Dave Jeffrey started playing drums at the age of 12. By the time he was an 18‑year old freshman in college, the rock band he played with, The Cornerstones, recorded and released the 1967 single "You Rule Me".
The song quickly became a regional Top 40 hit and the band's rise in popularity lead to a completely booked summer tour throughout North Dakota and the Midwest.
While at the University of North Dakota, Dave began studying and playing jazz and graduated with a BSPA degree. He was also fortunate to receive a full music scholarhip to the University of Arizona, and made the decision to move to Tucson.
Living in Tucson, Dave met a number of super‑talented local musicians and began performing with them in various bands.
He went on to play many long-running gigs with some of Tucson's most popular bandleaders, including Mickey Greco, Jeff Haskell, Darryl Hinson, Dale Norris, Cass Preston and Dayna Wagner.
Dave also found opportunities to play with some visiting well-known jazz and blues musicians, including Mose Allison, Laurindo Almeida, Joshua Breakstone, Charles Brown, Richie Cole, Tal Farlow, Wynton Marsalis and Dickie Thompson.
Gaining proficiency in most genres, he was becoming known as a go-to drummer and percussionist for many touring musicians, entertainers and shows.
Dave played rock and pop backing The Coasters, The Drifters, Doug Kershaw, Trini Lopez, The Marvelettes, Jim Messina and The Platters and played with country legends Mac Davis, Jimmy Dean and Johnny Lee.
He performed in Las Vegas at the Dunes Hotel with the Russ Carlyle Orchestra, at the Four Queens Resort with the Dondino Show and played comedy shows backing comedians Dom DeLuise, Buddy Hackett, Bob Newhart and Rip Taylor.
When Dave added the vibraphone (and later, the marimba) to his arsenal of percussion instruments, he found new inspiration combining his rhythmic skills with harmonic and melodic components. For over a decade he played vibes with Louie Levinson's Bossa Rhythm Project and the George Howard Trio with bassist Harvey Brooks.
Throughout his years performing, he also cultivated his private teaching practice, giving lessons on drums, congas, bongos and vibraphone to students of all ages.
Dave decided to take a several year work/study "sabbatical" in New York City, where he was able to play gigs both in the city and upstate New York, while also studying Latin percussion with Victor Rendón and vibraphone with Warren Chiasson.
He now lives back in his hometown of Grand Forks where he teaches and performs. He is still close with his former Cornerstones bandmates and often plays with them at various venues around the area. They have also performed as The Cornerstones at several of their Central High School Class Reunions!
Dave plays in several other local bands and remains as much in demand here as he had been throughout his career in Tucson. He also plays percussion in the Grand Forks City Band alongside his wife Peggy, who plays alto saxophone.
With family, friends and a lot of memories back in Tucson, Dave returns to visit the "Old Pueblo" as much as possible.