Jeff Golub


Jeff Golub was an American jazz guitarist who had a solo career and who led the band Avenue Blue. He worked as a sideman for a number of rock and pop musicians. He was arguably best known for his work with Rod Stewart, with whom he played from 1988 until 1995.

Career

Golub was born in Copley Township, Ohio, near Akron. He grew up listening to pop music, rock, blues, funk, and R&B. In the 1970s he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1980 he moved to New York City and worked for rock guitarist Billy Squier. During the 1980s and '90s, he worked as a sideman for Ashford & Simpson, Tina Turner, John Waite, Dar Williams, Vanessa Williams, and Peter Wolf. From 1988–1995, he recorded and toured with Rod Stewart.
He was a member of Dave Koz and the Kozmos, the house band of The Emeril Lagasse Show.
In 1988, Golub released his first solo album, Unspoken Words. In 1994, he formed the band Avenue Blue and released the band's first album. For the album Out of the Blue, he dropped the Avenue Blue prefix and recorded simply as Jeff Golub. He recorded a blues album with Billy Squier, Peter Wolf, and John Waite, and an album with blind jazz pianist Henry Butler in 2011.

Illness

In 2011, Golub started to lose his eyesight due to a collapsed optic nerve. In September 2012, he fell on the tracks of a subway but was saved by people nearby. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Soon after, he released the album The Train Keeps A-Rollin' with keyboardist Brian Auger.
In 2014, he was diagnosed with a rare brain disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and in 2015 he died from the disease 3 months before his 60th birthday.

Discography