High Moon’s latest release, ‘The Nest,’ is a long-overdue excavation of one of San Francisco’s most elusive voices, Jeannie Piersol.
A singer who drifted through the city’s psychedelic heyday like a half-remembered dream, Piersol ran in the same circles as Grace and Darby Slick, duetting with Grace in an early version of The Great Society before stepping out with her own band, The Yellow Brick Road. But it was a fateful trip to Chicago with Darby that sealed her place in underground rock history.
Signed to Chess Records’ hip subsidiary, Cadet Concept, Piersol cut a string of records that blended San Francisco’s free-flowing acid rock with the deep-pocketed groove of Chicago’s finest session players. The results were fuzzed-out, Indian-tinged, and dripping with soul, the kind of magic that should have made her a star. Instead, her two singles vanished into the ether, only to be rediscovered by those who dig beyond the obvious.
Now ‘The Nest’ finally gives Piersol’s recordings the spotlight they deserve, pairing them with unreleased tracks and live cuts that embody the spirit of the 60s. For the full story, check out our interview with Jeannie and producer Alec Palao.