Jeff Black

Black is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter whose creations have been recorded by artists as diverse as Waylon Jennings, Sam Bush and BlackHawk. Bluegrass picker Bush rosins up his bow, adding his accomplished fiddle and mandolin playing throughout. Tin Lily opens with the easy listening folk-blues offering "Easy on Me.” From there the troubadour treks through 11 other soulful songs. The ballad "Nineteen” was one of a couple of tracks mixed by producer Gary Paczosa (known for his work with Nickel Creek, Dolly Parton and more recently, rising bluegrass stars the Chapmans). The lush arrangements that mark a Paczosa record come forth on this lingering track. Later, "Libertine” kicks it up a few levels; this roots rocker pays homage to a free soul that loves her rock’n’roll. "Free at Last” is a piano pop rocker that recalls early Billy Joel, while "Hard Way Out” is a song filled with hope for a soul mired in hopelessness. With lyrics that linger on in your brain long after the final song’s refrain, and subtle acoustic instrumentation, Black peels back the layers of the human condition and shows on his latest release why his songs are sought after in the Nashville musical community.