My parents chose my name, and it has worked well for me both on and off the stage!

I have been performing live with bands for over ten years. It is undoubtedly my first love. I have been fortunate enough to have performed almost every kind of music all over North America and Europe. Nothing can match the feeling one gets when he or she is up on that stage, captivating an audience and getting the dance floor grooving. Performances in Los Angeles, Paris, and London, England are special memories.

I think that it has brought the music world closer together and challenged the industry to remember the days of old when music was about songs, musicians, live performances, and the "struggling artist". I do think that artists should be compensated for their hard work, but the industry can't just can't blame MP3 sharing sites. Why is a CD still nearly $20? How can bands sell a million albums and still have nothing to show for it? The internet gives me an opportunity that the labels may not be able to provide.

Only if my personal and musical integrity was maintained, and only if I had a chance to contribute to the writing. I would much rather sign on as a writer or producer than an artist.

Canadian R&B and Soul artist Jeff Hendrick is no stranger to success. Since first hitting the stage at the age of seven, the accomplished singer/songwriter has emerged as one of his homelands brightest young music prospects. Deeply rooted in the R&B and Pop influences of artists like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Prince, and Michael Jackson, Hendricks smooth vocal offerings often conjure up images of Philly soul rather than the Canadian prairies. His mature and dynamic stage presence has captured fans both locally and nationally, and his other talents as a saxophonist and keyboard player have truly made him a unique musical entity.

As a youngster in rural Alberta, Jeff performed classical and jazz music as a vocalist, pianist, and saxophone player and was recognized both locally and nationally with numerous performance awards. Early in his musical career, Jeff’s father brought home R&B and Pop recordings from artists like The Commodores, The Doobie Brothers, and Stevie Wonder, and a deep affinity for the genre was born. After completing a Jazz Performance Degree (Saxophone) at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Jeff returned to Edmonton to make his singing and songwriting dreams a reality.

After a two year stint honing his chops in legendary local Latin funk band Maracujah!, Jeff set out performing around town with his own band and unique brand of urban flavored soul and pop. The local response was overwhelming, and Jeff soon started recording his first solo demo c.d. Jeff wrote, produced, and performed all the material on the demo, and made several trips to New York to meet with record companies and publishers. In March of 1998, Jeff finished fourth out of four hundred entries the CBC Alberta song contest for his song "Feel Like Starting Over". The same song receives local air play on FM radio to this day.

In June of 1998, Jeff was nominated for an Alberta Recording Industry Award in the Soul/Rhythm and Blues category, and in July of that same year he and his band opened for Sony recording artists The Philosopher Kings at the Edmonton International Jazz Festival. Jeff has performed as a headliner at almost every Edmonton venue, including a memorable shared billing with local music legend and Order of Canada Senator Tommy Banks at the Winspear Centre.

1999 brought more musical successes for Jeff as he performed over eight times at the Edmonton International Jazz Festival, including a stellar opening set for Chicago’s Liquid Soul. During the festival, Jeff was the local host of a segment of "Impressions", a weekly Jazz show on Washington, DC based cable channel BetOn! Jazz. Between September 1999 and April 2000 Jeff resided in Los Angeles where he quickly made an impression both on the stage and off. Jeff has headlined at famous Los Angeles clubs like The Roxy Theatre on Sunset Blvd. and B.B. Kings Restaurant & Bar at Universal Studios. Jeff also had the opportunity to meet and work with established L.A. based artists like Brian McKnight and All 4 One.

Other career highlights include performances on the Much Music Video Awards, a tour to Paris, France, and performances at all the major Canadian Jazz Festivals. In June of 2000 Jeff was a winner in the CBC P2K Songwriting Contest and a live set of his music was recorded for a c.d. and radio broadcast. Jeff and his band also opened for BMG recording artists Jacksoul at the 2000 Edmonton and Calgary International Jazz Festivals.

Jeff's official debut CD 'Bout Time' was released on November 30th, 2002 and has enjoyed incredible international success with commercial radio play across Canada, as well as stations in the UK, France, and Germany. Independent sales have come from as far away as Japan, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, the UK, and Germany. Jeff’s track ‘Fine-Late Night Hang’ was licensed to UK Soul Label Café de Soul in 2003 for their fourth compilation album entitled ‘Café de Soul Volume 4’. The compilation has received rave reviews and strong sales worldwide. A tour of the UK in September 2003 saw Jeff perform at legendary London venues like the Jazz Café, 10 Rooms, Café de Paris, and Royal Festival Hall, as well as Baby Blue in Liverpool.

Jeff recently released his sophomore album SOUL CELEBRATION on October 18th, 2005 and has just released the third single from the record entitled ‘I Just Wanna Dance’. Previous singles ‘Old School Party’ (featuring the lyrical wizardry of Canadian hip hop icon Spek) and ‘I Can’t Wait For Summertime’ have been enjoying strong radio play in Canada and abroad.

The album is currently receiving considerable airplay, rave reviews, soul chart success, and strong sales in the UK and all of Europe. It held the number one position on the Solar Radio 'ECHOES SWEET RHYTHM CHART' for four straight weeks and has recently made it's BBC 1xtra debut on SOUL POWER with DJ B. It is also a top seller at 2 Funky Records in Leicester, UK. Distribution has been secured in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Japan, and the USA.

In Canada, 'Soul Celebration' climbed to the number 1 position on Galaxie digital radio's Urban Adult chart in December 2005. It has remained in the top ten ever since. 'Soul Celebration' also went to number 4 on Canada's 'Soul On Ice' radio program hosted by DJ Sean Sax in December 2005. 'Soul Celebration' is currently enjoying radio play in Canada, the UK, the USA, Holland, Germany, Brazil, and most recently Switzerland!

Jeff Hendrick’s approach to music is simple. Perform from your heart and soul, be true to who you are, and capture the audience with passion and sincerity. Both his live and recorded music reflects these philosophies. Jeff is determined to share his talents with the world and to help put Canada on the map in the R&B and Pop genres. This determination will undoubtedly serve him well as works to achieve his musical dreams.

My musical influences are very diverse. Although Soul music, both classic and current, is an obvious favorite, I can just as easly settle in to a U2 song or a mezmerizing solo by Charlie Parker. I like intelligent rap and hip-hop, and I love classical music from the romantic period. I just like GOOD music!

New York captivated me more than any other place in the world. My dream is to own a loft in Soho, do my music, and sip red wine at a neighborhood cafe!

Alesis, Roland, and Korg Keyboards
Selmer and Yamaha Saxophones

Just hoping that music gets back to its roots which was more about the music than image!