Memorial Day Concert at National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago

 CHICAGO (May 23, 2017) -- Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally Band will join a number of military veterans in Chicago on Memorial Day (Monday, May 29) to acknowledge the sacrifices made by American soldiers. The special event will begin at 1 p.m. at the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago at 4041 N. Milwaukee Avenue.

Veterans who contributed original essays to the book I Remember: Chicago Veterans of War will be reading their work. In addition, the band will perform selections from Robinson’s 2014 collaborative album, Rose of No Man’s Land. Their live performances for Roseincluded a story booth created by veteran artist Mark Pinto, whose work has appeared at the National Veterans Arts Museum. This live show was filmed for PBS for Music Gone Publicand can be seen on stations around the country, or streamed on the PBS Stories of Service website.

Throughout the collection of music on Rose , Robinson reaches into her family's deep military history to create musical vignettes of her ancestors' experiences. The songs weave together stories from the Revolutionary War to the present, inspired by 250 years of letters, stories and poetry from Nell's rural Alabama family.

“It’s a privilege to join the veterans community in Chicago to share music and stories, reflecting on the human impact of war from many different perspectives. We have a reverence for these folks and their experiences, and feel that their stories are OUR stories. Please spend Memorial Day with us and join the conversation.”

The event is free and open to the public. Following the presentation, Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally Band will deliver a mix of classic country and original songs from their new album, Baby Let’s Take the Long Way Home.

The National Veterans Art Museum inspires greater understanding of the impact of war with a focus on Vietnam. The museum collects, preserves and exhibits art based on experiences of war and created by veterans.

Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally Band are based in Berkeley, California. Robinson is a former nonprofit executive who traded a successful career for a life in music and has since been featured on PBS, at the Kennedy Center and on A Prairie Home Companion. Nunally is an award-winning guitarist whose works has appeared on a Grammy-winning bluegrass album (True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe), a CBS special (Snoopy’s Reunion) and feature films (The Beverly Hillbillies).