Recently featured at New York’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Berkeley-based singer Nell Robinson and Bay Area native Jim Nunally regularly perform as a duo. Robinson croons her own bluegrass-inflected, traditional country folk tunes while Nunally plays guitar, flatpicking-style.
A veteran of the Kate Wolf Folk Festival and San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass fest, Robinson is a singer/songwriter with a clear-as-a-bell voice (think Patsy Cline or Emmylou Harris) and a penchant for traditional Americana. She lists having appeared on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion among her credits, and her 2014 studio effort,The Rose of No-Man’s Land, became a PBS Special with its own episode on the network’s Music Gone Public series.
A recipient of two Grammy Award certifications for his work on a tribute to bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, guitarist/songwriter Jim Nunally has toured extensively with David Grisman. A two-time Western Open Flatpicking Guitar Champion, Nunally’s work also includes soundtrack credits for numerous films.
Two other stellar country players join in Saturday. Twice nominated Best Steel Guitarist by the Academy of Country Music, Bay Area veteran Pete Grant lists Jerry Garcia, Jeff Airplane alum Jorma Kaukonen, Pat Simmons and Guy Clark as his musical co-conspirators; in fact, the Grateful Dead’s Aoxomoxoa was his first ever studio session, in 1969. Also joining in will be six-time Grammy-nominated upright bassist Jim Kerwin, who has worked with David Grisman for over 30 years, and can be heard on all of Grisman’s Jerry Garcia recordings. His performance credits are diverse, ranging from bluegrass greats Red Allen and Del McCoury, to playing Carnegie Hall with violinist Stephane Grappelli and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Together, the foursome promises an evening of good-time traditional country with rousing rhythms, deft soloing and smooth vocal harmonies.
NELL ROBINSON & JIM NUNALLY BAND 7:30pm Saturday, March 26. Bon Ton L’Roy’s Lighthouse Smokehouse, 794 Lighthouse Road, Monterey. $15. 375-6958.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.