Former SNL comedienne Leslie Jones recently called Buggy Jive, “The black Albert Einstein”, and she is onto something! Buggy Jive is an acoustic soul rock singer-songwriter from the Albany, New York area, equal parts Zeppelin and D’Angelo and Prince and Joni in sound and sensibility.
Smart songs, serious soul, a little irreverence, and a musical imagination that refuses to stay in its lane. Come discover Buggy Jive at Caffè Lena.
Somewhere in a basement in Upstate New York, a somewhat reclusive singer-songwriter has been quietly creating some of the most original music coming out of the Capital Region. His name is Buggy Jive, and his distinctive blend of acoustic soul, rock, funk, and folk is earning attention well beyond his basement walls.
In 2026, Buggy took home four Capital Region Eddie Awards, including Songwriter of the Year, Album of the Year, Solo/Duo Artist of the Year, and Music Video of the Year. He has opened for Macy Gray and Ben Folds, and earned a coveted Top Shelf feature in NPR's Tiny Desk Contest.
A gifted songwriter with a sharp wit and a love of literature, Buggy draws inspiration from writers as varied as Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, T.S. Eliot, and Joan Didion. His songs tackle love, identity, storytelling, and the anxieties of modern life with intelligence, humor, and an occasional well-placed expletive. The music can be funky, tender, confrontational, or downright funny, sometimes all within the same song.
His acclaimed 2025 album, Icarus Ascending, established him as a distinctive voice in contemporary songwriting. Now he's preparing its companion album, Daedalus Down, nine new songs that explore the complicated business of being human in complicated times. Recorded in his home studio, the album includes the single "Meaning in the Morning," a wonderfully unpredictable mix that sounds like nobody else but Buggy Jive.
Buggy has deep roots in the Capital Region and is no stranger to the Caffè Lena stage. He has appeared as part of the Lena Go Round series, The Beatle Caffe, multiple artist tribute nights, and most recently supporting acclaimed songwriter Joy Clark. We are thrilled to welcome him back for his first (and long overdue!) headlining show in our listening room.
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