Ollabelle, a band beloved for "breathing new life into old sounds" (NPR), has emerged from a five year period of personal change – including marriages, births, tours and other projects- to deliver their most assured, deeply felt album to date, Neon Blue Bird, due Aug 16 via Ollabelle Music/Thirty Tigers.
Neon Blue Bird was produced by Ollabelle and recorded in Athens, NY and at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock. It contains five original tracks, two traditional songs arranged by the band, plus covers of Paul Kelly, Taj Mahal, Chris Whitley and a goosebump-certified take on Stephen Foster's classic, "Swanee River." The album is the follow-up to 2006's critically acclaimed Riverside Battle Songs, which inspired the Washington Post to name Ollabelle "one of the hottest bands going in roots music," and saw tours with Ryan Adams, Alison Krauss and others. Emmylou Harris said of the band, "Every time I hear something on the radio I truly love, it's Ollabelle."
The original Ollabelle line-up appears on Neon Blue Bird including Amy Helm (vocals), Fiona McBain (vocals/guitar), Tony Leone (vocals/drums), Byron Isaacs (vocals/bass), and Glenn Patscha (vocals/keys/organ), along with Jimi Zhivago (vocals/guitar), who leads a cast of supporting musicians. Throughout, additional players contribute fiddle, banjo, harmonica, saxophone and more. The original line-up will perform June 10 at NYC's City Winery.
