It’s likely that there are few local musicians as talented as Jeff Berkley. A nationally acclaimed renowned percussionist who has performed with the likes of Jackson Browne, he is also a respected producer with his own studio as well as a gifted guitarist and songwriter.
Though best known as one half of the Americana-based acoustic duo Berkley-Hart, he has begun to branch out a little with a side project Citizen Band.
Wanting to give his rock influences a little more room to shine, Berkley has assembled guitarist Mike Spurgat, bassist Marcia Claire and drummer Danny Cress into a band that’s loose and fun but still a musical force to be reckoned with.
Citizen Band will perform as part of KNSD-TV’s “Concerts on the Square” music series on Sept. 21. The band will play a song on the TV station’s morning show, live from Horton Square, and then, beginning at noon, perform a full outdoor concert which can also be viewed online at the KNSD website.
Berkley has lent his musical talents to a Who’s Who of local performers including Gregory Page, Barbara Nesbitt, Tim Flannery, Lisa Sanders, Cindy Lee Berryhill and A.J. Croce. He cites his father as the reason for his musical career.
“He played bass in rock bands,” he recalled. “From that I acquired a love of drums and electric guitars.”
Berkley began playing in local nightspots in 1980, but it wasn’t until he teamed up with fellow singer-songwriter Calman Hart in 1997 that he made a major impact.
While some would be reluctant to rock the boat with such a well-loved act, Berkley finds himself too prolific to be contained by one combo.
“Berkley- Hart is a great acoustic duo and we have a blast being just that,” he said. “Citizen Band came from me wanting to leave that duo just as it is but still create a place where I could play loud and try some songs that don’t work as well in the acoustic rooms.”
The group is hard to musically pigeonhole, and Berkley likes it that way.
“We have a lot of common loves, from Dylan to The Scorpions,” he laughed.
Live, the band takes its cues from a wide range of music icons including The Who, Steve Earle and Bill Monroe and even pay their respects to local songwriters with covers such as The Beat Farmers classic “Baby’s Liquor’d Up.”
Berkley is thrilled to have his group perform at the Concerts on the Square series.
“Doing a gig outside is cool ’cause I can turn up my Silvertone and make my Tele (guitar) scream a little,” he joked.
He does give the slight edge in venue choice to indoor locales.
“The sun is always nice, but I do like lights and smoke machines an awful lot,” he said.
Citizen Band is currently in the studio working on their debut album, “Breaker, Breaker,” with 14 tunes set to make the cut. Though Berkley is the group’s acknowledged leader and main songwriter; he names Spurgat’s tune “Broken Man” as the highlight of both the disc and the group’s current live set.
“It’s our funnest tune to play, it tears your head off,” he laughed.
Berkley sees broadcast events, such as Sept. 21’s concert, to be the culmination of years of paying dues.
“Music has taken me everywhere I’ve ever been,” he stated, clearly happy with his career choice. After nearly three decades, he remains enthusiastic about the opportunity to perform.
“I love the challenge of a full room of folks who have never heard me. It’s more fun than ever,” he stated.
“Concerts on the Square” concert series, featuring Citizen Band, takes place at Horton Square on Friday, Sept. 21.
The concert begins at noon. Free. All ages.
For more information visit www.nbcsandiego.com/concertsonthesquare.