Nefesh Mountain

Nefesh Mountain is a bluegrass band that combines bluegrass and Jewish musical styles, often singing in Hebrew. Husband-and-wife team Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff are the principal members.

Nefesh Mountain
Nefesh Mountain performing in Cary, NC. From left, Alan Grubner, Eric Lindberg, Doni Zasloff, and Tim Kiah.
Background information
OriginMontclair, NJ
GenresBluegrass, Jewish music
Years active2014-present
Associated actsSam Bush

Jerry Douglas Tony Trischka David Grier Rob Ickes

Mark Schatz
Websitehttp://www.nefeshmountain.com/
MembersDoni Zasloff (vocals)

Eric Lindberg (vocals, guitar, banjo)

Alan Grubner (violin)

Tim Kiah (bass, vocals)

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.[1]

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.[2] He has a degree in jazz performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.[3]

The two began writing music together in 2010, originally for Zasloff's career as "Mama Doni", but found that the mashup of Jewish liturgy and bluegrass melodies worked. At the same time, the two became a couple and eventually married.[4] They characterize their music as a continuation of the cultural exchange between Jews and the countries they live in that produced musical genres such as klezmer.[5]

They started out performing their music at Shabbat services, and then at shows. By 2014, they settled on the name "Nefesh Mountain" (nefesh is the Hebrew word for soul) and went on tour with bass player Tim Kiah and violinist Alan Grubner.

They recorded the 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.[2]

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

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.
  4. "Nefesh Mountain Captures the Sound of Appalachia and the Soul of Judaism". Tablet Magazine. 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  5. "Nefesh Mountain: From the Inside Out". The Bluegrass Situation. 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
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