The Return of the Detroit JCC Stephen Gottleib Music Fest

I can't tell you how excited I am about the upcoming Detroit JCC Stephen Gottlieb Music Fest. This has been my first full year working on the fest and it's been a big adventure. I've learned a lot about what it takes to put on a music fest and, while I don't claim to be any good at any of it, feel like I contributed to this year's fest. And it starts in two weeks! I'm going to have individual posts about some of the acts I find particularly interesting, but right now I'm going to with the full schedule.

Friday and Saturday, Mar 18/19 (Shabbat): Celebrate Musical Shabbat. A number of area synagogues will be filled with music in anticipation of the fest. Stop come sing with us at Congregation B'nai Moshe, Temple Beth El, Temple Beth Emeth, Temple Emanu-El, Temple Kol Ami, Temple Israel, Temple Shir Shalom, Adat Shalom Synagogue, or Congregation Shir Tikvah. I'll be at Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor

Wedneday, Mar 23: Marvin Hamlisch.

"Multi-award winning composer Marvin Hamlisch .. [is a] preeminent conductor and one of the greatest artists of our time, Hamlisch is one of only two people (along with composer Richard Rodgers) ever to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, a Tony and a Pulitzer Prize. The composer of Broadway’s “A Chorus Line,” “The Goodbye Girl” and “Sweet Smell of Success,” and for films including “The Way We Were,” “The Sting,” and “The Informant.” Hamlisch also served as musical director for Barbra Streisand’s 1994 U.S. tour."

Thursday, March 24: Jack Zaientz (that's me!)

I'll be giving my talk "The Silver Age of American Jewish Music Is Happening Now – And Why We’re Missing It!" Yep. Your humble Musical Schadchen will be on stage talking about the exciting state of Jewish music and playing a lot of great music. Come say hi!

Saturday, March 26: David Broza.

"Israeli superstar David Broza has been considered one of the most dynamic and vibrant performers in the singer/songwriter world. His charismatic and energetic performances have brought to worldwide audiences, a fusion of the three different countries in which he was raised: Israel, Spain, and England, filling concert halls with his famous guitar playing, ranging from flamenco flavored rhythmic and percussion techniques, to whirlwind finger picking, to a signature rock and roll sound. Broza unites the three worlds by utilizing his ability to take on the troubadour tradition, up to now, featuring lyrics of the worlds' greatest poets." Broza's website." I've seen Broza before and he is fantastic live.

Sunday March 27: Family Concert with Mark Bloom, in conjunction with the Barbara & Douglas Bloom Matzah Factory.

"Singer, composer, pianist, educator and arranger, Mark Bloom is among America’s leading music innovators, merging jazz and Judaism. He has performed and produced his “Jazz Shabbat” service at more than 70 congregations. Bloom's website.

Sunday March 27: Progressive Jewish Music Showcase featuring Y-Love & Diwon, Pitom, and Stereo Sinai.

"Y-Love (Yitz Jordan) is African-American, Orthodox Jewish and an extraordinary hip-hop artist whose music intertwines English, Arabic, Hebrew, Yiddish, Aramaic and Latin and combines ethereal scripture with gritty social consciousness. Y-Love’s first full-length album was “This is Babylon,” which came with a Parliament/Outkast-esque production vibe. Y-Love's website and MySpace page.

Based in the stereophonic heart of Brooklyn, world music maestro Diwon (aka Erez Safar) is one of the most innovative and versatile producers and DJs today whose style blends Yemenite music with electro hip-hop. Diwon's MySpace page

Dubbed “Biblegum pop,” Stereo Sinai’s (Miriam Brosseau & Alan Jay Sufrin) music has a signature sound of ancient, holy languages with blasphemous backbeats and synthesized pop melodies. The duo was declared a “Favorite Band of 2009” on About.com. StereoSinai website.

In Hebrew, Pitom means “suddenly.” An avant-jazz quartet from New York founded by Jewish guitarist Yoshie Fruchter, Pitom includes violinist Jeremy Brown, bassist Shanir Blumenkranz and drummer Kevin Zubek and was profiled in the recent Forward article "The Secret History of Jewish Metal". Pitom's website."

Monday, March 28 & Wednesday March 30: Elaine Serling.

Singer/songwriter Elaine Serling has been composing, performing, producing and teaching Jewish music for more than four decades. Her concerts have inspired and captivated adult and children audiences alike in cities across the United States, Canada, Israel, Australia and in her hometown of Detroit. Click here to visit Elaine's website

Tuesday, March 29: Film: "The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground"

"Get a backstage pass to The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground! America’s leading klezmer band was filmed over three years, resulting in a revealing movie that shows the highs and lows of band life. Grammy Award-winners, the Klezmatics have appeared on the PBS Great Performances series and NPR. “On Holy Ground!” tells the story of their celebrations, frustrations and pursuit of reaching an ever-widening audience. Watch the trailer here."

Thursday, March 31: Local Music Showcase featuring Heller, Steyer & Green, Maggid Steven Klaper – the Jewish Troubadour and David Nefesh

"Heller, Steyer & Green features the talents of Cantor Penny Heller Steyer of Temple Shir Shalom and her children Tiffany Steyer Green, cantorial soloist at Temple Kol Ami, and Matthew G. Steyer, visiting cantorial soloist at Temple Kol Ami and Temple Shir Shalom.

Maggid Steve Klaper is a Jewish troubadour – a spiritual storyteller, minstrel and teacher (maggid is the traditional title for a Jewish inspirational speaker) who infuses traditional Jewish teaching with ancient and contemporary melodies. Click here to visit the website.

A seven-time nominee (and one-time winner) in the Detroit Music Awards, David Nefesh has written more than 100 songs that blend folk-rock with pop, combining melodic sensibilities with intelligent lyrics and polished guitar playing. Visit David's website here or watch him on YouTube."

Saturday, April 2: "Jews Who Rock: Their Stories and Music" featuring Gary Graff

Musicians Billy Brandt (Grievous Angel, the Mission Band), Martin “Tino” Gross (the Howling Diablos) and Mark Pasman (WCSX’s “Motor City Blues Project”) join forces with award-winning Detroit music journalist Gary Graff of the Oakland Press, Billboard, WCSX and New York Times Syndicate for a night of music and commentary dedicated to Jewish artists in popular music, as well as their own original material.

Sunday, April 3: Chamber Orchestra Concert Conducted by Edward Benyas

Edward Benyasis an acclaimed conductor and oboe soloist with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Southern Illinois Music Festival. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony under Daniel Barenboim and Lyric Opera of Chicago under Zubin Mehta, toured with Andrea Bocelli, and has conducted such distinguished soloists as Emanuel Ax, Christine Brewer, Marvin Hamlisch and the Eroica Trio. Gaining some of his earliest orchestral experiences with the JCC Symphony Orchestra under the late Julius Chajes, Maestro Benyas returns to his native Michigan to direct the first classical chamber orchestra program in the Berman Center for the Performing Arts, featuring a Bach Brandenburg Concerto, music of Chajes and Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring. Visit the website here.

Sunday, April 3: Annual Michigan Board of Cantors Concert: A Tribute to A Night on the Town in Old Detroit

Join the Michigan Board of Cantors for a musical romp through old Detroit! Catch some jazz at Bakers, see a show at the Fisher, stop by the Roostertail for some Motown hits and much more. So grab your sweetie and get ready for a glorious trip down memory lane!