Zach Mayer- Modeh Ani

Zach Mayer- Modeh Ani

Music to nourish the soul

The delicate Layehudim is an example of Mayer's spiritual approach to this music. This starts off a cappella then gradually grows to a diffused blend of instruments in what I would call a New Age style, very soothing and reflective in an ethereal aesthetic.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        L'kha Dodi gives a new melody to the well-known liturgical passage. Along with Piano and Choir, this is an easy to follow song that is sure to catch on quickly with everyone who hears it.

                                                                     

There are three Nigunim or wordless songs as well, Nigun Hitbodedut, Meyshke's Nigun, and Floating Pollen, each with a distinctive style and emotional tone. These melodies are also easy to learn, and would enrich any setting where they could be included.

Two versions of Modeh Ani offer a contrast in styles with the upbeat dance version and the ballad version offering something for everyone to enjoy.

The introspective Kumi Lakh is my favorite track from the album, and features muted Trumpet accompaniment and an un-muted solo. 

The traditional Adon Olam gets a fresh new treatment here as well, with voice and Piano in a delicate arrangement as both start softly and build to a rousing conclusion.

Mayer is accompanied by an all-star lineup of long-established musicians and vocalists who really bring this music to life. While we eagerly anticipate the next project he releases, let's all continue to enjoy Modeh Ani and all the joy it has to offer.

Keith Wolzinger
Klezmer Podcast

Credits:

released April 6, 2019

Zach Mayer - lead vocals, backing vocals and saxophones
Michael Alpert - vocals
Frank London - trumpet
Deborah Strauss - vocals and violin
Lautaro Feldman - eight-string guitar and vocals
Richie Barshay - percussion
Utsav Lal - piano and synthesizer
Mat Muntz - bass
Matias Scheines - violin

The Rimon Choir:
Eliana Willis
Yoel Bibas
Shalev Netanel
Oran Franco
Matan Franco
Solina Rulfs
Cody Robertson

Produced by Lautaro Feldman

Recorded and mixed by Todd Carder at Bunker Studios, Brooklyn NYC
Mastered by John Baker at Philly Post
Artwork and design by Jill Fogel

All music composed by Zach Mayer
(c) 2019 Zach Mayer Music

https://zachmayermusic.bandcamp.com/album/modeh-ani
https://www.zachmayermusic.com/

Klezmer Podcast 133- Ori Kaplan of Balkan Beat Box

Balkan Beat Box In Hollywood

Klezmer Podcast 133- Ori Kaplan of Balkan Beat Box. Balkan Beat Box was back in Los Angeles and put on a wonderful show. Ori Kaplan was kind enough to spend a few minutes with me before the show to talk about the latest happenings with the group and their latest release, Shout It Out. The band continues to surprise with each new album, and the trend continues with this album. We also hear the track Kum Kum. I apologize for some audio difficulties during the interview.

Run time: 16:45

Audio Player

Klezmer Podcast 132- Amos Hoffman and Yale Strom

 The Desert Caravan Concert featuring Amos Hoffman and Noam Lemish

This episode features and interview with Amos Hoffman and Yale Strom, just prior to the Desert Caravan concert at San Diego State University on April 12, 2017. A Guitar and Oud player, Hoffman has teamed with Pianist Noam Lemish for a new project of jazz-influenced Middle Eastern songs. Joined on this concert by Yale Strom and his band Hot Pstromi, a fusion of this music with Klezmer and Yiddish repertoire resulted in a new direction for Jewish music, something Strom has been on the forefront of for many years. We also get to hear one of the songs from the concert that was recorded live.
Run time: 17:09

Klezmer Podcast 131- Mike Anklewicz of KlezFactor

New Album Europa From KlezFactor

Mike Anklewicz is a well-known Toronto area musician and composer, and leader of KlezFactor. His latest album Europa is a collection of original Jazz-infused compositions recorded by band members in both Canada and Germany. Check out the track Naftule Strikes Bach and prepare to be taken on a wonderful journey into his ever-evolving world of Jewish music.

Run time: 30:23

Klezmer Podcast 130- David Krakauer and Fred Wesley of Abraham, Inc.

Funk meets Hip Hop meets Klezmer

David and Keith

David and Fred in concert

L to R: Socalled, David Krakauer, Eric Stein, Fred Wesley

Clarinetist David Krakauer and DJ Socalled have been great musical collaborators for many years. But the move to add Trombonist Fred Wesley sent them on a new trajectory to a new sonic landscape. Abraham Inc. blends Klezmer, hip-hop, and Funk in a way that creates a new genre that sets a new standard for Jewish music. Here, I sit down with Krakauer and Wesley to find out what motivated them to join forces and create this new sound. Like the track Push, a perfect example of this sound, blending Funk and hip-hop with a nigun. And we also hear Moskovitz Remix, showing how well they can take on a Klezmer tune.                                                                                                                       Run time: 34:50.

Nicole Borger no show Raizes/Roots, domingo 29 de maio de 2016 as 12:00h no Teatro Arthur Rubinstein, Clube A Hebraica

Klezmer Podcast 129- Paul Green

Klezmer Meets Jazz

This episode features an interview with Clarinetist Paul Green, who has released a new album of Jazz/Klezmer, Music Coming Together. Green does a great job of blending the two genres, particularly on the Klezmer tunes Der Gasn Nigun and Papirosen. But he also is comfortable going the other way, too, as seen in So, Nu? his Klezmer take on the Miles Davis tune So What? After the interview, we listen to the track Tarras Doina and Blues.  

Run time: 35:07.

Klezmer Podcast Spotify Playlist May 2016

The Tsimbalist- Sasha Margolis

At once a thrilling whodunnit, a maddening romance, and an invigorating plunge into history, TheTsimbalist is a tale of Jews and Russians, depicting their complicated friendships, their dangerous enmities, and their illicit loves, all seen through the eyes of Avrom, a barber, musician, all-aroundmensch, and born detective.

The year is 1871. The inhabitants of Balativke live in delicate balance – until a young Russian aristocrat is found murdered near the home of Koppel, a poor Jew. With the police unable to unravel the mystery of the aristocrat’s murder, and blame falling upon Koppel amid a rising tide of anti-Jewish feeling, a desperate Avrom attempts to prevent disaster for his community by searching out the truth himself. 

Learning as much about the people he lives among as he does about the slain Arkady Olegovich Efimovski, Avrom finds that few are who they seem. But could one of his neighbors really be a murderer?

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Klezmer Podcast 128- Lenka Lichtenberg

Yiddish Music From Genghis Cohen

Lenka Lichtenberg is a vocalist based in Toronto, Canada and is always finding new ways to create Jewish music. Her latest album, Yiddish Journey, takes us on another musical adventure. Lenka has a unique style that blends traditional elements with cross- cultural influences, such as using Oud and Tabla instruments. I recorded this episode at her performance in Los Angeles at Genghis Cohen, and we hear the track Hey, Tsigelekh from her live set. This track is also on the album.

Run time: 29:40

What's the Matter with the Klezmer?: The Peter Sokolow Story

Thanks to Yiddish Book Center for this great mini-doc about our friend Pete Sokolow.
We spent 12 years at KlezKanada learning to play Pete's Klezmer music. He remains a great inspiration and role model for me and all of us in the Klezmer community.

Review: Cerberus- The Book Of Angels Volume 26 -- The Spike Orchestra

Arrangers Sam Eastmond and Nikki Franklin are back with the latest release from The Spike Orchestra, this time on the legendary Tzadik label. The music here is all from John Zorn’s Masada Book Two, Book of Angels Volume 26. Once again, the band brings it’s genre-bending skills to bear on these wonderful tracks. From full-on swing to distinctively middle-eastern rhythms, they cover a wide gamut of styles. Full brass arrangements, with fiery Sax solos, and inventive orchestrations bring the listener into the Spike world with no place to hide. Once you start this album there is no stopping until the end. 

Think of Stan Kenton, Chick Corea, and John Zorn as you listen to Cerberus. Driving Bass and Drums keep the pace flowing, behind flying Sax and Horn solos, and then changing to delicate and sparse woodwind and brass passages, keeping the sonic landscape changing. Check out the lead rhythmic figure from the Bari Sax on Armasa. This track has all of my favorite Spike elements.

Then check out the multi- Sax soli on Thronus. Driven in the middle of this heavily rhythmic track, the Saxes take over.

Bass Clarinet handles the introduction on Shinial before the band takes over with a Klezmer-influenced passage that leads to a jazzy Keyboard solo. That’s the fun of this album- the style changes within each track to bring a string of surprises everywhere you look.

Trombone takes center stage on Donel with the band roaring in the background. 

The band quiets down for a Sax solo with the rhythm section. Then the band enters with full Spike-ness, moving things along at a brisk pace.

Avant-Garde fans will love Pahadron, the final track. Here we find a wordless Voice joining the rhythm section, soaring over the band. Along with grunge Guitar and soaring brass, Spike leaves the listener with their indelible blueprint. In fact, we are left at the end with only the sound of amplifier hum, a final salute from a band that has left everything they have to give in the recording studio. 

London Klezmer Quartet-- A World in London with Cultural Co-operation - 9th December 2015

DJ Ritu presents the UK’s longest-running music show focused on the cosmopolitan sounds and stories of Londoners. This week: live music from The London Klezmer Quartet. Produced by Cultural Co-operation.

A World in London with Cultural Co-operation - 9th December 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

Klezmer Podcast 127- Sasha Margolis

Klezmer From New York

Sasha Margolis is the Violinist of the band Big Galut(e) of New York City. They have released a self-titled debut album, consisting of traditional Klezmer tunes, along with some originals, including one of my new favorites The True Story Of Carmen, a Mickey Katz- inspired parody of the famous Opera. We get to hear the track Wallachian-Appalachian Scratchin' from the album.

Run time: 25:13.

Listen here:

The Kosher Rap

THE KOSHER RAP from Quill Films on Vimeo.

Album review: Sklamberg & The Shepherds- Aheym/Homeward

New album coming soon (3 Oct. 2015)

There has been a rising tide of new Yiddish music in recent years, and the latest to ride the crest of the wave are Sklamberg & the Shepherds with their first collaborative release aheym/homeward. New York- based Lorin Sklamberg has had an immeasurable impact on the global Jewish music scene since the beginning of the Klezmer Revival. His instantly recognizable vocal style and musicianship, as well as his reputation as a leading Ethnomusicologist have put him at the top of the Klezmer scene for decades. The UK- based husband/wife duo Polina and Merlin Shepherd have won acclaim for their worldwide concert performances and recordings. Polina is a highly regarded vocalist in multiple languages, and Merlin is among the top Clarinetists in the world today. 

Which brings me to the idea of this collaboration of these three artists, each a master of the genre, past guests of Klezmer Podcast, and longtime friends of mine as well. I've seen them performing at the same event, but not all together. So, I had never considered the possibility of them doing something together. But to be honest, even before I heard the first note of the album, I had the thought that this was going to be something great, something groundbreaking. And I was right. 

I had the good fortune to hear these tracks in uncompressed WAV format on my reference home theater system. This made for a highly enjoyable listening experience, but more about the technical side of things later. What about the performances?

I was pleasantly surprised at how well Lorin and Polina blend their voices. The harmonies are beautiful, and they each have moments to shine. 

On the faster songs like Ma Noymar and A Gezang Fun A Traktorist there is a joy in the music that is easy to relate to and forms the basis for the increasing popularity of Yiddish song today. Lorin's Accordion and Merlin's Clarinet help to keep the energy up and your toes tapping.

The fast Horas Hafiflik and Di Bekhers Mit Vayn are in a traditional style and allow everyone some space to shine.

Lorin shows his delicate side and high vocal range on the slow lullaby Viglid, a piece that sounds simple, but is incredibly difficult to perform. And he just nails it!

The most adventurous piece here is Ay-Yay-Yay, a complex song sung in Russian. A feature for Polina, she and Lorin weave their way in and out of harmony, with a delicate accompaniment from Merlin on Clarinet. I kept coming back to this track over and over gain. Simply breathtaking! Polina is also featured on Sankt Besht, a slow waltz, and the longest track on the album. She is a great storyteller, and gives an emotional performance that defines her unique style and solidifies her worldwide popularity.

Not to be left out, Merlin gets his own space on Khalvat and Sahar 1 and Sahar 2. His depth of feeling and impeccable technique are on full display, and show why he is one of my favorite Clarinetists. He can go from a rich, dark tone on one song, to a bright, light touch on one of the fast songs. All amazing performances. 

Being an audiophile, I'm always looking for good sound in recordings. I have to say that the depth and detail here is top notch. While the voices sound clear and natural, the detail in the instrumentals is where I found the greatest enjoyment. I have to come back to Khalvat to say that I feel it is the best engineered track on the album. Hearing every breath, the subtle, single notes from the Accordion, the movements of the Piano, all give the feeling that you are there in the studio with them during the recording session. And guess what? The album was mixed by Merlin. Say no more.

Final thoughts? Sklamberg & The Shepherds take us on a musical journey that entertains, is full of both joy and deep emotion, and pushes us further into the resurgence of Yiddish song. Come along and ride the wave with them. You definitely will not be disappointed. 

Album available here:

Aheym CD

Yiddish is alive deep in the heart of Texas- CBS News Sunday Morning

Yiddish 101 is an introduction to an ancient language that's attracting new interest at the University of Texas. Richard Schlesinger has a report on the Austin classroom where conversations sound like they could be taking place at a Hasidic Jewish bakery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

View More: U.S. News|Live News|More News Videos

Klezmer Podcast 125- The Spike Orchestra

Sam Eastmond of The Spike Orchestra is a composer, arranger, and Trumpet player in London, UK. The latest album GHETTO is an exploration of WW II life in the Warsaw Ghetto, through a suite of pieces comprising a 20- piece big band, a 10- piece Spiketet, and a Trumpet/Voice duo. Eastmond describes the genre loosely as “Cartoon- Post-Bop Jazz and Klezmer music with a big band.” And that about sums it up. Enjoy our lively, wide-ranging discussion, and a fresh take on Jewish Music. We hear the full track Uprising, and a snippet of Child Smugglers from the album.

Listen here:

Mostly Kosher | Skirball Cultural Center

Mostly Kosher | Skirball Cultural Center
Sunday, August 9, 2015 12:00 and 2:00 p.m.

Aiming to preserve and modernize Jewish musical traditions, Mostly Kosher offers lively klezmer and soulful Yiddish melodies mixed with a variety of styles and genres, from tango to calypso to jazz. And the extraordinary Yiddish dance leader Bruce Biermanjoins the band for this special Skirball performance.

Clarinetist, pianist, and singer Leeav Sofer directs this eight-person ensemble that has performed in packed venues throughout Southern California, including the Skirball! In 2014, Mostly Kosher released their first, self-titled album. They also won the World Music Network’s Battled of the Bands, and their video for “Ikh Hob Dikh Tsufil Lib (I Love You Much Too Much)” was nominated for the Best Song and Audience Choice Award at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema.

Klezmer Podcast Playlist July 2015