Jeff Roland – “Space Oddity” (Live Acoustic)

Music heals the broken. Music frees the soul. Music is a gateway to new beginnings and perspectives. It brings people together, and makes them collectively aware of social, cultural and political issues. It allows you to express yourself in ways that are unimaginable. It can relax you, excite you, and even bring out emotions you never knew existed. Everyone has a least a handful of songs they listen to for some reason or another, regardless if they’re happy or sad. Music is so empowering. It can help you get through some of the most difficult times in your life. It can move your soul and make you open your mind to the world. Whatever genre of music, it all brings us closer together.

“Bring us closer together,” is one of the things that Jeff Roland and Joanna Lessnau strive to do with their acoustically inspired The Gemini Conspiracy project. Roland is an internationally exhibiting French painter who usually travels the world painting with other artists. His work which has been sold worldwide, and which is also part of the London Museum of Everything Collection, and the Barcelona Davis Museum collection, is described as: “bold, colorful pieces which reflect a constant desire to explore the human psyche.”

In a statement on his art, Jeff Roland declared: “We have to live in a chaotic world, when we all in fact, thrive in harmony. My paintings demonstrate that harmony pre-exists within the chaos itself.” Which takes me back to my previous observation. Through his art and music, Roland really wants to bring us together, by making us aware of the “pre-existing harmony that exists within the chaos.” And he achieves that, though in different ways, through both his music and his paintings.

Recently Jeff Roland did a live-streaming concert via Instagram with his The Gemini Conspiracy partner Joanna Lessnau, who is based in Poland. The two hauled out their acoustic guitars and their good intentions, as they ran through a few covers, such as Give Peace a Chance, to which they promptly changed the words to Give Kids a Chance, in an attempt to give famine, and starving, undernourished children in the world the attention they deserve. Jeff and Joanna also did a version of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, Have You Ever Seen the Rain.

Aside from The Gemini Conspiracy project, Jeff Roland also performs solo sessions which he streams live via social media for whomever is awake in any part of the world at that time. “After a night of painting, well, yes, I paint all night often, I like to play a little music,” explained Jeff. In these sessions he usually chooses all his favorite songs to intrepid, one of them being Space Oddity by David Bowie. “A monument to Twentieth Century music,” says Jeff of the song. “David Bowie left us way too soon, but remains in our hearts,” he rightfully concluded.

The thing that impresses most about Jeff Roland has nothing to do with the technicalities of singing, playing or recording his pieces, but rather it has to do with the passion, respect and sheer naturalness with which he affronts the music. Jeff searches for, and expresses, the core essence of Space Oddity, eschewing any superfluous embellishments, personal showboating or pretentiousness. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Jeff Roland understands that you cannot improve a perfect masterpiece, you can only interpret it personally, with integrity and honesty. Which is what he has done.

Jeff Roland’s foray into the music scene as a solo performer and with The Gemini Conspiracy is just starting out, and Jeff promises that there will be many more offerings in the future. Check out his website, and follow his social media links to find out more, and stay up to date with both his painting and musical work.

OFFICIAL LINKS: YOUTUBE – INSTAGRAM – FACEBOOK (Page) – FACEBOOK (Personal) – WEBSITE