Jeff & Vida are one of New Orleans best known acoustic roots acts, performing original material spanning from Appalachian Bluegrass to Alternative Country. Their live performances showcase Vida’s powerful voice, Jeff’s superb picking on guitar, banjo and mandolin and tight, well arranged harmonies. The frequent addition of Mike Kerwin’s slap-you-in-the-face stand up bass playing adds another dimension to the band’s rich texture and dynamic edge. With ballads that sound like they could have been written a half a century ago and raucous barnstorming numbers that keep your feet tapping their live shows are exciting and unique, full of humor, good music and unforgettable songs.

Jeff & Vida have shared the stage with such notable acts as Rhonda Vincent, Slaid Cleaves, Billy Joe Shaver, Steve Forbert, Yonder Mountain String Band, Split Lip Rayfield, Hot Club of Cowtown, Carey Hudson, Chuck Brodsky and Mike West.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to catch Jeff & Vida a couple of times in Dallas. The first time I saw them I was amazed. The second time I had fun watching everyone else be amazed...they not only ‘fit in the Americana category’ but I believe they define its roots.” --Dallas Rockzilla World

Jeff Burke & Vida Wakeman’s ability to write decievingly simple yet compelling songs has earned them the respect and recognition of musicians and fans alike. The songs invoke stark images of heartache and hard times in the American landscape and are delivered with skill that belies their young age.

“...full of the same grit and dirt that was heard on the T-Bone Burnett produced O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack.” --Fayetteville Weekly

The newly released, The Simplest Plans, has received rave reviews from both critics and fans. “The Simplest Plans delivers beautiful bluegrass tunes that tastefully smack of The Stanley Brothers, Del McCoury, Gram Parsons, Emmy Lou Harris, Steve Earle, Buddy and Julie Miller and all things cool in the bluegrass/country rock/roots rock world. You can call it roots rock‚ if it makes you feel better, but this is bluegrass son!” -Frank Saunders, Playground Magazine

“It’s the voice, the stories and the honesty of the music that make Jeff & Vida a must see!” --Brighton Review, UK

Their first release, One Horse Town, continues to receive praise from critics worldwide. “As a body of work, One Horse Town never simmers but remains on the boil... It’s the voice, the stories and the honesty that make Jeff & Vida a must see” -Mike Colby, Seelife Review, Brighton, UK.

“...not only do they provide an acoustic balance that’s on par with bluegrass pickers up north, it’s also vibrantly fresh!” --OFFBEAT, New Orleans

Jeff & Vida have been called “The New Orleans equivalent of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings” -Scott Jordan, The Gambit, New Orleans Louisiana; and Offbeat has declared their music “Beautiful and twisted melancholy at its finest.” Touring over 250 dates a year, be sure to catch their live show as they will surely be in your hometown sometime soon!