“Brilliant guitarist!” – ELTON JOHN
“Jorgenson’s dexterity, speed, and beauty on acoustic guitar were astonishing, and one could only watch in awe…”– NO DEPRESSION
Nashville, Tenn.— July 13, 2018 is shaping up to be a big day for true, longtime connoisseurs of high-test bluegrass music. That is the day music lovers can enjoy the highly celebrated From the Crow’s Nest album, available individually for the first time from bluegrass supergroup J2B2 (John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band) featuring Herb Pedersen, Jon Randall and Mark Fain. Listeners will be treated to a 15-track, roots-inspired bluegrass experience unlike anything they’ve heard before from GRAMMY® Award winning musicians with a special chemistry.
With modern-day instrumental master John Jorgenson at the helm, From the Crow’s Nest features Jorgenson’s powerful mandolin and acoustic guitar work, as well as lead and harmony vocals. He’s joined by his band mates that include fellow Desert Rose Band co-founder Herb Pedersen (banjo, guitar, vocals); former Nash Rambler and award-winning songwriter Jon Randall (guitar, vocals); and renowned bassist Mark Fain (Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder).
From the Crow’s Nest was recorded at Sheryl Crow’s barn-based studio at her home in Nashville over the course of three days. Drawing on inspiration from a wide range of co-existing styles, the seamlessly interwoven three-pronged harmonies of Jorgenson, Randall and Pedersen send listeners into the harmony nirvana appreciated by music lovers of The Seldom Scene; The Dillards; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; and the Rice/Rice/Hillman/Pedersen albums of the late 1990s.
Songwriters contributing to the largely original record include Jorgenson, Pedersen, Randall, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, JD Souther, Mitch Jayne, Rodney Dillard and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member Chris Hillman. The album’s last track, “Whiskey Lullaby,” co-written by Jon Randall and Bill Anderson, won 2005’s CMA Song of the Year Award for Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss along with the songwriters. Pedersen’s contemporary bluegrass/country rock standard, “Wait a Minute,” also included on From the Crow’s Nest, has been previously recorded by The Seldom Scene, among others. Fifteen-time IBMA Dobro Player of The Year Rob Ickes lends his talents to “Travelin’ Angels” and “If You Could See.”
The art that John Jorgenson, Herb Pedersen, Jon Randall and Mark Fain create together is the kind of music that, like a shot of the very best, aged bourbon whiskey, goes down smooth, over seamless — angelic-tinged, with middle-aged wisdom — vocal harmonies and instrumental work both masterful and tasteful with a soul searching perspective. But then the listener is hit with a delayed punch to the gut that breaks a heart lyrically one minute and opens windows of understanding the second.
Bluegrass aficionados may recognize From the Crow’s Nest. It originally made up one-third of Jorgenson’s acclaimed limited edition, three-CD, Divertuoso box set release on Cleopatra Records, but this earthy musical collaboration garnered so much attention that the label knew this bluegrass album needed to be released on its own.
From the Crow’s Nest will be in stores on July 13th, 2018 and is available online worldwide on Cleopatra Records.
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J2B2 MEMBERS:
JOHN JORGENSON >> MANDOLIN, ACOUSTIC GUITAR + VOCALS {ELTON JOHN, BONNIE RAITT, EARL SCRUGGS + MANY MORE}
HERB PEDERSEN >> BANJO, ACOUSTIC GUITAR + VOCALS {THE DILLARDS, OLD AND IN THE WAY, EMMYLOU HARRIS + MANY MORE}
JON RANDALL >> ACOUSTIC GUITAR + VOCALS {“WHISKEY LULLABY” CMA SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR, EMMYLOU HARRIS’ NASH RAMBLERS, EARL SCRUGGS + MANY MORE}
MARK FAIN >> BASS {RICKY SKAGGS AND KENTUCKY THUNDER, ALISON KRAUSS, DOLLY PARTON + MANY MORE}
J2B2 TOUR DATES
DATE/TIME |
LOCATION |
DETAILS |
---|---|---|
July 13 & 14, 2018 | San Francisco, CA | SFJAZZ Center – SFJAZZ New Grass-American Roots Week (J2B2 w/ Mark Fain, Darin Aldridge, & Keith Little) |
August 16, 2018 | Berkeley, CA | The Freight & Salvage |
August 17, 2018 | Sacramento, CA | Sofia Tsakopoulos for the Arts – B Street Theater |
August 18, 2018 | New Washoe, NV | Bowers Mansion Bluegrass Festival |
August 19, 2018 | Santa Cruz, CA | Kuumbwa Jazz Center |
September 14, 2018 | Nashville, TN | AMERICANAFEST® |
January 5, 2019 | Madison, CT | Fire in the Kitchen Concert Series – North Madison Congregational Church |
January 27, 2019 | Berkeley, CA | Django Festival – The Freight & Salvage (J2B2 w/ Martin Taylor) |
Find more John Jorgenson tour dates here.
J2B2 CRITICAL ACCLAIM:
“It would not be a stretch to call J2B2 a dream team of string musicians…”
– THE PATRIOT LEDGER
“J2B2 delivers bluegrass with a touch that no one else has… they bend and shape their vocals with incredible harmonies… likewise, their instrumental prowess is top-shelf. They put on a high-energy show, and had the audience up on the their feet – after they’d stopped laughing from the stage patter. This band had the chops on both instruments and vocals to be one of the best in the business.” – ELMORE MAGAZINE
“Marvelous instrumental interactions… capped by an encore that negotiated the gears to the point where seat belts were advisable.” – THE HERALD (SCOTLAND)
“A generous and fully appreciative audience, clearly well aware they were in the company of musical giants, spurred on four wonderful musicians to instinctively push themselves beyond their comfort zone of absolute excellence. Eventually their instrumental interplay and astonishing three-part harmonies transcended the band’s collective CV – no mean feat when you consider that includes the likes of Bob Dylan, Elton John, Pavarotti, Bonnie Raitt, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Dolly Parton and Earl Scruggs… but for all the skill and finesse on the show, this was primarily a night of high lonesome feelings, of heartfelt music expertly delivered and warmly received.”
– THE GRANVILLE CHAMBERS (UK)
“There’s a touch of California breeze in their sound, but it’s bluegrass at its core.”
– CRAIG HAVIGHURST / MUSIC CITY ROOTS
“Expect fireworks and amazing playing from some of the best string players in the world!” – YES! WEEKLY (GREENSBORO, NC)
Here’s what others have said about John Jorgenson:
“Brilliant guitarist!” – ELTON JOHN
“Jorgenson’s dexterity, speed, and beauty on acoustic guitar were astonishing, and one could only watch in awe…” – NO DEPRESSION
“ John Jorgenson is one of my most favorite players. He is incredibly versatile and his solos are unique and melodic, played with amazing technique. My ‘guitarist’s guitarist. ” –PETER FRAMPTON
“If there was one guitar player I’d like to be, it would be John Jorgenson.”
– BRAD PAISLEY
“John Jorgenson is a true artiste. He’s a phenomenal musician.” – CHRIS HILLMAN
“This is a display of virtuosity rarely rendered.” – FRETBOARD JOURNAL
“John Jorgenson is one of the most respected guitarists in the world…” – LOS ANGELES TIMES
“John Jorgenson has a rare kind of genius for an instrumentalist in that he’s equally comfortable and capable of playing Buck Owens, Beatles riffs, or jazz leads…”
– NO DEPRESSION
“Jorgenson’s heroic effort truly deserves to be called Epic; a grand scale poem such as Homer’s ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’ or the Hindu classic ‘Mahabharta’. ” – GUITAR HD
For high-resolution photographs, review copy requests and interviews, please contact:
Kissy Black
Lotos Nile Media
P.O. Box 90245
Nashville, TN 37209
(o) 615-298-1144,1 or (m) 615.310-1894
kissyblack@lotosnile.com
Johnnel Prietos
Lotos Nile Media
johnnel@lotosnile.com
Bluegrass aficionados might be experiencing d j vu at the mention of From the Crow s Nest. The album is technically a re-release as a standalone album of a project that originally made up one-third of Jorgenson s three-CD Divertuoso box set release on Cleopatra Records. This earthy and deeply influenced musical collaboration garnered so much attention, that the label knew it needed to be released on its own.