Jeffrey Dean Foster is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, who is both a solo recording artist as well as a member of roots rockers the Pinetops. Foster got his start with rock music back in the '80s with a pair of bands, the Right Profile and the Carneys, which were either signed to fruitless major-label record deals or completed albums that went unreleased. The '90s saw Foster play shows along the East Coast as a solo performer, as he began laying down tracks for newly penned compositions with old friend/renowned producer Don Dixon (R.E.M., the Smithereens) overseeing the recording process. Soon after, Foster decided to form a band, the Pinetops (which included members John Pfiffner, drummer Will Dyar, and bassist Andy Mabe), to bring his new songs to life. The newly formed group issued their debut album, Above Ground and Vertical, in 2000, following up the release with a smattering of select tour dates (including an appearance at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, TX). In late 1999, Foster appeared alongside William Shatner as part of an ad hoc band for Priceline.com TV commercials, and a year later issued his first solo release, the live EP The Leaves Turn Upside Down. ~ Greg Prato