Jeff Black Releases Folklore April 1
Jeff Black photo courtesy of ytimg.com.
Singer/songwriter Jeff Black is pleased to announce the release of his upcoming album, “Folklore” on April 1, 2014. “Folklore” is the eleventh album from Black, a respected and pioneering influence on modern folk and roots music for more than three decades.
“Folklore” closely follows the back to back critically acclaimed releases “Plow Through The Mystic” and last year’s “B-Sides and Confessions,” “Volume Two.” Black’s 2013 release was praised by “Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange” as “One of those wonderful seemingly unassuming riches that kind of sneaks its way into your consciousness and won’t leave… an outstanding piece of work.” No Depression hailed, “His words and voice hold down center stage with a craft so deeply in the artistic pocket that it obscures anything outside.” His latest work “Folklore” delivers a new chapter of moving and soulful songs from this lauded storyteller.
Recorded at Black’s Arcana Studios and mixed by Dave Sinko (Chris Thile & the Punch Brothers, Sam Bush Band, Don Williams), “Folklore” resonates with Black’s consistently solid songwriting — where verse and melody inspire a movie in your mind, eliciting universal emotions that connect us all. The title and the title track, “Folklore” are both testaments to this connectedness. “Folklore” — as its namesake suggests — is a true bare bones folk album, and by definition, is a collection of traditions and stories that highlight Black’s role as both a songwriter and performer.
Black wrote every song and recorded the studio performances with an intentional sparseness and urgency, without overdubs and time codes. A five string banjo, six and 12 string acoustic guitars and a harmonica create the soundtrack to the visuals evoked across the album’s 13 tracks. “Folklore” is Black’s most traditional folk album to date, a contemporary folk collection of songs that tell vivid stories full of narrative and history, where voice and instrumentation interplay seamlessly with the lyric content. The album cover features an archival family photo of Black’s father and uncle, further cementing the authenticity of the roots Black draws from on this project
Thirty years of celebrated live performances and songs covered by artists as diverse as Alison Krauss, Waylon Jennings, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, John Oates, Blackhawk and Dierks Bentley, Jeff Black is recognized as a pioneer in the modern music industry. Boston s WUMB listeners voted Jeff Black as one of the top 100 most important Folk artists of the last 25 years. After critically acclaimed commercial releases on label homes, fan favorite independent releases on his own Lotos Nile Music imprint, song placement on numerous independent films, Black continues to evolve as an influential artist on the who’s who list of post-alt troubadours. A master songwriter and performer in the tradition of the great storytellers, his passionate, soul driven live performances of songs from his vast catalog are not to be missed.
Folklore is the 10th release from the prolific songwriter. Recorded over a 2 day period in Nashville, Tennessee at Arcana Studios, Jeff Black arms himself with a guitar, harmonica and a banjo to traverse the clay-dust roads that trace the cutting edge of pop culture, delivering a collection of modern folk and acoustic classics.
On a final note, this will be my last column for the Presidio Sentinel. I’m grateful for the last seven years of writing this column. Thanks to Patty Ducey-Brooks, my editor, for being such a pleasure to work with over the years. And, finally, keep supporting that local music in San Diego. We have dozens of great venues and they need your support to keep San Diego a stellar city for live music.
Category: Music
