Jeffrey Dean Foster

Jeffrey Dean Foster works as a guitarist, vocalist, and composer both on his own and as part of the roots-rock outfit the Pinetops. He first entered the rock scene in the 1980s through the Right Profile and the Carneys, two groups that landed major-label deals without results or finished albums that never saw release. During the 1990s he performed solo dates up and down the East Coast while tracking newly written songs under the supervision of longtime collaborator and noted producer Don Dixon, whose résumé includes R.E.M. and the Smithereens. He subsequently assembled the Pinetops—whose lineup included John Pfiffner, drummer Will Dyar, and bassist Andy Mabe—to realize the material in a band setting. The group released its first album, Above Ground and Vertical, in 2000 and supported it with a handful of live dates that included an appearance at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, TX. In late 1999 Foster performed with William Shatner in a one-off ensemble for Priceline.com television spots, then issued his initial solo recording, the live EP The Leaves Turn Upside Down, the following year.