Nell & Jim Band Pays Tribute to Northern California Roots On 12-Track STEEL, Feb. 15 First Single “Shady Grove/Matty Groves” Impacts Radio January 28
San Francisco (January 9, 2019)
Northern California’s acclaimed Nell & Jim Band will release Steel, a new 12-track album inspired by and paying tribute to their Northern California roots, on February 15. Steel (Whippoorwill Arts) continues a time-honored tradition of musical activism that made such acts as Janis Ian or Peter, Paul and Mary so unforgettable.
From the title cut — an ode to Jim Nunally’s former life as a welder — or “Speed Limit,” a song about the fact that life doesn’t have to end at 40, the Nell & Jim Band owns its story by continuing to release original and thought-provoking music.
Having appeared at the Kennedy Center, on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion and the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally’s musical partnership began when Jim co-produced an album by Nell in 2010. Subsequently, the two recorded House & Garden (2013) harmonizing “in the vein of the Everly Brothers,” (Billboard).
Since then, love has blossomed between the two and they’ve expanded from a duo to a quintet with Jim Kerwin on bass fiddle (Jerry Garcia, Yo-Yo Ma, David Grisman), Jon Arkin on percussion (Gene Perla, Lee Konitz), and Rob Reich on accordion, keys (Gaucho, Circus Bella).
After the successful release of Baby Let’s Take The Long Way Home (2015) the band toured while simultaneously working on its forthcoming Steel, produced and engineered by John Cuniberti (Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar).
The album’s first single “Shady Grove/Matty Groves” will impact all radio formats on January 28.
The track hearkens back to Jim’s musical roots — and one of his biggest influences, David Grisman. “‘Shady Grove’ is an old Doc Watson song that I played as an encore at many shows with David Grisman”,” says Jim. “I was influenced by Doc and David and got to play with David for 16 years. Jim [Kerwin, our band’s bass fiddle player] played with him for 32 years; he also played the song with David and Jerry. Kerwin brought to my attention a recording that Fairport Convention had of ‘Matty Groves’ (the predecessor to ‘Shady Grove’) so we turned it around and led off with ‘Shady Grove.’”
In addition to its creative endeavors, the band gives back through two projects: the Music Home Project and the Whippoorwill Arts Awards, which provide Nell and Jim creative ways to help non-profit venues and musicians, as well as aid musicians who recently lost their instruments in devastating California fires.
The Nell & Jim Band will tour Steel across the U. S. through 2019.
The Steel track listing is below:
1. Shady Grove / Matty Groves (Nell Robinson, James Nunally, BMI) 5:53
2. Prayer (Nell Robinson BMI) 3:49
3. Dime in My Pocket (James Nunally BMI) 3:48
4. The Way You Do (Lisa Aschman ASCAP; James Nunally, Nell Robinson BMI) 2:51
5. Red Clay Creek (Nell Robinson, James Nunally BMI) 3:50
6. Man at the Mill (Traditional, Version Jim Kerwin) 4:24
7. Steel (James Nunally BMI) 4:14
8. Finisterre (James Nunally, Nell Robinson BMI) 4:06
9. Old & In the Way / EMD (David Grisman) 5:41
10. Pants (Greg Beattie, Nell Robinson BMI) 2:13
11. Meditation Blues (James Nunally BMI) 2:05
12. Speed Limit (James Nunally, Nell Robinson BMI) 2:22
To keep up with the Nell & Jim Band, visit: nellandjim.com
Liner Notes, credits and lyrics are here: nellandjim.com/steellyrics
https://www.facebook.com/nellandjim/
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https://www.youtube.com/c/NellJimBand
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For additional information, please contact: Jackie Marushka at 615-417-6500 or Jackie@MarushkaMedia.com