Behind the Beat with Ted Hefko

For more than two decades, Ted Hefko has plied his trade as a saxophonist, clarinetist, singer and strummer of guitars, but first and foremost he is a songsmith, rooted in the blues. His band, Ted Hefko and The Thousandaires, -- with Hefko on vocals, guitar and tenor sax -- brings raw life lessons and stories - ones of hope and hustlers, saints and strays, drifters and the down-and-out - to life with the rough-hewn tone of backwoods folk, and the raucous vibrancy of classic Louisiana Rhythm and Blues. Their 2018 album, Gas Station Guru, received high acclaim, streaming on airways across the world. Since that time, Ted and the band have been hard at work on their newest album, Down Below, diving deep and digging into the ups and downs of life. The album features a cross section of New Orleans talent, blending Hefko's jazz and folk roots with a new electric country/Americana sound.

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Hefko began writing lyrics in the second grade and picked up the guitar and sax just a few years later. Fresh out of high school, he caught a Greyhound bus down I-55 to follow his dreams. After honing his chops in New Orleans, Ted began touring across the US, and gigging around town.