Jeff Young
Encyclopedia
Jeff Young is an American
guitarist. He graduated from Musicians Institute
in 1985, and is best known for his time with the thrash metal
band Megadeth
, appearing on the 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What!
. In addition to his subsequent music projects, he served as an author in Guitar for the Practicing Musician
.
. In 1980, he graduated from Fairmont High School
in Kettering, Ohio, and moved to Hollywood to attend Musicians Institute/GIT in 1984. He graduated from the Institute in 1985 and began his career as a guitar teacher.
Megadeth's transient guitarist, Jay Reynolds (of Malice
), had commissioned Young to play all of his solos on the new album, transcribe the previous Megadeth releases and teach him everything in time for the pending tours. However, after witnessing Young decipher previous guitarist Chris Poland's solos from Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?
note-for-note in less than 30 minutes, frontman Dave Mustaine
decided to cut out the middleman and enlist Young into the fold. Young joined the band with only two weeks left in the recording schedule and contributed half of the guitar solos and multpile electric & acoustic rhythm parts to the album.
Jeff's career with Megadeth was spent recording and touring in support of their 1988 platinum selling album, So Far, So Good...So What! His very first performance with the band appeared in The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years as a member of Megadeth.
While Young had joined a popular thrash metal band with a rabid fanbase, his own musical tastes were more diverse than Megadeth's technical style.
In 2009, Young issued an online reply to inaccurate statements made by Dave Mustaine. He replied to Mustaine's claim that he (Mustaine) "sang" Jeff's guitar solos to him. Jeff accused Mustaine of lying about this saying Mustaine never sang a solo to him nor was he even in the recording studio when Young recorded or wrote his parts.
For a portion of the 1990s, Jeff stepped away from his career to deal with the untimely deaths of first his father and later his mother while immersing himself in the further study of classical, flamenco, gypsy jazz and other world music varieties
In 1998, he resurfaced with new Brazilian musical partner, Badi Assad
. Together, the duo crafted exotic soundscapes for Verve/PolyGram records collaboration entitled, Badi Assad
's Chameleon. The album (co-written, arranged, and produced by Jeff), climbed to in Germany, also topping JAZZIZ magazine's Readers Poll: "Best Brazilian Albums of the Year."
Opening concerts for renowned artists including Joe Cocker
and Cassandra Wilson
, as well as performances on 1999's Lilith Fair and Farm Aid 2000 are testament to the considerable cross-over appeal of Badi and Jeff's "new world music" explorations. Jeff's association with the Assad family also spawned songwriting collaborations with guitar luminary Sergio Assad and two pieces on Badi's Verde album.
In 2003, the track "Waves" from Chameleon was featured in the Michael and Kirk Douglas film It Runs in the Family
, as well as on the movie's soundtrack.
in 2003. For the project, Young draws on flamenco
, classic
, 6 & 12 steel-string guitar styles as well as the electric guitar
. The album features performances by Debby Holiday, Twinkle, Gilli Moon
, Lenine, Matt Chamberlain
, Hilary Jones
, Tony Franklin
and Viviana Guzman
.
Jeff's eleven song solo debut, Equilibrium is available world-wide on his own water.songs.music label and on sale now on iTunes and at cdbaby.com
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist. He graduated from Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute is a privately owned for-profit music vocational school located in Hollywood, California. Although not a regionally accredited school, the school offers a variety of unaccredited Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs in fields including contemporary music...
in 1985, and is best known for his time with the thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, appearing on the 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What!
So Far, So Good... So What!
- 2004 bonus tracks :† The intro makes use of a sample from The Ink Spots' 1941 song "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"- Personnel :- Charts :-RIAA Certifications:- External links :*...
. In addition to his subsequent music projects, he served as an author in Guitar for the Practicing Musician
Guitar for the Practicing Musician
Guitar for the Practicing Musician was a guitar magazine published in the United States by Cherry Lane Music in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1992, it was the most popular music publication at newsstands, selling 740,000 issues over a six-month period. It was popular for publishing songs with guitar and...
.
Early life
Young was born in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. In 1980, he graduated from Fairmont High School
Fairmont High School (Ohio)
Kettering Fairmont High School is located in Kettering, Ohio, United States. It is the only public high school in the Kettering City School District and is home to approximately 2,500 students, making it the 9th largest high school in Ohio.-History:...
in Kettering, Ohio, and moved to Hollywood to attend Musicians Institute/GIT in 1984. He graduated from the Institute in 1985 and began his career as a guitar teacher.
Megadeth
Young is the lead guitarist on Megadeth's platinum selling, So Far, So Good… So What! (1988 Capitol Records).Megadeth's transient guitarist, Jay Reynolds (of Malice
Malice (metal band)
Malice is an American heavy metal band formed in the early 80s. Their sound is comparable to that of Judas Priest's, and they are notable for having toured with popular metal group Slayer. They had mild popularity that disappeared and reappeared frequently. The 1988 film Vice Versa featured a...
), had commissioned Young to play all of his solos on the new album, transcribe the previous Megadeth releases and teach him everything in time for the pending tours. However, after witnessing Young decipher previous guitarist Chris Poland's solos from Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?
Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
-25th Anniversary 2-CD reissue:-25th Anniversary box set:Disc 5 contains both the original album, and the above listed 1987 show in hi-resolution audio....
note-for-note in less than 30 minutes, frontman Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
decided to cut out the middleman and enlist Young into the fold. Young joined the band with only two weeks left in the recording schedule and contributed half of the guitar solos and multpile electric & acoustic rhythm parts to the album.
Jeff's career with Megadeth was spent recording and touring in support of their 1988 platinum selling album, So Far, So Good...So What! His very first performance with the band appeared in The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years as a member of Megadeth.
While Young had joined a popular thrash metal band with a rabid fanbase, his own musical tastes were more diverse than Megadeth's technical style.
In 2009, Young issued an online reply to inaccurate statements made by Dave Mustaine. He replied to Mustaine's claim that he (Mustaine) "sang" Jeff's guitar solos to him. Jeff accused Mustaine of lying about this saying Mustaine never sang a solo to him nor was he even in the recording studio when Young recorded or wrote his parts.
Author and Jazz & World Fusion Excursions
Following his time in Megadeth, Jeff wrote the cult-classic Fingerprints column in Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine. He also began intensive study of the blues with legendary guitarist, Steve Hunter (Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Jason Becker).For a portion of the 1990s, Jeff stepped away from his career to deal with the untimely deaths of first his father and later his mother while immersing himself in the further study of classical, flamenco, gypsy jazz and other world music varieties
In 1998, he resurfaced with new Brazilian musical partner, Badi Assad
Badi Assad
Badi Assad is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist in the jazz and worldbeat genres.She was born in the state of São Paulo, but grew up in Rio de Janeiro until she was twelve...
. Together, the duo crafted exotic soundscapes for Verve/PolyGram records collaboration entitled, Badi Assad
Badi Assad
Badi Assad is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist in the jazz and worldbeat genres.She was born in the state of São Paulo, but grew up in Rio de Janeiro until she was twelve...
's Chameleon. The album (co-written, arranged, and produced by Jeff), climbed to in Germany, also topping JAZZIZ magazine's Readers Poll: "Best Brazilian Albums of the Year."
Opening concerts for renowned artists including Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
and Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack [who has] expanded the playing field" by incorporating country, blues and folk music into her...
, as well as performances on 1999's Lilith Fair and Farm Aid 2000 are testament to the considerable cross-over appeal of Badi and Jeff's "new world music" explorations. Jeff's association with the Assad family also spawned songwriting collaborations with guitar luminary Sergio Assad and two pieces on Badi's Verde album.
In 2003, the track "Waves" from Chameleon was featured in the Michael and Kirk Douglas film It Runs in the Family
It Runs in the Family (2003 film)
It Runs in the Family is a 2003 comedy-drama movie directed by Fred Schepisi and starring three generations of the Douglas family: Kirk Douglas, his son Michael Douglas, and Michael's son Cameron Douglas, who play three generations of a family....
, as well as on the movie's soundtrack.
Equilibrium
In late-October 2009, his debut solo album, Equilibrium, was released on CDBaby.com. Young began working on the album in 2000. He overcame testicular cancerTesticular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
in 2003. For the project, Young draws on flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
, classic
Classical guitar technique
The classical guitar technique is a fingerstyle technique used by classical guitarists to play classical guitar music on a classical guitar.-General:...
, 6 & 12 steel-string guitar styles as well as the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. The album features performances by Debby Holiday, Twinkle, Gilli Moon
Gilli Moon
Gilli Moon is a Los Angeles based Australian singer-songwriter, artist, writer, producer and entrepreneur.-Overview:Gilli Moon is an Australian, Los Angeles based, singer, songwriter, recording artist, actor, author, music producer, and motivational speaker....
, Lenine, Matt Chamberlain
Matt Chamberlain
Matthew Chamberlain is an American drummer, producer and sound engineer. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
, Hilary Jones
Hilary Jones
Hilary Jones may refer to:*Hilary Jones , British general practitioner and media doctor*Hilary P. Jones , United States Navy officer*Hilary Bevan Jones Hilary Jones may refer to:*Hilary Jones (doctor), British general practitioner and media doctor*Hilary P. Jones (1863–1938), United States Navy...
, Tony Franklin
Tony Franklin (musician)
Anthony James "Tony" Franklin is an English rock musician, best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, John Sykes' Blue Murder, Whitesnake and briefly, with Quiet Riot.-Fretless bass:...
and Viviana Guzman
Viviana Guzmán
Viviana Guzmán is a virtuoso flutist, composer, dancer and poet, who performs over 80 concerts a year, and has played in 74 countries. She has been described by the New York Times as "an imaginative artist." It has also been said of her that "Guzmán may be the first flutist since her teacher...
.
Jeff's eleven song solo debut, Equilibrium is available world-wide on his own water.songs.music label and on sale now on iTunes and at cdbaby.com
Discography
- 1988, MegadethMegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
- So Far, So Good... So What!So Far, So Good... So What!- 2004 bonus tracks :† The intro makes use of a sample from The Ink Spots' 1941 song "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"- Personnel :- Charts :-RIAA Certifications:- External links :*...
. - 1998, Badi AssadBadi AssadBadi Assad is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist in the jazz and worldbeat genres.She was born in the state of São Paulo, but grew up in Rio de Janeiro until she was twelve...
- Chameleon - 2003, It Runs in the FamilyIt Runs in the Family (2003 film)It Runs in the Family is a 2003 comedy-drama movie directed by Fred Schepisi and starring three generations of the Douglas family: Kirk Douglas, his son Michael Douglas, and Michael's son Cameron Douglas, who play three generations of a family....
(Soundtrack) - 2010, Jeff Young - Equilibrium (Solo)