Music Ministry Director
Having grown up outside of a small town in Nebraska, Jeff graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelors Degree in Music Education and moved to Chicago to study and perform on the local jazz scene. After years of valuable experience in Chicago, an NEA grant to study with jazz master David Liebman eventually drew Jeff to Fort Greene, Brooklyn, in 1994. Jeff was surprised to find that, through a convoluted set of life experiences, God used the move to NYC to lead him back to attending church after a long hiatus. With his musical interests, Jeff soon found himself a part of the music ministry at Brooklyn’s Baptist Temple, where he served as music director from 2000 to 2005. Jeff started attending Resurrection Park Slope in 2005, where he was on the sound team and frequently lead worship for children’s church.
The start up of Resurrection Clinton Hill in 2012 was a true answer to prayer for Jeff, providing the opportunity to make a joyful noise and worship God among the people he lives with in his neighborhood. Jeff’s extensive performing career began 1976 and has taken him around the world, from Europe to China, from intimate clubs to symphonic halls and into people’s living rooms through television shows and commercials. He is currently head of the Jazz and Woodwind Departments at the Brooklyn Music School, where he has been on faculty since 1997. Jeff continues to make his home in Fort Greene with his wife, Ruth, and their son, Henry. You can find out more about Jeff’s musical endeavors at: www.new-trad.com.