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Jeff Bova

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Jeff Bova
Born1953 (age 70–71)
OriginWashington, D.C.,U.S.
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Keyboardist,composer,arranger,record producer
Instrument(s)Piano,synthesizer,keyboards,trumpet
Years active1970s–present

Jeff Bova(bornJeffrey Bovain 1953) is an American musician. He has been active in the music industry since the mid-1970s, contributing to recordings by significant mainstream artists likeCeline Dion,Michael Jackson,Blondie,Eric Clapton,Joe Cocker,Cyndi Lauper,Bill LaswellandHerbie Hancock,Bernard EdwardsandTony Thompson,Meat Loaf,Missing Persons,Iron MaidenandBilly Joelamong others.

Early life[edit]

Born inWashington D.C.,he grew up inOld Greenwich, Connecticut.Being the son of a professional trumpet player, he took the instrument up for himself during elementary school and continued with it at theBerklee College of Musicand theManhattan School of Music.Although he also had arranging and composition lessons by trumpet legendMaury Deutsch,he would choose to specialize in keyboards instead. After leaving college he participated in a Connecticut-basedjazz fusionband called "Flying Island" and later on he moved back to New York to find a place into theR&BgroupChange(from 1982 to 1984).

Career[edit]

1980s[edit]

In 1983, and after having worked withNona Hendryx,he metavant-gardebassistandrecord producerBill Laswell,who was set to produceHerbie Hancock'sFuture Shock(the first part of the latter's "techno-funk" trilogy). The tour in support of that album found Bova on Hancock's live band, as he was proficient in theARP Chroma(a much-heard instrument onFuture Shock). He would work with him for the next five years, contributing to the recordings of the final part of the trilogy (Perfect Machine), while he also programmed and composed tracks for several of the soundtracks Hancock has been working on, including that of theSean PennfilmColours.Soon after, he started working on numerous projects that were held in thePower Stationand eventually obtained a room of his own there (courtesy of the studio's ownersTony Bongioviand Bob Walters). In 1987, fellow Power Station "resident", bassistBernard Edwards(ofChic), formed the rock-funksupergroupDistance,with Bova on keyboards,Tony Thompson(also of Chic) on drums, futureBad CompanymemberRobert Harton lead vocals andEddie Martinezon guitars. They released only one album,Under the One Sky(1989) onReprise Records,which failed to chart.

1990s[edit]

During the 1990s, Bova achieved great commercial success as a producer ofCeline Dion'sGrammy Award-winning albumFalling into You.He also played Hammond organ and synthesizers withMeat LoafonBat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell."Back Into Hell", an instrumental track onBat Out of Hell II,was arranged and performed entirely by him, while "Fiesta De Las Almas Perdidas", a short song also written by Bova, was featured on Meat Loaf's 1995 albumWelcome to the Neighborhood.

Partial discography[edit]

Partial Jeff Bova's discography, as a keyboardist, composer, arranger and producer:

Notes[edit]

  1. "Jeff Bova Website"
  2. "Mix" interview

External links[edit]

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