Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Nefesh Mountain Team (talk | contribs) at 17:21, 25 April 2022 (As a member of the band and team I've accurately changed elements of the bio, band members, and history.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Nefesh Mountain is a New York based progressive bluegrass band, hailed as one of today’s formative boundary-pushing acoustic groups on the scene. The band, called “A master class in string music” by Rolling Stone, and “arguably some of the best bluegrass ever made” by American Songwriter, embodies the wild nature and unbridled free spirits of it's members, bridging compositional prowess and prolific songwriting with deft instrumentals and jams. They have recorded and shared the stage with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, John Doyle, Noam Pikelny (Punch Brothers), Mark Schatz (Nickel Creek), Mike Gordon (Phish), Tony Trischka, David Grier, and Mike McGoldrick, among others. Their music continues to forge new paths in a world all their own, melding elements of everything from Americana and Appalachian bluegrass to Celtic folk and Eastern European melodies.

History

Doni Zasloff grew up in Washington, DC and Philadelphia, and earned a degree in musical theater from Brandeis University. She began writing her own songs while teaching at her daughter's synagogue preschool, eventually forming the Mama Doni Band, which won the Simcha Award at the 2008 International Jewish Music Festival.

Eric Lindberg grew up in Brooklyn but often visited his father's family in Georgia, where he developed an appreciation for bluegrass music. He began playing guitar at the age of 10, inspired by blues musicians like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. He also cites Pat Metheny and Bela Fleck as influences on his work. He has a degree in jazz performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

They recorded their album Beneath The Open Sky in Nashville, Tennessee, recording with veteran bluegrass musicians Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tony Trischka, and David Grier. The song "Narrow Bridge" (based on a saying by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov) was inspired by the political climate after the 2016 presidential election. The music video was filmed in winter on a frozen lake at Woodstock in the Catskills.

Their latest release Songs For The Sparrows received mass critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, Folk Alley, The Bluegrass Situation, No Depression, Bluegrass Today, Bluegrass Unlimited, Tablet Magazine, and Jerusalem Post among others. The songs on the album was inspired by a roots trip to Eastern Europe taken by Doni, Eric and family in 2018 that ignited a sense of pride in their identity and heritage as Jewish Americans. It was recorded at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, TN featuring friends Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, John Doyle, Mike McGoldrick, Jeff Taylor, Wes Corbett, and John Mock.

Members

• Doni Zasloff – vocals
• Eric Lindberg – vocals, guitar, banjo
• Alan Grubner – violin
• Erik Alvar – bass

Discography

• Songs From The Mountain (Compilation)
• Nefesh Mountain (2016) - Featuring Sam Bush, Mark Schatz, Scott Vestal and Rob Ickes
• Beneath The Open Sky (2018) - Featuring Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tony Trischka and David Grier
• Songs for the Sparrows (2021) - Featuring Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Bryan Sutton
• Live From Levon Helm Studios: A Hanukkah Holiday Concert (2021)

References

1. Klug, Lisa. "The hills are alive with the sound of Jewgrass". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
2. ^ "Nefesh Mountain on Combining Bluegrass With Jewish Identity: 'Our Truth Was This'". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
3. "Nefesh Mountain-About". Nefesh Mountain. Retrieved 2019-02-25.

External links

• Official website

• American bluegrass music groups
• Jewish American musicians
• Jewish musical groups
• Musical groups established in 2014
• Musical groups from New Jersey
• 2014 establishments in New Jersey