Nefesh Mountain

Nefesh Mountain stands as a distinctive New Jersey ensemble that interweaves bluegrass, Celtic, and string band approaches with Jewish folk traditions. Husband-and-wife team Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff helm the project, which launched with their self-titled debut in 2016 and has since yielded three albums, among them the praised Songs for the Sparrows in 2021.

The band emerged from Zasloff’s earlier outfit Mama Doni, devoted to Jewish culture and fusing Hebrew and Klezmer material with Latin, reggae, and rock influences. She began working with Lindberg in 2010 on songs first slated for Mama Doni; their creative rapport soon deepened into a romantic partnership. Blending bluegrass and old-time American music with Hebrew liturgical texts, they established Nefesh Mountain as the vehicle for this hybrid sound.

Touring musicians Tim Kiah on bass and Alan Grubner on fiddle joined the lineup, and the self-titled debut was finished by 2016 with appearances from instrumental standouts Sam Bush and Mark Schatz. Tracked in Nashville, the second album, Beneath the Open Sky, arrived in 2018; Bush returned for the eclectic sessions while legendary dobro player Jerry Douglas and banjoist Tony Trischka also contributed. Nefesh Mountain resumed recording in 2021 for its third release, Songs for the Sparrows.