Nefesh Mountain
ArtYard and the Frenchtown Bookshop are excited to announce bluegrass/Americana band Nefesh Mountain will bring their heel-kicking bluegrass and elegantly wayward sound to Frenchtown. The concert will take place at 8 PM on Saturday, July 9 at ArtYard’s McDonnell Theater.
Nefesh Mountain have been described by American Songwriter as “some of the best bluegrass ever made,” and by Rolling Stone as “a master class in string music.” Bluegrass Today described their playing as “infectious, exuberant, and infused with pure melodic prowess.”
Their most recent album, Song For The Sparrows, debuted on the Billboard Top 10 and features an all-star lineup of bluegrass greats, including Jerry Douglas on dobro, Sam Bush on mandolin, and Bryan Sutton on guitar. Each track evokes the sensation of roaming through the unknown, melding elements of everything from Americana and Appalachian bluegrass to Celtic folk and Eastern European music. The songs range from straight-ahead heel-kicking bluegrass to plaintive prayer-like ballads to traditional Appalachian works. Not only a reflection of their vast musical knowledge, their open-hearted embracing of so many eclectic genres also speaks to the joyful curiosity that animates every aspect of their artistry and performance.
The band includes founders and husband-and-wife team Eric Lindberg (guitar, banjo, dobro) and Doni Zazloff (vocals) of Montclair, fiddler Alan Grubner, mandolinist David Goldenberg, and bassist Max Johnson.
The concert is part of the opening season of programming at the McDonnell Theater, the heart of ArtYard’s new building at 13 Front St., a welcoming communal resource and vessel channeling the power of art to unsettle, engage, bridge divides, and spark moments of arresting beauty. The 162-seat theater has state-of-the-art projection, lighting, and surround sound and will be the site of music, film screenings, dance, theatre, artist talks, and more.
Music at ArtYard is curated by Scott Sheldon, co-owner of the Frenchtown Bookshop and the former presenter of The Sanctuary Concerts in Chatham. Over 15 years, Scott presented more than 300 concerts, including Judy Collins, Suzanne Vega, Marc Cohn, Rosanne Cash, Jimmy Webb, the Roches, Janis Ian, Josh Ritter, and Nick Lowe.
Oran Etkin and Susan Werner are among the other upcoming performers set to take the McDonnell stage as part of the partnership.
Masks are required for this performance.
