Well-known local musical duo Inger Nova Jorgensen and Jeff Pevar have released a new album ahead of their month-long musical tour of Italy in May and June.

The two musicians are known for playing in a vast range of genres such as rock, jazz, blues, folk and more. 

“Hear Me Calling,” the new record, showcases the versatility of both Pevar and Jorgensen while also highlighting the artists’ musical compatibility. 

That compatibility extends beyond music as the two are husband and wife. 

“Inger is an incredible poet, and she brings in the lion’s share of lyrics and she’s inspired by whatever’s in the moment; oftentimes she brings the lyrics to me and we sit down and mess with ideas, because I’m a multi-instrumentalist,” Pevar said. “One of the great joys of my life is to write songs with her.”

“I can bring a song seed to Jeff and he can make it into a masterpiece,” Jorgensen noted. 

The album is a combination of nine songs the duo started on from when they first met to recent contributions. 

“Hear Me Calling” was released in April, and the two are offering the record for purchase through Musical Bead, an app offering a fresh way to support artists that bypasses streaming services.

“It is a really innovative interface that uses NFC (near-field communication) technology, like tap to pay, and it is essentially a card that we buy instead of a CD upload to the Musical Beads site, and then we have this amazing interface available to us,” Jorgensen explained. “It’s a way for artists to make money on gigs instead of giving their music away on streaming services.”

To learn more about the technology and purchase “Hear Me Calling,” visit pevar.com/shop/hear-me-calling-by-jeff-pevar-inger-nova-full-length-album-on-musical-bead.

Pevar plays many instruments and is a composer and a performer who has collaborated with sonic legends such as Crosby, Still & Nash, Ray Charles, Bette Midler and more. 

He was an inductee into the New York Blues Hall of Fame and has performed on stages across the globe. 

Jorgensen’s creativity extends beyond music. She is an accomplished sculptor, painter, poet and more, constantly expanding her creative process regardless of the medium.

Her art has been featured in galleries across the world, from Fruita, Colorado, to the Netherlands. 

That international reach will continue with “Hear Me Calling” as Pevar and Jorgensen are set to travel to Italy soon, performing 12 shows in three weeks across the Mediterranean country in the cities of Venice, Udine, Parma, Como, Gaeta, Rome, Florence, Treviso and Brescia. 

“Last time we went to Italy, it inspired a five-song EP four years ago, and as we were nearing this trip, Inger was mentioning how important it would be to bring some updated music,” Pevar said of sharing the tunes of “Hear Me Calling.” 

“The Italian people are voracious lovers of art, whether it’s music, architecture, sculpture, painting; the consciousness there is so deep, and I’ve been playing in Italy for decades,” Pevar added. 

The trip will also provide opportunities to visit friends that the couple haven’t seen in years.

“We go city to city and have already made so many friends in Italy; the third time back feels like such an exciting moment to reconnect with people,” Jorgensen said. 

After touring across Italy, Jorgensen and Pevar intend to have a release party and concert in the Rogue Valley, celebrating the new record. 

“We’re going to figure out a release party, whether it’s at Stone House or a venue locally — we’ll definitely be doing a release party sometime this summer,” Pevar said.

The Stone House is a private house venue in the Ashland area hosted by Jorgensen and Pevar with professional equipment, great acoustics and more.

All in all, “Hear Me Calling” is not only a testament to the duo’s virtuosity but a tangible piece of each of their artistic legacies meant to be shared with family and friends generations down the line.

“For us, it’s a legacy piece; we want to pass it on to Jeff’s nieces and son and now we have a grandson to share this music with,” Jorgensen said.

“It still feels like this fantasy to be able to contribute to something that will outlive my life, and it’s a piece of who I was when I was here and I get to share it with the woman I love,” Pevar said. 

To learn more about Pevar, visit pevar.com.

For more information on Jorgensen, go to ingernovajorgensen.com.

Reach reporter James Sloan at james.sloan@rv-times.com.