Jeff Gilkinson
Jeff Gilkinson is a multi-instrumentalist who played bass, cello, harmonica and banjo with the Dillards in the late 1970s and early 1980s and wrote several of the band’s songs and instrumentals. His cello and harmonica are also heard on Doug Dillard’s solo records and on the 1977 album by Dillard, Hartford, Dillard.
His earliest credits are as an accompanist. He played cello and harmonica on Doug Dillard’s Duelin’ Banjo (20th Century, 1973), and harmonica and cello on Glitter-Grass from the Nashwood Hollyville Strings (Flying Fish, 1977), recorded at the Sound Shop in Nashville by Doug and Rodney Dillard with John Hartford.
As a member of the Dillards he played bass and cello and sang harmony on The Dillards vs. the Incredible L.A. Time Machine (Flying Fish, 1977), recorded in Hollywood at United-Western Studios. He wrote “Softly,” which he sang, and also sang lead on “Old Cane Press.” On Decade Waltz (Flying Fish, 1979), made with Herb Pedersen, Rodney Dillard, Douglas Bounsall, Dean Webb and the drummer Paul York, he is credited on bass, banjo, cello and bass harmonica, and he wrote three of its numbers: “Gruelin’ Banjos,” “Hymn to the Road” and “Mason Dixon.” The same year he played electric bass, cello and harmonica on the band’s Mountain Rock (Crystal Clear), recorded at Crystal Clear Studios in Berkeley, California, and bass, cello, harmonica and vocals on Doug Dillard’s Heaven (Flying Fish).
Homecoming and Family Reunion (Flying Fish, 1981) brought the founding Dillards Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb and Mitch Jayne back together with Herb Pedersen and John Hartford. Gilkinson played cello on several tracks, harmonica on “Tennessee Breakdown” and electric bass on others, and he sang lead on “Daddy Was a Mover.”
