Nefesh Mountain: Beacons Album Release Show w/ Rabbi Joe Black

The New York based Progressive Americana group Nefesh Mountain Band has been hailed as one of the formative boundary-pushing ensembles in roots music. The band’s creators and dynamic husband and wife team of Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff have created a world and sound all their own; blurring the lines between Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, Jazz and Blues with a masterful hand as songwriters, instrumentalists and composers alike. The band, declared “A Powerhouse Unit” by Rolling Stone and “Introspective lyrics and world class musicianship” by American Songwriter, takes the listener on a deeply personal journey that embodies their own wild nature and unbridled free spirits,  bridging compositional prowess and prolific songwriting with deft instrumentals and jams.

Since their formation nearly a decade ago, Nefesh Mountain has been proudly open and vocal about their background and heritage as Jewish Americans, and are among the first preeminent Americana / Bluegrass bands to infuse Jewish tradition and soul into the beautifully diverse tapestry of American roots music. For them the music is wholly American, freely expressing their own identities while at the same time addressing the hate, discrimination, anti-semitism and racism that still remains at large in America and the World today.

The band has recorded and shared the stage with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, John Doyle, Noam Pikelny (Punch Brothers), Mark Schatz (Bèla Fleck, Nickel Creek), Mike Gordon (Phish) and Tony Trischka among others. The Troubadours along with their band continue to forge new paths in unknown territory, armed with Zasloff and Lindberg’s strong, smokey, and folksy vocals and Lindberg’s soulful and masterful skills on guitars and banjo alike.

In 2021 they made their debut at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN and in recent years have performed various Festivals, PACs, and countless venues including Mountain Stage, Merlefest, Wintergrass, Ossipee Valley, Kaw River Roots, Thomas Point Bluegrass and more. Through the years Nefesh Mountain has officially showcased and been a proud member of AmericanaFest, Folk Alliance, and the IBMA.

Joseph Black has served as Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanuel in Denver, CO since July, 2010 – previously serving as Rabbi of Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1996-2010. He served as Assistant and then Associate Rabbi at Temple Israel in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 1987-1996.

An award-winning songwriter and nationally recognized musician, he has recorded 7 albums of original music and published two songbooks. Joe has published several poems and articles in leading national literary and academic journals. He has been honored by American Songwriter Magazine for his music. He is a frequent contributor to anthologies and collections of Jewish writing. He has performed for congregations and communities around the world. His recordings and books have received accolades from sources as diverse as American Songwriter Magazine, The New York Times,  Parent’s Choice, The American Library Journal and Kids First: The Coalition for Quality Children’s Video.

He is a two-time winner of American Songwriter Magazine’s Lyric contest. He has also published two Children’s book for the PJ Library, a songbook and recorded five critically acclaimed albums of Jewish music. His compositions have been recorded by numerous artists and he and his music are featured in a variety of Contemporary Jewish Music compilation CD’s. His poetry and prose have been published widely.

As a musician, Joe is known for his guitar virtuosity, soaring voice and lyrics that are at the same time, funny, inspirational, and thought provoking.  His music is an extension of his Rabbinate. After an 18 year hiatus from recording, Joe went back to the studio in December of 2021 to record two new albums of original music: Praying With Our Feet – a collection of Jewish music, and Wire and Wood – new secular songs.

Host or Publisher Swallow Hill Music