Jeremiah Birnbaum
Jeremiah Birnbaum is a singer/songwriter falling mostly in the Americana vein; in press his music has also been described as a combination of folk, blues, country, and compared to such artists as Sheryl Crow, Mark Kozelek, John Mayer, Johnny Cash, Jim Croce and Van Morrison. Birnbaum currently resides in New York and is often seen performing solo, with his band, The Ramblers, and with any or all of a collection of fellow songwriters, known collectively as MercyDriver. These include Illinois' Kara Kulpa and Shelley Miller, and New Yorker Dave Golden.
Birnbaum was born 1 March 1978 in Boston. In 1983 his family moved to Maplewood, New Jersey. He began playing guitar at age ten and started writing his own songs at seventeen, in 1995.
In 1999 he moved to Boston to study audio engineering at Berklee College of Music. In 2001, Birnbaum moved to London where he worked in a recording studio and studied musicology at City University, London. Birnbaum relocated to New York City and attended the New School. He graduated in 2003 having studied literature and western philosophy.
In 2004, Birnbaum independently released his debut EP, Dawn. He was a pre-finalist for the new song competition at the 2004 Newport Folk Festival, and has been the recipient of a PLUS Award from ASCAP in 2004, 2005, 2010 and 2012. In New York City, he plays often in the Lower East Side and the East Village, and has opened for such acts as Levon Helm, the late Jack Hardy, Greensky Bluegrass, and Suzanne Vega. Birnbaum was the longtime host of a popular weekly open mike at Micky's Blue Room and later Banjo Jim's in Alphabet City. He often plays lead guitar for other artists on the scene, and was the lead guitarist in the Late Night band at Rockwood Music Hall in 2007 and 2008, performing weekly for most of its 18-month residency.
Birnbaum has toured North America extensively. He released his first full-length album with The Ramblers in June 2008, recorded with David Immergluck of Counting Crows on additional lead guitar. In 2008, The Ramblers were the opening act for Levon Helm of The Band, at the Midnight Ramble in Woodstock, New York in June, and again at the Woodstock Playhouse that September.
In July 2007 Birnbaum played lead guitar at Rockwood Music Hall with folk pop artist Jon Rajewski who is signed to Los Angeles/Nashville-based New Model Records.
In April 2010 The Ramblers released their second CD at Joe's Pub.
In September 2010 Birnbaum played lead guitar with Kent Burnside, grandson of R.L. Burnside, at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago. The Ramblers also headlined Mercury Lounge that month.
In October 2010 The Ramblers showcased at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, where they were noted as "Artists To Watch" by The Jazz Lawyer blog. http://www.thejazzlawyer.com/2010/10/29/cmj-2010-five-artists-to-watch/
In July 2011 The Ramblers opened for Heartless Bastards at Mercury Lounge. Later that summer they appeared at the Great South Bay and Port Jefferson Music Festivals.
In January 2012 Birnbaum was the co-director for the Beatles Complete on Ukelele Festival at Brooklyn Bowl, alongside festival founder, producer Roger Greenawalt.
Jeremiah studied ballet as a young boy. He is the grandson of the late Philip H. Sechzer, M.D., inventor of patient-controlled analgesia.
Birnbaum resides in New York City.
[edit] Sources
- Top Ten Gigs of 2008, Local Music Now: http://www.meetnowlive.com/blog/local-music-now/new-yorks-top-ten-live-music-gigs-of-2008/
- Glide Magazine, Under-TheRadar Bands, Jan 21, 2009, http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/blips-four-under-the-radar-bands-4/
- Nuvo Newsweekly (Indianapolis, IN), 8.18.04, Midwest Music Summit '04 in Review, http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2004/08/18/mms_04_in_review.html
- Nuvo Newsweekly (Indianapolis, IN), 6.8.05, MercyDriver review, http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/06/08/emotiondriven_music.html
- Resonator Magazine, Online Interview,
http://resonatormagazine.com/features.cfm?fID=9
- Download.com, Editor's Review,
http://music.download.com/jeremiahbirnbaum/3600-8691-100172418.html?tag=quickurl
- Cincinnati City Beat, Midpoint Music Festival Preview,
http://www.citybeat.com/2006-09-20/cover4.shtml
- Poughkeepsie Journal, show preview, Sep 5 2008,
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880904017
- Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, Sep 24 2010
http://poptarts.tumblr.com/post/1185066071/tonight-the-ramblers-mercury-lounge-the
