Nell Robinson & the Rose of No Man's Land

I missed this one apparently.

Joe Henry produced Nell Robinson's new album 'Nell Robinson & the Rose of No-Man's Land.'
It was already recorded back in 2012, I think. And at that moment Nell was already working on it for 4 years.



Now, the Album will finally be released on November 4th.

Read the pressrelease. (which already dates from september I think).

Next to Nell, the album features : two-time Grammy Winner & National Medal of Arts recipient Ramblin’ Jack Elliott; actor, poet and musician John Doe; actor and songwriter Kris Kristofferson; as well, award-winning author Maxine Hong Kingston; and acclaimed actress Kathy Baker. 

Joe Henry used her performing band as well as other musicians including: Grammy-winning Greg Liesz on slide guitar, bluegrass favorite Jim Nunally (guitar, vocals); Levon Henry on clarinet; string stalwart Keith Little (mandolin, vocals); bassist David Piltch,  Zach Harmon (percussion); and Craig Eastman on fiddle.  


About the album :
The songs of 'Nell Robinson & The Rose of No-Man’s Land' integrate the heritage of her own Alabama family serving in 250 years of war. Most of the source material for the songs are from archived letters, documents, mementos and generational lore, all centered on war and service. Beginning with Revolutionary War to the present. 

Guy Clark and Rodney Crowell wrote two original songs for the album. 1 song (Happy to go) Robinson wrote together with Jim Nunally.  Next to that there are a few orginals songs by Johnny Cash and Bill Monroe.

The album will be  presented november 1th in the center for the arts, Grass Valley, CA95945
On Stage, Nell Robinson will be acompanied by Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Joyce Maynard, and her band, featuring Jim Nunally (guitar), Jim Carlin (bass), Zach Harmon (percussion) and Levon Henry (clarinet, saxophone). Pete Grant of Auburn will sit in on slide guitar for this show. (source)

Some pictures of this event.

Post by The Center for the Arts.

Also : Earlier this year, a PBS crew taped Nell Robinson & the Rose of No-Man’s Land at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage Coffee House. It will be a segment of a 2015 show on PBS called “Music Gone Public.”

 Prelisten 2 stunning tracks from the album

Update November 12

Nell Robinson on working with Joe :(source)

"....The recording process was both magical and deeply scary. Joe Henry and his family and the musicians he brought in made me feel so comfortable. Joe brought an ease to the process, an organic approach that I loved. He left the mics on even during rehearsals and sometimes we just entered a song in an unplanned way…and that was it. I had been singing these songs for a few years, and in a particular style, mostly bluegrass arrangements. When I was preparing to record with Joe, I wanted to break out of my habits and be completely open to where Joe might take the process. So I worked with a jazz musician to reinterpret traditional versions and rhythms for songs like “Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier.” Jim Nunally was incredibly helpful, he and I ran each song in several keys. The first song we recorded in the studio was “Blue-Eyed Boston Boy,” and I don’t think that went very well to start with. I was singing in a key I was not accustomed to and I felt vulnerable and nervous. Later, adding my harmonies to John Doe and Jack Elliott’s [vocals], these guys are so good and so experienced that I felt unworthy...."

Follow my blog with Bloglovin