The Magpie Salute

Emerging from a short-lived gathering of ex-Black Crowes musicians, the American rock collective the Magpie Salute evolved into a sustained endeavor driven by their potent musical rapport. During 2016, Rich Robinson—guitarist and co-founder of the Crowes—received an invitation to appear and lay down tracks for the Woodstock Sessions series; after his earlier solo appearance there in 2014, he assembled a loose-knit group that included fellow former Crowes members Marc Ford on guitar, Sven Pipien on bass, and Eddie Harsch on keys. Although those recordings centered on covers, the veteran players’ enduring synergy prompted them to explore fresh songs once the performance concluded. Tragically, Harsch died that November at age 59. Robinson then brought in drummer Joe Magistro, guitarist Nico Bereciartua, lead vocalists John Hogg and Charity White, plus backing vocalists Adrien Reju and Katrine Ottosen to complete the roster. The Magpie Salute delivered their inaugural full-scale concert in early 2017 at New York’s Gramercy Theatre.

A self-titled live recording devoted to covers surfaced in June 2017, yet the band’s first studio album, High Water I, arrived in August 2018. That release presented original songs and was conceived as the opening half of a double-album project, with its companion volume following in October 2019.