The Neville Jacobs incarnation was a matter of fate and unlikely connections, as Ivan Neville and Cris Jacobs formed a strong friendship after playing a poker game side-by-side, during some leisurely time at New Orleans Jazz Fest. New Orleans bred Ivan Neville has strong familial ties to the music world, being the son of funkster Aaron Neville and nephew of the legendary Neville Brothers. Baltimore-bred Cris Jacobs is an extremely accomplished songwriter and bandleader, bringing flavors of soul and country to his tunes. Together, after realizing the potential the two had beyond the poker table, the duo quickly started writing material together, wasting no time to jump in the studio to record.
On September 28th, Neville Jacobs will release their self-titled debut LP via Harmonized Records. To round out the band, the duo tapped Dumpstaphunk bassist Tony Hall and drummer Brady Blade, who have a significant amount of on-stage history together. Hall and Blades have played together as a rhythm section for Emmylou Harris, Dave Matthews, Jewel and several other talented musicians over the years. The album also contains guest appearances from Shreveport, LA-based singer and violinist, Theresa Andersson, as well as Neville’s iconic father, Aaron Neville, lending his soulful vocals on “Makeup Of A Fool”.
Today, Live for Live Music is excited to premiere “Wasted”, the first single released to fans off of Neville Jacobs debut LP. “Wasted” is a catchy, feel-good tune, compiling the duo’s diverse musical backgrounds and history. The tight groove held down by Hall and Blade allows Neville and Jacobs’ soulful, soothing vocals, to soar, as their harmonies melt back together into the chorus. “Wasted”‘s mellow, yet groovy complexion, points any listener in the direction of begging for more.
As Ivan Neville explained to Live for Live Music in a statement,
I’m very excited for this to drop. Any time I get to play some funky Wah Wah Guitar it’s a very happy place for me. On top of that, I got to listen to Cris Jacobs’s nasty cigar box guitar riffs & groove along with the very funky Brady Blade/Tony Hall rhythm section. It doesn’t get much better than this.”
Cris Jacobs added:
This song came out of a writing session we did in Baltimore. I remember I started that riff on the cigar box guitar, and Ivan just started singing the “wasted” chorus and improvising some vocal melodies. I ended up taking that and writing some lyrics – thinking back on time wasted, being wasted, and time wasted while being wasted! I love the raw feel that we got when we cut the tune, with Brady Blade and Tony Hall laying down a super nasty groove, made even funkier by Ivan on some wah wah guitar. This is one of my favorites for us to play live.”
You can check out the Live For Live Music premiere of Neville Jacobs “Wasted” below. The song will appear on the duo’s upcoming debut LP, which is due out September 28th via Harmonized Records. If you like what you hear, you can pre-order the new album on Neville Jacobs website.
Neville Jacobs–”Wasted”
Neville Jacobs LP Tracklisting:
1. Wasted
2. Makeup Of A Fool
3. The Stakes
4. City Rain
5. I Wanna Know
6. River Behind Me
7. Dance For Me Mama
8. Money Talks
9. Good To You
For more info on Neville Jacobs upcoming debut LP, due out September 28th, head here!