The Crooked Jades

The Crooked Jades are a San Francisco–formed old-time and roots band known for pushing traditional American music into darker, stranger and more adventurous territory. Founded in 1996 by singer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Kazor, the group draws from Appalachian ballads, early string-band music, bluegrass and rural folk traditions while adding original compositions, unusual arrangements and influences from European and African music.

Their sound can shift from driving fiddle and banjo tunes to spare, haunting ballads, often using vintage instruments such as clawhammer banjo, Hawaiian slide guitar, harmonium, parlor guitar and upright bass. The band’s core has included Kazor, co-founder Lisa Berman and longtime member Erik Pearson, joined by a changing group of accomplished roots musicians.

Across seven albums, extensive touring in the United States and Europe, and appearances at major folk and bluegrass festivals, The Crooked Jades have earned a reputation for treating old-time music as something living and unpredictable. Their recordings include Going to the Races, World’s on Fire and Seven Sisters: A Kentucky Portrait, while music connected to the band was also selected for the film Into the Wild.