I am excited to be releasing my first single, “New Nirvana” - at long last.  I took a nine-month hiatus from my album project to serve as Interim President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We did some great things at the Trust during that time:  raised $4 million to preserve Nina Simone's childhood home, rejuvenated our in-person and on-site programs, expanded the scope of our national grant-making, and most importantly, recruited a terrific new CEO, Carol Quillen.

So it is now time for music.  The song “New Nirvana” grew out of a conversation I had with a particularly surly cab driver in Beijing a few years ago.  He complained bitterly about how tough it was to be a cabbie in Beijing with the horrific traffic and too many other drivers.  When we drove by the Yonghegong Temple in old Beijing and saw several monks hopping into the back seat of a Bently, he lost it.  So much for traditional spirituality and vows of simplicity.  The song explores the essence of this “New Nirvana” in modern China.  

Many thanks to Rachel Efron, who co-wrote the song with me and provided some terrific lyric twists and the perfect ethereal concept for the chorus.  And then she produced the song and brought in the best musicians and arrangers we could hope for:  Omree Gal-Oz on keys, Jason Slota on drums, James DePrato on guitar, Daniel Fabricant on bass, Rob Ewing on trombone, and Erik Jekabson on trumpet, flugelhorn and the brass arrangements.

Special thanks to the amazing sound engineers, Reto Peter (mixing) and Ken Lee (mastering) who brought a level of energy and clarity to the final mix that I did not think was possible.  And thanks to our recording engineers at 25th St. Recording in Oakland, CA, Gabriel Shepard and Jeff Kolhede.

It was a blast.  I hope you enjoy the song, with more to follow in the coming weeks.  Jay