Biography
Jeff Gitelman, recognized equally under the names Jeff Gitty and Gitty, works as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and music educator whose career centers on his position as one-third of the psych-soul trio the Stepkids, years of service as a touring and studio musician alongside other artists, and sporadic solo releases. His most prominent credit to date is co-production on five tracks from H.E.R.’s 2019 album I Used to Know Her, a project nominated for Grammy Album of the Year.
Born in Moldova, he began studying guitar in childhood before his family relocated to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1991. He later completed studies at Berklee College of Music. His earliest professional engagement came as a touring guitarist with Lauryn Hill. By the close of the 2000s he had already recorded with Sa-Ra and Alicia Keys; soon afterward he co-founded the Stepkids, whose two albums and assorted singles appeared on Stones Throw. Session contributions through 2015 encompassed Yuna, the Internet, Mary J. Blige, Pharoahe Monch, J. Cole, and Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment. Subsequent work included appearances on projects by Mac Miller, Jeremih, Trey Songz, Anderson .Paak, Kali Uchis, and further cuts for H.E.R. As a solo artist he issued the 2013 singles “Weirdo” and “Let Go” on Driftless Recordings; under the Gitty moniker he later self-released “Stranger Than Fiction” in 2017 and the 2019 track “Karaoke,” which features Trinidad James and Rose Gold.
Born in Moldova, he began studying guitar in childhood before his family relocated to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1991. He later completed studies at Berklee College of Music. His earliest professional engagement came as a touring guitarist with Lauryn Hill. By the close of the 2000s he had already recorded with Sa-Ra and Alicia Keys; soon afterward he co-founded the Stepkids, whose two albums and assorted singles appeared on Stones Throw. Session contributions through 2015 encompassed Yuna, the Internet, Mary J. Blige, Pharoahe Monch, J. Cole, and Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment. Subsequent work included appearances on projects by Mac Miller, Jeremih, Trey Songz, Anderson .Paak, Kali Uchis, and further cuts for H.E.R. As a solo artist he issued the 2013 singles “Weirdo” and “Let Go” on Driftless Recordings; under the Gitty moniker he later self-released “Stranger Than Fiction” in 2017 and the 2019 track “Karaoke,” which features Trinidad James and Rose Gold.
Albums