually growing, and with the help of friends, creating real, true, honest music. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.