Josh Nelson Project - Lift

I'm driving quickly on snowy highway at dusk, the music swirling to match the rising snow. A vocal crescendo, over a wailing guitar. Adonai tzuri! Yeah.

I've been waiting for this album a long time. Since high school, really. I've been waiting for someone to let it rip like this, with well crafted sung from the heart and Jewish sentiment in every lyric. I wanted this badly when I was a kid. Now that I have it, though I'm not sure what to make of it.

This is a review of the Josh Nelson Project's album Lift, so let me start by saying that somewhere in your life is a Jewish teenager who needs this album. This album will hold it's own against pretty much anything on pop radio right now. Nelson's a fine instrumentalist and singer with a sure sense of how different pop genre's work. His songs mix and match styles, with a gentle groove underscoring an anthemic vocal style. Unlike a lot of music coming out of the Contemporary Jewish Music community you can tell these songs did not start life as happy clappy sing-alongs, though I'll be there's a lot of singing at his concerts. I don't have any tracks to link to, but go listen to the sample tracks on his website or myspace page.

Right now I have the title song Lift cranked, loving the faux-middle eastern shimmy, the pounding drums, and the popcorn sounding riff that ends each main phrase. But I also have some misgivings. First off, for a rock album, I find it way too well mannered. Nelson has a great voice, but it's passionate in a well-scrubbed, well-satisfied, sort of way. Nelson's guitar is the same, he's got some good licks but they're polite, safe. Is that wrong? Of course not, it's perfect for it's material. But at the same time, it leaves me wanting. The lyrics as well.

from Lift
In this tired world, in this broken peace
I am not afraid, I am not afraid
In the darkest hour, I will find my way
On this narrow bridge

Lift me up and lift my eyes, far above these falling skies
Give me hope and give me love, and I will sing Your praises
Days of wonder, days of peace, times of blessing, love released
Give me hope, and give me love, and I will sing Your praises

These are good lyrics, earnest and heart-felt. But at the same time I find them shallow and bland. It reminds me of hearing a young, earnest, folk singer sing in college. Her closing song lauded the sound of peace. I remember talking to her after the concert and complaining that I still didn't know what peace sounded like. Her song made it clear that she was hearing it, but refused or didn't know how to share the sound with me, even though I wanted to hear it. Lift is inspired by Esa Einai, Psalm 121:1-2, but doesn't make it connect. Days of wonder, days of peace, times of blessing, love released is a great line. But I still don't know what love has been released, and even if I want to guess, the song doesn't help me feel that release. I want to feel it. I want it. But, once again, I didn't get it.

But this is all secondary to the main point. Nelson has raised the bar, showing the kind of album a musician serious about his Jewishness can make. And I'm sure my frustration is not shared by the fans that pack his concerts and will make this album fly of the shelves. Some of whom will probably take me to task for being a grump or a snob. (It's true, I'm both. The first riff of Yih’yu L'ratzon is about a note off of the main riff in the Dada song Dizz Knee Land, a not nearly so polite song.)

Oh, I almost forgot, the Josh Nelson Project will be appearing on the Craig Taubman PBS special lights! Celebrate Hanukkah Live in Concert, which should begin airing at the end of November and on the album of the concert, which I just got in the mail and will be reviewing soon..

Niggun's by email

Hi folks, sorry I've been scarce lately. Some work and home activities have kept me quiet. Hopefully I'll be back up to speed this week. To get things moving again, I want to let folks know about a niggunim mailing list that I joined recently. The list, managed by Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen of the Jerusalem-based Hazon study-program, is a periodic email containing a recorded niggun and some commentary. One of Yosef's recent emails begins like this...

"I am sharing with you a soulful nigun about our souls. This nigun was composed by Rav Yitzchak Hutner, a leading sage who headed the Chaim Berlin Yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York. He composed this nigun in honor of the wedding of his disciple, Rav Shlomo Freifeld. The nigun and the words of this song are on an old record produced by the Chaim Berlin Yeshiva, titled, “Torah Lives and Sings!”

The nigun is to the opening words of the ancient Hebrew prayer about the neshamah soul – that we chant each morning. The following is an English translation: “My God, the soul You placed within me is pure. You created it; You fashioned it; You breathed it into me. You safeguard it within me, and eventually You will take it from me and restore it to me in the future that is to come.”

It concludes with this niggun [click to download].



As I've discussed before, the singing of niggunim is an important part of and introduction to traditional, particularly Chassidic, Jewish spiritual life. I'm excited to have Yosef's in my inbox on a regular basis. If you're interested, you can get more information at the Hazon website including info on their other Torah learning materials and mailing list. You can also contact Yosef at: chazon8 @ 012.net.il

Chanukah Radio - Programming Lite Rock Radio

Ok, Chanukah is coming and will be here before we know it. Some of us, by necessity, are planning for it already. Radio stations, for example, are starting to put together their Chanukah playlists. And I don't just mean Jewish radio programs. I got a great email recently from one of the DJ's at Hartford Connecticut's WRCH 100.5 FM "Lite Relaxing Favorites." The DJ, Joan Dylan, is a great lady who does 100.5's weekday 9am to 2pm slot and was looking to spruce up her Chanukah music. Evidently, while Joan was well stocked in Christmas music, her Chanukah playlist was pretty thin, limited to "Kenny G, The Hanukkah song, and light the candles of freedom, and a few others that are quite nice but mainly instrumental." And it was bugging her fans, who wanted more and better. Could I help? Sure thing.

Ok. Those of you have followed Teruah must be chuckling right now. Yes, helping folks connect with great Jewish music is one of the main points of the blog. And yes, I used to be a fill-in DJ on my school's radio station and have deep love for all things radio. But, the part of me that's still a punk kid and an unrepentant music snob shudders and gasps. Did it have to be a lite rock radio station? Yes. It did. I listened to a few of Joan's shows to get her vibe and, while I find the whole thing a bit, well, lite, I have to say the lady has good taste.

So my challenge. Find her Chanukah songs that are fresh, contemporary, uptempo, that will fit in with her programming but still stand out to her Jewish fans (who, it seems, are a vocal lot). This was going to be interesting. Klezmer was probably out, as was anything to old or folky or liturgical sounding. This is adult radio, so no kids songs. I did some digging, which is always fun, and came up with an initial list.(click on links for album info including music samples)

Marc Cohn - Rock of Ages - Festival of Light Volume 1 - 2000
Barenaked Ladies - Hanukkah Blessings - Barenaked for the Holidays - 2004
Kenny Ellis - Sevivon Sov, Sov, Sov - Hanukkah Swings - 2005
Julie Silver - Chanukah, Oh Chanukah - It's Chanukah Time - 2006
Klezmatics - Hanuka's Flame - Woody Guthries Happy Joyous Hanukkah - 2006

The result, Julie Silver and the Barenaked Ladies were in, the rest were out. Joan personally loved the Marc Cohn track (as do I) but it was a bit heavy for her station format. With two wins in hand, I put together a second list.

RebbeSoul - Rock of Ages - Change the World With A Sound - 2002
Safam - Candles of the Menorah - The Chanukah Collection - 2000
Safam - Eight Little Candles - The Chanukah Collection - 2000
Lipa - Oy Chanukah - The Lipa Experience - 2007
Craig Taubman - Maoz Tzur - Celebrate Hanukkah - 2000
Debbie Friedman - Not By Might - Celebrate Hanukkah - 2000
Flory Jagoda - Ocho Kanelikas - Celebrate Hanukkah - 2000
Rabbi Joe Black - Judah Maccabee - Aleph Bet Boogie - 1990
The Leevees - Latke Clan - Hanukkah Rocks - JDub - 2006
Michelle Citrin - Light One Candle - Lights: Celebrate Hanukkah Live in Concert - 2008

The results...Safam's "Candles of the Menorah" and "Eight Little Candles" and Rabbi Joe Black's "Judah Macabee." That's a total five new Chanukah tracks on the air in Connecticut. According to Joan, "I know everyone is very happy. You have made allot of Jewish people very happy here as we have not been able to bring great fresh song selections to them each year when we go all Christmas. A big thanks to you!!!!" Great, Joan, I'm glad to help out. I'm going to be forwarding this list and some other, not as "lite" friendly tracks to XM Radio's Radio Hanukkah show.

I also have to say, I love this collection. While there are lots of wonderful Chanukah tracks that didn't meet Lite 100.5's format, there is not a dud in this collection. Grab them all and make the 2008 Teruah Lite Rock Hanukkah Album.

So what did I miss? What other Chanukah songs should your local radio stations be playing this year?

A happy-slappy time machine: Kol B'seder singing "A Tree of Life"

I can't resist passing this on. From Jeff Klepper's Blog:

"Here's a blast from the past. Kol B'seder from 1979. Somehow Dan and I were recruited to add our happy-slappy campy kid songs to a couple of episodes of one of the original New York City Jewish cable TV shows, Shalom Corner. ... While terribly dated, the shows are kinda cute, and here's a sample: Kol B'seder singing Richard Silverman's classic, 'It is a Tree of Life,' complete with the requisite puppets, kids, and Shalom Corner host, Carol Sterling. ... "

I remember singing this in Hebrew School when I was a kid and I think my daughter is singing it in hers.

Kol B'seder sings 'Tree of Life' (1979)

John Belushi & Romania, Romania

Ok, this bit is priceless if you're old enough to have watched Saturday Night Live in the 70's and early 80's. It's mostly about John Belushi teasing his fellow SNL actors, but wait for the punchline....

Don't Look Back in Anger

Watch more Saturday Night Live videos on AOL Video

You watched the video already, right? Ok. The song at the end is the classic Yiddish show tune, "Romania, Romania" which has been recorded by just about everyone. The song was written by Aaron Lebedeff and was first recorded in 1925. I'm not sure who's version is used in the video (any guesses anyone?), but you can hear Aaron Lebedeff sing it at Amazon.

Update: Richard Kamins, of the N'Shoma radio show in Connecticut, thinks the recording is Aaron Lebedeff's version with the Shalom Secunda Orchestra from the 1991 compilation titled "Shalom-Music of the Jewish People", released on Fanfare/Pro Arte Digital. Thanks Richard!

Hat tip to Susan for point me to this one. Thanks!

Alby Kass sings "Zhankoye"

Here's a lovely local concert that took place last week in Guerneville, California. Actor and vocalist Alby Kass sang some Yiddish songs supported by Sonoma County's Jubilee Klezmer Ensemble with Phil Lawrence on mandolin, Sonia Tubridy on accordion and piano, and Paul Alexander on clarinet. Wish I was there.

Alby Kass sings "Zhankoye"

Hat tip to Phil Lawrence for posting this video and two others from the concert; Ale Brider and If I Were a Rich Man.

Mimi Sloan reissued and still laying down the gauntlet

The horns blast, staccato and brassy, over a hammering tambourine rhythm. The signer lets loose a long wail, melodic and a bit unhinged. Is this a bimah or a bull fight? aaaaaAHHHHHH! aaaaaAHHHHH! Hebrew cantorial skat, her voice wriggling and bucking, changing tone and tempo on every mesure. Every bar raises the stakes; switch keys, drop an octave and growl, jump back up and let loose with a trill to shatter glass and hearts. SHALOM! Shalomashaloomashaloom! AAAAAHHHHHH! Instrumentals cut out and she cuts loose like everything else was just the warm up. My nervous system is shot. I’m sweating. I’ve never heard anything like it.

And if you haven’t heard Mimi Sloan sing Moyshe Oysher’s "Amar Amar", then you haven't either. Listen, and don’t forget to breath…

Mimi Sloan "Amar Amar"

Mimi Sloan was one of the Feder Sisters. Along with her sister Sylvia they were hardworking second stringers playing night clubs and Catskill resorts and singing on Yiddish Radio. Amazing voices but no big hits like the Barry Sisters had. There were a few recordings, including the albums “Yiddish Maestro” and “Some Like It Yiddish” and singles like “Gets Mir A Yingele.” Want a copy? You’ve got some hunting to do.

But they’ve made an impact. In particular, Mimi’s (mostly) solo album “Mimi Sloan Sings Moishe Oysher Classics : Yiddish & Cantorial” has been remembered. In it, Sloan gives a ferocious performance of Oyser material. Last week I wrote about the British group GhettoPlotz and their haywire DJ driven klezmer flavored dance mixes. Their track Chassidic Torpedo lays down a slick contemporary grove over the bouncing-ball-in-a-blender “chiriribim” of Mimi and Slyvia’s version of Oysher’s “Hassidic in America.” I love the GhettoPlotz deconstruction and reformulation, but it’s the absolute fearlessness of the Feders that steal the show.

Here’s the Feder’s "Hassidic In America".

Mimi and Sylvia Sloan "Hassidic in America"


Now go hear the GhettoPlotz remix - Chassidic Torpedo.

The great thing is that “Mimi Sloan Sings Moishe Oysher Classics : Yiddish & Cantorial” is available again. It is was reprinted by Hatikvah Records and can be ordered right now from CD Baby and will be available soon through the Hatikvah Records website. Don't let the dated horn arrangements fool you, this album is as fresh and as radical as anything released and should be on every Jewish music fan’s Hanukkah wish list.

Amie Street - Music downloads with a twist

On Friday my buddy Daniel tipped me off to an interesting music download service called Aime Street. Like other music download services, you show up, find and listen to a some cool tracks, and pick your favorite and download them. Crank your favorite .mp3 player up to 11 and declare success. Amie Street's twist is cost of the track. While Aime Street charges per track like most download services, the cost isn't fixed. It's pegged to market demand. When a track is first put up on Aime Street it's free. No cost. Nada. As word gets out about how fabulous it is, music fans start grabbing copies and the price starts to go up, up, up. 15 cents. 30 cents. A buck. Buck Fifty. You get the idea. So I'm doing my part. I downloaded a couple of cool free albums and now I'm tell you about them. Go grab a copy and let's drive the price up and help the band make some cash.

The first album is the official recording from the "White Night - Jazz, Avant Garde and Modern Music International Marathon" that was presented at the Enav Cultural Center in Tel Aviv in 2006. The festival and recording showcase a wide range of amazing Israeli and European jazz musicians. For a review of the concert, check out this All About Jazz column, to hear the album, check out the White Night Aime Street page.



My second album is Cantor Emil Skobeloff's "Jonah's Songs." According to his bio, Cantor Skobeloff is "Emil sings music that conveys a story about life's travails, and human passions. He says, "I want to touch the souls of the listeners, so they can share my passion and immerse themselves in this wonderful collection of nostalgic, Jewish masterpieces." Jonah's Songs is definitely passionate and nostalgic, with strong vocals and solid guitar work. Go listen and grab a copy of Jonah's Song.



My final download on Friday was the Alexandria Kleztet's "Delusions of Klezmer." I've had this album on my 'must get' list for a while now and was surprised and delighted to see it on Amie Street. This is a great disc and a must have for any good klezmer collection. Ari Davidow at KlezmerShack reviewed it when it came out a few years ago and said, "From the humor and skill of the opening "Frailach Medley," or Tarras' "Bulgar in B_b" through the rock-informed (but very klez-ish) "Duncan's Disturbance" or "Cry of the Wild Lucy" (complete with Armenian-American surf guitar riffs!) through reworkings of familiar synagogue and Israeli tunes ("Eli, Eli," "Dodi Li," "Y'did Nefesh") the band exudes excellent musicianship and a joy of klezmer that are exactly what one hopes for not only at a simcha, but when listening to the music in the comfort of one's home." So go give Delusions of Klezmer a listen and grab a copy.

So come on folks, do the bands a favor, go grab some great free music and drive the price up.

Tal Halevy's Haleluya

Shabbat shalom everyone,

Whew. It's been a busy fall. The festivals and Days of Awe are over. I survived Halloween. I don't get to catch my breath much though, since Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are right around the corner. Hanukkah in particular is stressing me out this year. I have a pile of great CD's on my desk that I've promised to write "timely" reviews on. I'm on it, folks, really. My goal is two written this weekend. We'll see if I can do it. I'm also working on lists of cool Hanukkah songs for a Lite Rock radio station and for XM radio. If you've got ideas, send 'em my way.

I'm so looking forward to Shabbat with my family tonight. I need a breather. In prep, here's my weekly pre-Shabbat "get in the groove" video (back frhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifom a couple week absence). This week is the track Haleluya from Tal Halevy. A bit thick and breathy, but today I'll take it. And, of course, I dig the sand animation video.

HALELUYA - TAL HALEVYS DEBUT ALBUM



Hat tip to the LifeOfRubin blog for the tip and to the Jewish Music Review for posting the video.

The "You Shall Know Us By The Trail Of Our Vinyl" Book & Bernie Knee's "Orthodox, Conservative, or Reformed"

I'm was delighted to find that the Hippo and Campus at Reboot Stereophonic hadn't given up on the "You shall know us by the trail of our vinyl" blog like I thought they had. They'd just moved to a happy shiny new home to promote their book "And You Shall Know Us by the Trail of Our Vinyl: The Jewish Past as Told by the Records We Have Loved and Lost". Now this is the kind of coffee table book that I can get behind. (Hint, my darling wife, hint!) The authors, also known as Roger Benett and Josh Kun, share my love for all the odd corners of Jewish music and are champion dumpster divers. Their blog and book showcase a lot of odd (and sometimes wonderful) moments in Jewish music and, though them, moments in Jewish cultural life. And their book will be out in two weeks, just in time for Hanukkah. I haven't seen it yet, but if it's as good as their blog I'm sure it will be fabulous.




As an example of their ouvere, here's singer Bernie Knee performing the Tobias Henry song "Orthodox, Conservative, or Reformed" from Knee's album "Jewish American Songs for THE JET SET." I love this song for not only name checking three of the major Jewish movements in America but for contextualizing the movements as impediments for wooing women. Knee was a singer and actor active in the late 1970's and 80's. This album was recorded by Tikva Records, a production house that put out a variety of Jewish and Israeli albums and then disappeared without a trace. So much so that there is an active group of collectors trying to track down any available information on Tikva. I hit GEMM and EBAY to see if any copies of JET SET were floating around, but no luck. Even eMusic and iTunes came up dry. If you act quick, though, EBAY can set you up with 45RPM singles of Knee performing Irving Fields "Let's Go Skiing" and "Melody of the Gypsies."

Bernie Knee- Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform