Nefesh Mountain & Duke Street Turnaround 

New York based Progressive Americana group Nefesh Mountain has been recognized as “a Powerhouse Unit” by Rolling Stone magazine, and hailed for their “introspective lyrics and world class musicianship” by American Songwriter. The band’s creators and dynamic husband and wife team, Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff, have created a musical world all their own, blurring the lines between Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, Jazz and Blues while foregrounding Jewish texts and spirituality in their songcraft. Last seen in Toronto at the 2022 Ashkenaz Festival, they are returning for Summer Jam ’26 with their stripped down “Storytellers” duo performance, in which they take listeners on an intimate and deeply personal journey with stories and inspirations from their own experience and tales from the road.

Duke Street Turnaround is a 5-piece original bluegrass group from Toronto, ON. They bring a youthful, energetic sound to their captivating mix of original and traditional material. With members hailing from different corners of Ontario, they blend local influences with the music of bluegrass and country legends to produce their own exciting brand of acoustic music, showcasing tight musicianship and harmonies. The group is perhaps best-known for reaching an audience of 100k+ people on a livestream with rapper Drake and streamer Adin Ross. 

For Summer Jam ‘26, the group will present a special program featuring the music of legendary hippie Bluegrass band “Old and In the Way,” whose eponymous 1975 LP was the best-selling album in the genre prior to the soundtrack of the film “O Brother Where Art Thou” in 2000. Featuring the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia on banjo, along with David Grisman, Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan and John Kahn, Old and In the Way’s distinctive approach bridged genres and audiences with an eclectic repertoire including traditional staples, original songs, and bluegrass reworkings of rock and pop hits by the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Platters.