Posts Tagged ‘Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal’

VARIOUS ARTISTS – ” Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal “

Posted: July 22, 2021 in MUSIC
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The Music of the Neal Casal will be honoured with a 41-song tribute album box set, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal, featuring J Mascis, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Steve Earle, Cass McCombs, Fruit Bats, Hiss Golden Messenger, Vetiver, Warren Haynes, Jonathan Wilson w/ Hannah Cohen, Jonathan Rice, Eric Krasno, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, The Allman Betts Band, Puss N Boots (ft. Norah Jones), Neal’s own band Circles Around The Sun, and many more.

The album comes out November 12th, and all proceeds will benefit the Neal Casal Music Foundation, a “501c3 non-profit formed in 2020, which provides musical instruments and lessons to students in New Jersey and New York state schools where Casal was born and raised, while also donating proceeds to mental health organizations that support musicians, including MusiCares and More info on the box set, via press release:

‘Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal’ is a tribute to the life and music of the gifted singer, songwriter, musician, and friend to many.

Featuring 41 of Neal’s songs on 5 LPs or 3 CDs, the collection brings together a galaxy of rock and roots music luminaries to reimagine the body of work he left behind, while celebrating his enduring impact as an artist. Within the limited edition vinyl and CD box sets are sleeves with rare and previously unpublished photos of Neal, a booklet presenting song lyrics, Neal’s own iconic photography and an essay by early career champion Jim Cardillo. Additional collectibles include a poster and baseball card with photos of Neal by photographer Jay Blakesberg and stickers designed by poster artists Alan Forbes and Marq Spusta.

The music was co-produced by Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools and 7-time Grammy-Winner Jim Scott. Song previews: Bob Weir / Jay Lane / Dave Schools, “Time And Trouble” Jimmy Herring with Circles Around The Sun, “Bird With No Name” Leslie Mendelson, “Feel No Pain” Shooter Jennings, “Maybe California” Billy Strings with Circles Around The Sun, “All The Luck In The World” Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, “Day In The Sun” Beachwood Sparks & GospelbeacH, “You Don’t See Me Crying”

Beachwood Sparks & GospelbeacH – “You Don’t See Me Crying” from ‘Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal’

In addition to 41 performances of Neal Casal songs by 130 participating musicians, the box set includes LP sleeves with rare and previously unpublished photos of Casal, a 48-page booklet presenting song lyrics, Casal’s own iconic work as a photographer and an essay by early career champion Jim Cardillo.

Additional collectibles include a poster and baseball card with photos of Casal by photographer Jay Blakesberg and stickers designed by poster artists Alan Forbes and Marq Spusta. The Neal Casal Music Foundation and record label Royal Potato Family who partnered to release the collection will also be working with ClimeCo to voluntarily mitigate the carbon emissions from the manufacturing and shipping of the box sets.

CIRCLES AROUND The SUN – ” All The Luck In The World ” Feat Billy Strings,

Posted: June 23, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Circles Around The Sun and Billy Strings teamed up for a cover of “All The Luck In The World” by Neal Casal. The collaboration is the first single off of the forthcoming “Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal” compilation album in tribute to the late guitarist who died last year.

Highway Butterfly will feature contributions from Phil Lesh, Warren Haynes, Steve Earle, Shooter Jennings, Jimmy Herring, Eric Krasno, and many more, with proceeds from the project to benefit the newly-launched Neal Casal Music Foundation. This non-profit organization gives instruments and music lessons to children in New Jersey and New York, as well as provides mental health services through organizations like Backline and MusiCares in memory of the musician who committed suicide on August 26th, 2019.

Taken from the forthcoming 2021 release, Highway Butterfly: The Songs Of Neal Casal. This double CD/triple album vinyl is being co-produced by Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools and 7-time Grammy-Winner Jim Scott and features almost 30 artists covering Neal’s songs.

“All The Luck In The World” comes from Casal’s 1996 album Rain Speed & Wind, his second of 12 solo records. Though he became more well-known for his instrumental guitar work, “All The Luck In The World” showcases Casal’s thoughtful lyricism and is done justice by Strings’s singing. The performance is given added reverence as Strings begins the video by discussing how he came to know Casal and his music through CATS’ Interludes for the Dead album, which played over the PA’s at the Grateful Dead‘s Fare Thee Well concerts in 2015. The song is set to an in-studio performance video featuring various Casal memorabilia, as well as Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools, who produced the album. Casal and Schools worked side by side alongside Todd Snider and others in the band Hard Working Americans.

In addition to Highway Butterfly, there will also be a book of Casal’s photography released under as Tomorrow’s Sky: Photographs by Neal Casal in November. Produced by Jay Blakesberg, Tomorrow’s Sky features a selection of the more than 25,000 photographs Casal left behind in a curated collection. The photos chronicle Casal’s time playing with Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Hard Working Americans, Circles Around The Sun, his own successful solo career, and many more musical endeavors. Strings counts photos that Casal took of him performing onstage among his prized possessions.

“‘Tomorrow’s Sky’ is a look at the world seen through the eyes of Neal Casal,” Blakesberg said. “Neal was a stealth photographer who always carried his camera and documented the people, places and scenes as they passed before him. The photos are intimate, beautiful and from the hip. Nothing is set up, it is real life in real time.”

Visit the Neal Casal Music Foundation’s website for more information on the forthcoming projects, or to make a donation.

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