The Russian Jewish Experience: Soviet Jewish alienation with excellent production values

I've been chatting on twitter with Russian/Canadian Jewish blogger @vladislavab. She did a fascinating mini-documentary recently called "Soviet-Jewish Alienation within the "Bagel-and-Lox Culture" with an accompanying blog and now radio program & podcast. She's interested in how her experience, the Soviet Russian Jewish experience, differs from and enriches the dominant North American Ashkenazi Jewish culture. I'm looking forward to chatting more with her. We share (I think) very similar views about a mutually enriching trans-national, trans-denominational Jewish community.

What we've been chatting about is, of course, Jewish music. She was looking to add to the collection of interesting Russian Jewish musicians that she plays on her show. I tossed out a few of my favorites including Lampa Ladino, Lana Ross, Psoy Korolenko, and Turetsky's Choir. This got me obsessing about Russian Jewish music and needing to find more.

Enter Yakov Yavno. Actor. Singer. Russian Jewish Icon. My new music crush.

Like Turetsky's Choir, he mixes the over-the-top theatrics and earnest sincerity that I love about Russian productions. There is no ironic detachment here. This is the Russian Jewish experience to the max, baby. More is definitely more.

Here's his blurb...

Yakov Yavno, also known as YaYa, is one of the most preeminent performers to immigrate to the United States from the former Soviet Union.

He was raised and came of age surrounded by the intertwining of a variety of cultures and peoples that have shaped and developed whom he is as a human being and as a performing artist. Within this melding of cultures, he often faced a difficult daily reality, witnessing firsthand the struggle between the ancient and modern, opposing religious factions and cultures, and in particular, the unique journey of the Jewish people of Russia.

Following studies at the Gnesin's Academy of Music in Moscow, Yavno became the leading star of the Jewish Musical Chamber Theater of Moscow. In 1987 the Russian government awarded him the coveted title of “Artist of Special Merit”.
His captivating performances are filled with a sense of purpose; a vision, as is evident with numerous sold-out concerts throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. His festive staged showcase "The Road Home" incorporates an orchestra with choirs and contemporary dancers as well as cameos by well-known local guest-stars from the countries in which he performs. It was filmed as part of a documentary by the same name. Yavno’s solo show, “Revelations”, intersperses a musical program with tales of the artist’s journey from Russia to America; it features international combos integrating storytelling and philosophical discussions. His memorable solo performance, “Songs of Our Soul”, premiered at New York’s Kauffman Concert Hall in 2007.

The Yakov Yavno Promo Video

Unlike Turetsky's Choir, he's based out of New York City, which means I have a chance to see him perform live. I will make this happen. I will. I will.

Getting back to vladislavab's point about how Russian Jewish culture should be thought of as enriching Ashkenazi culture, and not being an inferior shadow of it. Who in the Ashkenazi community hits the stage with the energy of Yavno or Turetsky's Choir? Yeah we've got some great cantors concerts. And no shortage of klezmer bands. And my favorite Jewish pop bands. (Yes Matisyahu, I'll be seeing you on Sunday night). But they don't even get close. We Ashkenazim have got a lot to learn.

Sruly moves to Mostly Music & the Podcast follows

Sruly Meyer, Sameach Music graphic designer, co-host of the Sameach Podcast, and all around bon vivant has packed up his desk toys and moved over to Sameach's rival Mostly Music. He'd like everyone to know that the Podcast is going to continue, now sponsored by Mostly Music and the Jewish Music Report. Here's the details...

"Dov Katz and Sruly Meyer host an all new Jewish Music show! (which can always be accessed through jmrpodcast.com)

This podcast (a audio mp3 file which you download) can be heard a few different ways. You can right click here and save it to your computer.

http://jewishmusicreport.com/Podcasts/JMR-PodcastEp1.mp3

http://jewishmusicreport.com/?p=1332

You can listen in the play button below, or you can subscribe via iTunes and iTunes will automatically download the new show and put it in your iTunes podcast list.

On this debut episode the guys bring you brand new exclusive debut music from Shloime Taussig, Yoni Shlomo, Gershon Veroba’s Second Impressions, Shloime Dachs and Regesh Volume 11. They also play songs from recent hits such Yisroel Werdyger, Miami Boys Choir.

The JMR also debuts Hanging With the Sheichet, a short segment highlighting the recent audio interview of Shloime Taussig.

You can also hear a song from Sherwood Goffin’s album, released on Double CD for the first time. Get Mimkomcha and Neshoma on one CD for $9.99!

Dov and Sruly get used to the new format and discuss what’s ahead for the show. The JMR podcast is sponsored by MostlyMusic.com, where you can buy and download thousands of Jewish albums.

You can subscribe to our iTunes feed where you’ll automatically get any JMR audio and video, including out podcast delivered directly to your iTunes at home or work. Use this feed to download this video directly to your iPod, using iTunes."

Teruah Podcast Episode 2: The Story Show

It's been a whole month since I went live with the first Teruah Jewish Music podcast, Episode 1: The Hanukkah Show. The response has been amazing: over 750 downloads last time I checked and lots of great email. I'm glad that everyone's had fun with it.

Now it's time for Episode 2: The Story Show. In this episode I've rounded up a great array of Jewish story songs sung in English, everything from Yiddish novelty songs to brand new Indie Pop with stories ranging from the Torah to Chelm to New York. Check it out.

- Download - RSS Feed

Update: Sorry, I goofed. The iTunes subscription button wasn't working, but now it is.

Here's Episode 2's playlist. Please support the great musicians showcased on the podcast. Check out their websites. Go see them in concert. Buy a disc. Send them some email.

David Griffin's Hebrew School - "Irma Take Off Your Coat" Unreleased recording.

"Hebrew School is an innovative use of the genres of Indie rock and experimental music to mitigate, through recording and performance, the disaffection of Jewish life in a large urban center... This project is supported by a grant from the Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists, a partnership of Avoda Arts, JDub Records, and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, and made possible with major funding from UJA-Federation of New York."`

And yeah, one aspect of Griffin's indie-pop sensibilities is that he uses his vocals as much for mood and tone as for meaning...which is a really polite way of saying I really wish he'd bring the vocals up in the mix so that we could hear the lyrics better. But he's promised to share the lyrics with us and I'll update this page with a link to them as soon as I get 'em. Griffin's hard at work on a full album of Hebrew School songs and has started to play them live. His website has details on his shows and I'm sure he'll drop me a line when the album is ready.

Update: Griffin came through with the lyric sheet, you can find it on his lyrics page. I love the phrase "the radio plays kenny rogers it becomes part of the songs we sings, along with the song about the almond and the carob tree." My dad was a big Rogers fan. Get me and my brothers together for more than 10 minutes and you'll be treated (or subjected?) to us singing The Gambler and Lucielle.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel" from his first album "Dean Friedman"

Note: Friedman's website says that the "Dean Friedman" album isn't available but it ain't so. I had no problem downloading it from Emusic.com and it appears to be available for download from Amazon.

"In the summer of 1977, Dean Friedman marked his entry into pop consciousness with the enormous success of his infectious hit single Ariel, a quirkily irresistible and uncategorizable pop song about a free spirited, music loving, vegetarian Jewish girl in a peasant blouse who lived, as the lyric goes, "...way on the other side of the Hudson."



Shelly Hirsch - "544 Hemlock Street" from "O Little Town of East New York"

"Shelley Hirsch is a marvelous performer with remarkable vocal talents, charm and a wicked sense of humor. She is one of the best-known improvisers of the Downtown New York City scene, performing with virtually every major experimental artist in New York and Europe, but has thus far released only two albums of her own music (both released only in Europe).

An award-winning radio play and Hirsch's most ambitious work, O Little Town Of East New York is a semi-autobiographical musical suite about growing up in Brooklyn in the '50s and '60s - reenactments and reminiscences of childhood, family, rites of passage, the ethnic melting pot, Johnny Mathis... It's a hilarious, nostalgic, touching and stunningly original album merging avant and pop sensibilities."

You can pick up Hirsch's album through the Tzadik Radical Jewish Culture website or Amazon digital download.

Pharaoh's Daughter - "Daddy's Pockets" from the album Daddy's Pockets

"Blending a psychedelic sensibility and a pan-Mediterranean sensuality, Basya Schechter leads her band, Pharaoh's Daughter, through swirling Hasidic chants, Mizrachi and Sephardi folk-rock, and spiritual stylings filtered through percussion, flute, strings and electronica.Her sound has been cultivated by her Hasidic music background and a series of trips to the Middle East, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Central Africa, Turkey, Kurdistan and Greece."

You can pickup "Daddy's Pockets" from CD Baby or iTunes.

Avi Kunstler - Shalom Aleichem from the album Eyes on Jerusalem

Avi Kunstler is a musician, songwriter, and father of current Jewish music performer Aryeh Kunstler. His wonderful "Eyes on Jerusalem" isn't available through JewishJukebox, MostlyMusic, Hatikvah or any of the other usual suspects (Eichler's has Avi's most recent album, "In this place of mercy"), but Avi still has some copies that he'd be happy to sell to anyone interested. Email me and I can get you hooked up.

Dovid Kerner - The Ballad of Ruth and Naomi from the album Bond of Love

From the New Jersey News "Kerner, 49, became a ba’al teshuva about 25 years ago and told NJ Jewish News he used “my new lifestyle, new way of living, confronting the prayer book every day, just putting my experiences, thoughts, and feelings into music” as the impetus for his project. He teamed up with his brother, Steven, 53, at the latter’s recording studio in Manalapan to produce Bond.

Dovid Kerner said he enjoys creating “message music” to encourage people to think. Some of the most admired folk musicians have been his inspiration; the influence of Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and others are quite recognizable in his music. “Woody could sit down and write a song about anything and everything,” Kerner said. “The Book of Ruth has always spoken to me very strongly, and I patterned [‘The Ballad of Ruth and Naomi”] on Woody’s ballads.”

You can out more about Kerner at his website and pick up his Bond of Love at iTunes.

Golem! - Warsaw is Khelm from the album Fresh off Boat

"Contrary to popular belief, Golem is neither a towering Jewish Frankenstein who defended the Jews of 17th Century Prague, nor a creature from “Lord of the Rings.” Golem is a 6 piece Eastern European folk-punk band.

Fronted by Annette Ezekiel Kogan - singer, accordionist, and 5-foot powerhouse; and vocalist, tambourine player, crazy-man Aaron Diskin; violin virtuoso Alicia Jo Rabins; trombonist extraordinaire Curtis Hasselbring; elegant upright bassist Taylor Bergren-Chrisman, and unstoppable drummer Tim Monaghan, Golem’s sound evokes wisps of old-world elegance filtered through the successes and disappointments of new-world dreams. Spending nights in Lower East Side immigrant-owned bagel shops and summers in Eastern Europe, Annette collects Jewish, Gypsy, and Slavic folk songs, and, with Golem, rewrites, adds, edits, and rearranges them along the way. These are the songs to which Eastern European grandparents danced over a century ago, and now Golem has its unwrinkled fans moshing to the same pulsing beats."

You can get Golem's Fresh Off Boat and other albums and goodies from their website.

Teruah Podcast Episode 1: The Hanukkah Show

Hi folks,

I finally went and did it. I started a podcast. I'm looking at it as a companion piece to this blog and, like the blog it will be mostly me talking about and playing some of the great music I find. You can download it here:

Teruah Podcast Episode 1: The Hanukkah Show

If you want to subscribe here's the URL for the podcast feed:

http://teruah.libsyn.com/rss

If you're hip to podcasts that's all you need to know. If not, here's a bit of explanation. A podcast is just audio program like a radio show. In my case it's the 'excitable DJ spinning discs at 1AM on community radio style' of radio show. Technically, a podcast is just an .MP3 audio file that you download to your computer and then, if desired, to a .MP3 player. You can do it just like that, one show at a time. Or you can use 'podcatcher' software like iTunes to automatically download each new show when it comes out. If you use iTunes, just hit "subscribe to new podcast" and then cut and paste the feed URL above into text box. That's it. If you need help, let me know.

Episode 1: The Hanukkah Show features a few off-beat picks for favorite new Hanukkah music. These are songs I listened to when looking for some Hanukkah music for the lite rock radio station I was helping. These songs didn't fit their format, but are great none-the-less.

Intro theme: Selection from Kletka Red's "Jew in Jerusalem" from the Radical Jewish Culture album "Hijacking"

Podcast tracks:
1. RebbeSoul's "Rock of Ages" from his album "Change the World with a Sound" available through CD Baby or the RebbeSoul website.

2. The Lori Cahan-Simon Ensemble's "Drey zikh, dreydele – Spin, Little Dreydl" from their album "Chanukah is Freylekh! A Yiddish Chanukah Celebration. Songs My Bubbe Should Have Taught Me: Volume Two" available through CD Baby.

3. Lipa Schmeltzer's "Oy Chanukah" from his DVD "The Lipa Experience" available from Sameach Records & JewishJukebox.com Also, check out Lipa's "Oy Chanukah" video on YouTube. This guy is one of a kind.

4. Erran Baron Cohen's "My Hanukkah (Keep the Fire Alive) Featuring Y-Love and Dana Kerstein from the album "Songs in the Key of Hanukkah" available on New Line Records. The album's available through Amazon and iTunes. If you dig this track you need to check out Y-Love's solo album "This Is Babylon." (You can also catch an NPR interview ith Y-Love)

5. Cantor Richard Kaplan's Breslov Hanukkah nigun "Uminotar Kankanim" from the Estelle Frankel and Richard Kaplan album "The Kabbalah of Chanukkah." You can find this album and more on his website. If you enjoyed the nigun, you might also check out NeoHasid.Org which has a large and off-beat collection of niggunim or the "Breslov on the Internet" website.

6. Last but not least, The Leevees "Latke Clan" from their album "Hanukkah Rocks" available through JDub Records.

It's been great fun putting this podcast together. I plan on doing this once a month or so, so stay tuned!

Six Points Fellowship Recordings (Sway Machinery, Clare Burson, David Griffin, Divhan)

I found another cool Jewish music source this week. The site is called Imeem and claims to be a "social network where millions of fans and artists discover new music, videos, and photos, and share their tastes with friends." One nice feature of Imeem is playlists, user defined song collections. I haven't played around with creating any yet, but I spent a week in the office listing to a variety of different Jewish music themed playlists including this great one featuring musicians from the Six Points Fellowship.

About a year ago I mentioned the Six Points Fellowship when writing about Jeremiah Lockwood's Sway Machinery and David Griffin's Hebrew School, two good musicians and good guys who have gotten some grant funding through the Six Points fellowship. A year later, I'm still waiting patiently. As far as I'm aware, none of the Six Pointers have released the albums that they've been working on. Ah well. I'll tide myself over listening to these tracks. They're the same ones features on the Six Points website, but it's a lot more fun to kick off the playlist and dig back into the telemetry control system design tool I've been working on. (Yes, I consider that fun.) I get a bit of whiplash going from Burson's throaty barstool Americana to Griffan's understated tickity Casio keyboard pop to Lockwood's deep mystical funk to Divahn's whirling, growling, Mizrachi chanting, but it's a good whiplash. It'll have to do until the albums come out.



Hat Tip to Imeem user Lila Dobs for compiling the playlist.

Clarinet Secrets - book and podcast, includes Klezmer

whew, it's been a long weekend. Sorry for the lack of posts. My wife and I took the wigglers to visit a cousin out of state and I made and kept one of my infrequent "no-laptop-on-vacation" promises. But I'm back and my fingers are itching for some blogging, so....

Most of my posts and resources links are directed more at music fans than at musicians. The book and podcast Clarinet Secrets, though, has a delightfully 'wanna-be' feeling that makes it worth sharing. (You know what I mean, "You can play clarinet", "You can make your own bite valve hydration system", "You can make parsley soda"*) While Clarinet Secrets podcast has lots of serious content, it also has episodes titled "Learn how to install your own neck-strap ring for under 1 dollar," Imitating Nature," and "The Chin Exercise." I played clarinet a bit when I was a kid. No one ever taught me "The Chin Exercise." I feel cheated.

The Clarinet Secrets podcast is hosted by "clarinet pedagogue Michele Gingras from Miami University (OH)" to accompany / promote her book recently published by Scarecrow Press. My giggles over chin exercises not withstanding, Gingras' book is subtitled "52 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Clarinetists" and is pretty serious. This isn't another Mel Bay Clarinet Primer.

The podcast and book have sections on Klezmer, including presentation repertoire, techniques, and ornamentation. I'm looking forward to listening to them.

* For lots more delightful "You can do its", visit www.instructables.com If you think I've got too much time on my hands, I ain't got nothing on the folks who write for Instructables. They actually build that stuff.

Chanukah - More Ocho Kandelikas

Chanukah's over, but I just can't let it go yet....

Right after I posted about the Sephardic song Ocho Kandelikas, my favorite Connecticut Jewish jazz combo, the Afro-Semitic Experience posted their version. I couldn't pass it up, so here you go...

The Afro-Semitic Experience live


In addition, the most recent Nextbook podcast did a feature on Ocho Kandelikas. I haven't had a chance to listen to it, but you can catch it here. Nope. You can listen to the podcast here.

Babi Yar Remembered

No monument stands over Babi Yar.
A steep cliff only, like the rudest headstone.
I am afraid.
Today, I am as old
As the entire Jewish race itself.

So begins the poem Babi Yar, by Yevgeni Yevtushenko, which tells the story of a massacre of Jews in Kiev by the Nazi's but is also the story of Russian pogroms and of callous hate. (You can read the whole text at Remember.org.) Part of my family was from the Kiev area. I didn't know this poem, but am glad I do now.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage commemorated the 65th anniversary of the massacre last September with a concert titled "Babi Yar Remembered: Yevtushenko and Shostakovich in Word and Song." The concert begins with Yevtushenko masterfully reciting the poem. It continues with a performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13, which was inspired by the poem. It's a stunning performance.

I know because I'm listening to it now (for the third time). The Museum has graciously put the reading and performance up for download on their website. Listen to it. Tonight is Erev Peseach and I've been thinking a lot about freedom and slavery. Babi Yar (the massacre and the poem) are reminders of what we long to be free from

The Joy of Oypod

Where can you find updates on Jewish music, Israeli slang, an in depth study of bumper stickers, and an answer to the burning question "How Britney Spears Ties in with this week's parsha?" Only on Oypod, the Jewish Teen Podcast.
Oypod has been active since mid 2005 and puts out a new 'cast every couple of months. Fortunately, all 17 podcasts are available from the Oypod website and rss feed. I'd hate for anyone to miss a minute. The host, Danny(?), is a teenager in California and is the kind of kid I would have liked to hang out with when I was I high school. He's smart, funny, and very at ease with being Jewish in a way I wasn't at his age. That makes the each 'cast friendly and accessible. Good stuff.

Speaking of Faith: Children of Abraham

I was listening to the February 8 installment of Speaking of Faith "Children of Abraham" on the drive into work this morning. SoF is a weekly public radio show that I listen to via podcast. Here's the blurb:

The sacred story of Abraham traverses the geography of the most bitter political conflict in the modern world — beginning in what is now southern Iraq and ending in the West Bank city of Hebron. Yet Abraham is the common patriarch of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. We explore the story of Abraham in several traditions and why he might be important for people in our time. The hour also includes readings from the Bible and the Qur'an as well as music from the likes of Bob Dylan and Benjamin Britten on the figure of Abraham.

I really enjoy the SoF though I get annoyed by the "I'm more clever than religion" attitude of some of the guests. This week's guest Bruce Feller, author of "Abraham: A Journery to the Heart of Three Faiths" wasn't too bad in that regard.

Anyway, I was struck by the sound track. The SoF music producer had pulled together a number of interesting pieces that referred to Abraham and Issac. While the pieces came from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions, the tracks that interested me (surprise) were from the Jewish composers Steve Reich and Bob Dylan. While neither of them normally produce what I would consider "Jewish" music, they're both obviously heavy hitters in their own musical areas and the tracks are wonderful. You can see their contribution and those of the other musicians on the SoF Books and Music page.

You can listen online to the Children of Abraham soundtrack on the "SoF Playlist"

New Jewish Podcast produced by Ari Goldwag

This is great. Two new Jewish music podcasts launching within the last month. I already blogged about Keith Wolzinger's new Klezmer Podcast. I listened two his first two 'casts on Thursday and they're a blast. Keith is obviously people who knows people. He's got great interviews with Lorin Sklamberg of the Klezmatics, David Krakauer, and Socalled.

The second podcast couldn't be more different. The host of the 'Jewish Music Podcast' is Ari Goldwag. I had never heard of Goldwag prior to his podcast, but I think I'm going to become a fan. He's part of the 'shiny shoe' orthodox/chassidic pop scene and presents about a half hour of music and interviews per podcast. He also includes one of his own songs. It turns out that Ari is an accomplished musician. According to his bio, he was "accepted into the Miami Boys Choir, and went on to become star-soloist, appearing on five albums of the choir and three of their videos" Since leaving the Miami Boys Choir he has since released at least three solo albums.

I was taken by how much I enjoyed the 'casts. Goldwag has great taste. And for me to say that says something, since I typically don't enjoy shiny shoe recordings. His second podcast was paricularly good. I had heard of the Diaspora Yeshiva Band before, but this was my first time hearing one of their tracks. I was blown away. None of the slick production. Just hands on instruments with a strong sense of what they wanted to accomplish. And then Goldwag's track "Bemay Matisyahu" from his album "Pure Soul - Flippin In." It's over produced, slick, and dated (check the 80's guitar licks). But it worked. I've relistened to the track about 10 times and will have to buy the album. Maybe it reminds me of the early heavy metal band Blue Oyster Cult? Nah.... But it's really good.

It actually isn't easy to find the podcast. Goldwag hasn't set up a homepage for it yet, but you can search for it in iTunes. I'll grab the URL from iTunes when I'm back in the office on Monday and will post it here and to my podcast lists.

Here the RSS feed for Goldwag's podcast: http://www.puresoulband.com/podcast/AGJMpodcast.rss

New Klezmer Podcast and Klezmer Cruise

Keith Wolzinger has launched "Klezmer Podcast". According to Keith, the goal of the podcast is "to bring you news, interviews with guest artists, and music from the Klezmer and Jewish Music scene". The first episode has been posted and features interviews with David Krakauer and DJ Socalled. KP is available for subscription through the iTunes music store or RSS feed. Keith doesn't indicate how often he plans on posting new podcasts. Congrats Keith and best wishes.

Also hosted on KlezmerPodcast.com is a website for a "Klezmer Cruise." The cruise will take place from April 29 to May 11, 2007 and is intended to be "an immersion in Yiddishkeit history and heritage." The cruise will sail from Kiev to Zaporozhye, Yalta and Odessa aboard the chartered MS Dnieper Princess. It will include the participation of notable Klezmer musicians including Michael Alpert, Josh (“Socalled”) Dolgin, David Krakauer, and scholars including Eugene Orenstein, Acting Chair of the Department of Jewish Studies at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.

This is the best idea I've heard all year and I wish my family could go. Maybe someday.

Something Jewish Podcast

They're back! After a 7 month hiatus Leslie and Caroline have started producing their weekly Jewish Music radio show Something Jewish again. SJ is actually a radio show on Resonance101.4fm in central London, but they thoughtfully also put it out via a podcast feed.

Here's this week's playlist:

Gershon Kingsley, Jewish Experience (Remixed by Mexican Institute of Sound) from the album God Is A Moog.

Under the Matzos Tree by Ada Jones remixed by Mocean Worker’s from the album album Jewface.

Shiru L’Adonai by Dan Nicholls and E18hteen from the album My Heart Is In The East.

Saudade by Elisete from the album Elisete – Remixes.

Bublichki by Golem from the album Fresh Off Boat.

My Garden by Y-Love

Shushan by Balkan Beat Box from the album Balkan Beat Box.

Mike the 2600 King – Dreidel Day

(And Caroline, if you happen to read this, I'm "Jack from Ann Arbor." Glad you're back on the air.)