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September 10, 2004
Jewish music that'll rock you
New releases include first-timers and a songbook from a longtime
pro.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
The yeshivah bocherim are out of school but they're still singing
God's praises. The interesting thing is that they're doing it with
a modern twist and sometimes in front of screaming fans.
New York pop/rock band Blue Fringe – comprised of four 20-something
men who met at Yeshivah University – is finding popularity
with its sound that would be right at home on 99.3 The Fox. Meanwhile,
singer/guitarist Simcha Kanter, whose time in yeshivah inspired
the melodies on his new release, is combining the old with the new,
with his unique arrangements of age-old Chassidic songs. And for
those of you who aren't content to simply sit and listen, or just
sing along, to your favorite tunes, prolific recording artist Gerard
Edery has a new songbook out that includes some of his most popular
Sephardi music.
Four boys from NYC
Dov Rosenblatt (guitarist and songwriter), Avi Hoffman (guitarist
and composer), Danny Zwillenberg (drummer) and Hayyim Danzig (bassist)
are Blue Fringe, a reference to the blue strings woven into a tallit.
Their music has an edge and would just be called rock (along the
lines of Counting Crows or John Mayer) if the lyrics weren't in
Hebrew and the songs weren't about Jerusalem and people like the
13th-century Jewish scholar Nachmanides (the Ramban). But they are,
so "Jewish rock" better describes their music.
The group's first CD, My Awakening, comprises mainly Hebrew
songs, religious liturgy, versions of "Shma Koleinu,"
"Ani Maamin" and others. In English are "City of
Gold," about wanting to comfort Jerusalem: "I am lost
with you; I need to be with you. / How can I help ease your pain?
Just tell me what to do." "Flippin' Out," a satirical
take on a dramatic transformation to ultra-Orthodox Judaism, juxtaposes
nicely with "My Awakening," about finding God, or at least
a spiritual guide, "a little inspiration from within."
My Awakening is an enjoyable recording and has an appeal
that's broader than the yeshivah set, as evidenced by the many sold-out
performances the group has had in its relatively short history of
a few years. In addition to local (East Coast) gigs, this summer
Blue Fringe toured Australia, Europe and Africa. In January 2004,
they performed in Jerusalem's Great Synagogue "to a capacity
crowd of nearly 2,000 screaming fans," according to a release.
The concert was a fund-raiser for the One Family Fund, which provides
assistance to victims of terrorism in Israel.
Blue Fringe is planning to release its second CD this fall. For
more information about the band, visit www.BlueFringe.com.
Beyond New Jersey
Simcha Kanter's debut CD, Wellsprings, takes a few listens
to grow on you. The contemporary aspect of the Chassidic songs and
niggunim (tunes) is not readily apparent. But it is there
– Kanter, who sings and plays a wide range of instruments (acoustic
guitar, saxophone, keyboard, percussion and bass guitar) is accompanied
quite masterfully by Yehoshua Sussman on viola and David Epstein
on drums. Together, they infuse the recording with a modern sound.
Kanter says that he sees Wellsprings as a reflection of his
personal journey toward Judaism. After playing in various orchestras,
jazz bands and folk groups, he took a break from music in order
to study in a yeshivah, where he first learned the songs that he
has arranged for this CD.
A few tracks are particularly satisfying, including "K'Ayil
Ta'arog," or Psalms 42:2-3, the translation of which is given
as: "Just as a deer cries for brooks of water, / so my soul
cries out to You, G-d. / My soul thirsts for G-d, the living G-d.
/ How long will it be until I see the face of G-d?" The least
pleasing song on this CD is Kanter's version of "Ya'ale,"
which is purley instrumental and which almost sounds like a techno-pop
lullaby.
For more information and a complete list of retailers selling Wellsprings,
visit IgraRama Records at www.IgraRama.com.
Spanning continents
Gerard Edery has released 10 CDs, been featured in major concerts
and festivals around the world, written a musical and is currently
a cantorial soloist for the Village Temple in New York City. These
are but a few of the accomplishments of this popular musician, and
there are few people who haven't at least heard of him. For those
who have enjoyed his music, in particular the CDs The Sons of
Sepharad, Morena, Linda Amiga: Love Songs of the Sephardim
and Renaissance Spain and other of his Sephardi recordings,
The Gerard Edery Sephardic Song Book for Voice and Guitar
is worth owning.
Born in Casablanca of Judeo-Spanish heritage, Edery has included
in the songbook some of his personal favorites. "It is my hope
that these songs will inspire you to delve further into a unique
and deeply rewarding cultural legacy," writes Edery in the
book's introductory pages.
The Sephardic Song Book comes with a CD that has Edery performing
17 of the 40 songs in the book. It helps in that it provides the
"right way" to sing/play the songs, but it can be a bit
frustrating when the CD version is different from that in the songbook,
with different verses repeated, for example. For one piece, "La
Roza Enflorece," the beautiful Ladino (Judeo-Spanish)
verse is sung on the CD but is not included in the songbook, which
has only some of the Ladino words but is mainly in English.
While people may not be able to learn from this songbook the flourishes
that make Edery's performances so special, they will be able to
learn the basics. Then they can add their own special touches to
the music.
The Gerard Edery Sephardic Song Book is available from www.SefaradRecords.com.
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