SPLASHNEWS- So you thought the Maccabeats were a passing phase; they’re not! Their newest album, titled “Out of the Box”, can just blow you away. The talent that is involved and evident in this group from Yeshiva University is unbelievable. I really like the title of the album with it’s double meaning. Out of the Box represents the long way that they have come from the first album and really since they stepped “out of their boxes” from the viral Candlelight video. They have performed literally all over the world including the White House and up in the sky in New Zealand while getting ready to sky-dive! The title also represents their Modern-Orthodox views of Torah U”Madda which they translate to mean living ”Out of the Box” which they say means being “fun, creative, and committed to to serve G-d with all of our energy, faculties, and resources”. To continue the quote, “We remain committed to to bringing meaningful content to Jewish music, with our hearts and minds in the right place, while celebrating the good and exciting parts of modern culture”. Many songs in the album indeed contain meaningful messages that are brought out expertly by the voices of the Maccabeats. One reason why I like the album is the fact that they remain truly acapella and don’t change their voices at all in studio to sound like instruments. I am not even getting into the sefira argument, I am just saying that I appreciate the talent that is involved without any distortion. I personally think that if you are turning your voice digitally into a guitar/horn etc., you might as well use real music because it will sound better. (just saying my opinion…no need to yell and scream).

This article  can not be complete without mentioning another group that is knocking on the door. I am talking about the Y-Studs, another group from Y.U. that has just released their debut album and I must admit is quite good. Now, obviously if you compare it to Out of the Box, of course no question which is better, BUT, if you compare it to the Maccabeats debut album… The question is, what does it mean for the Maccabeats? They will be forced to up their game and we will see better music from the two groups. I personally think that the Y-Studs have what it takes to compete and the group that comes on top will be the one that has better marketing and of course, mazal. Now, let’s take a look at the album.

1-Come Back- Originally from the Moshav Band, this a great opener. Arranged by Julian Horowitz. I might have cut the intro in half but I can see why they wanted it so long as it is the first song and it acts as a teaser. I love the bass harmony which starts at 2:12. Also, great “drum work” at 3:04! Soloist, Noey Jacobson. Very exciting song but can get a little monotonous. 4 out of 5 stars

2-K’shehalev Bocheh- This song is originally from Sarit Hadad, which I had wondered about because it is featured on the new Shloime Daskal where it says that it is from Meydad Tasa. After some research, it is indeed Hadad’s. Arranged by Yonatan Shefa. Soloists, Josh Jay and Yonatan Shefa. This is a gorgeous song that I loved from the first time I heard it. The lyrics blend beautifully with the melody. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars 

3-Yavo- From the Miami Boys Choir, this song arranged by Julian Horowitz, starts off mellow and then picks up at 0:42 where the beat kicks in. Nice harmony there as well. Great job breaking it down at 1:03. They also kept many of Miami’s original harmonies which is fine with me. Oh, btw check out some pretty solid bass starting at 3:04. Soloist, David Block. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars 

4-When You Believe- This song, arranged by Immanuel Shalev, was a first for me and I think it is very nice but I am not too crazy over it. The harmonies were kept simple and delicate. Also featuring a bridge to the words Ashira Lahashem… I would have only sang the bridge once without speeding it up because I think this detracts from the beauty of the song. Soloist, Jeff Ritholz. 3 out of 5 stars

5-Modim- This song is sung by Nachum Joel and Chanina Abromowitz. Yes, that one, formerly of the Miami Boys Choir. This song is of a slower pace and a very relaxing listen. If you are in the car, you will probably skip it! I like how the beats and harmonies break off at 1:00 for the soloist to say the word “vaed” and come back in less than a second later. Arranged by Deke Sharon. 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

6-Keep Your Head Up- This is a very fun song with great lyrics; perfect listen if you are in a bad mood. Arranged by the more famous Mike Boxer and sung by Nachum Joel. Great arrangements and beats. Only downside is that the high part with its harmonies can get a little repetitive. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

7-Habeit- This classic from Abie Rotenberg has been sung at almost every camp cantata and will continue to be sung. This song has masterful vocal arrangements by Mike Boxer. Great low harmonies starting at 3:54 and amazing bridge at 4:25. I must have listened to that bridge over ten times until I was able to master it! Soloists, Meir Shapiro and Mordy Prus. 5 out of 5 stars

8-Rau Banim- This Yonatan Razel masterpiece was originally sung by Yaakov Shwekey and the Maccabeats did a great job. The song starts of with the original flute track from the Shwekey album. Wait, no sorry, that’s someone whistling! Great job with that. 2:47 features a bridge that I’m pretty sure they made up. It adds a bit of zazz to the track. I must admit that the song does not sound as good without music but what can you do? Soloists, Buri Rosenberg and Ari Lewis. 4 out of 5 stars

9-Miracle- Arranged by Mike Boxer, this song more like a rap which I guess is a little different but not my style. Interestingly, it is not even 3 minutes long. Soloists, Noey Jacobson, Jeff Ritholtz, and Michael Greenberg. 1 1/2 out of 5 stars

10-Kol Beramah- This is from the smash hit single by Simcha Leiner who is also featured on this song. Amazing job all around; this song can give you the chills. Enough said. Soloists Michael Greenberg and Yonatan Shefa. 5 out of 5 stars

11-Never Say Never- This is a great driving song. Although I can’t really figure out what some of the lyrics are referring too, I am quite impressed with the professionalism displayed in this song. Arranged by Tom Anderson and sung by David Block who does a fantastic job on the vocals. 4 1/2 out 5 stars

In summary, this album shows us the power of the human voice and also shows us the Maccabeats mean business! Overall, I rate this album 5 out of 5 stars as an a capella album and 3 1/2 out of 5 stars for a music album. Yeah, it’s that good. Order yours now.

We are deep into Sefirah, and everyone is eagerly awaiting the release of the brand new A.K.A. Pella album. The most vocal fans [read as FANATICS] badger everyone who may or may not be connected to the project, “Nu, when will it be available???”.   While the original release date was a couple weeks ago,  like many a CD before it, it’s missed the original release date.

The good news is that when it does come out, we will all be so excited to finally get our hands on it that we will run to get our copy.  And an hour after listening to it people will move on to asking when A.K.A. Pella 6 will be out.

Which brings up an interesting topic of conversation.

It’s a conversation about Jewish Music Hype.

Whenever we hear that a new album in the works, whether a general release date is announced or not, we are already in “IS IT OUT YET???” mode and after a certain amount of time we start getting impatient, which may or may not be the fault of the artist. If the artist announces a date and for whatever reason that date comes and goes with no album release, then in a way, they are asking for it. Isn’t it facinating how our excitement almost turns into anger when an album is not delivered as promised?  I think this is a testament to the Jewish music scene, and if you are an artist, it’s a great reminder how passionate we fans are about our music.

The alternate scenario is where an artist announces he is working on a new project, but does not name a release date and in this case I can’t fault the artist for making us wait. While we are anxiously awaiting the album release, we definitely want the artist to take as much time as he needs to deliver the best possible product. We certainly don’t want them to cut corners and rush it the album out, simply because fans are pressuring for a new album.

Look at Avraham Fried. We waited five years between My Fellow Jew and Bein Kach, and six years till Keep Climbing. I would rather an artist take as long as it takes to do a high quality album then get inferior quality albums delivered more frequently.

Unfortunately, because of all the  hype associate with a new CD, the longer we wait, the higher the expectations are, which creates an almost unfair situation for the artist. On the other hand, if the artist himself is guilty of overly pumping up expectations, then I have no sympathy.

The relationship between the fans and the artist is very important, and I think both sides bear certain responsibilities.

The artist has a responbility to not over hype the CD unless they are completely confident that they can deliver the goods on time since if they don’t, they will undermine their own credibility for future projects. Artists also must realize that their fans may no longer be fans when an artist continuously fails to deliver as promised. We fans take our music very seriously and can be an artist’s best asset, since we are the once who spread the positive word of mouth that every artist so desperately wants.

With that said, I think we fans also have a certain responsibility to keep our expectations in check. If an artist has a track record of over hyping, we should take it with a grain of salt so as to not be disappointed.  And if an artist chooses not to name a release date, let’s not put extra pressure on them to rush the album just because we want it, because that can only hurt the production level.

Sometimes I wonder if we crave the lead up to the release even more than the actual release itself!

What do you think about this? Let’s hear it and get a nice thread going!

Wednesday May 9th at 7:30 PM

Shulamith Hall 1277 East 14th Street.

General Admission tickets $15

(917) 533-0546 or email fauxrealofficial@gmail.com

SPLASHNEWS- So its that time of year again, the one that’s really hard on us music lovers. Yes, it may be sefira but Eli Gerstner, together with Yossi Newman have given us more than just something to listen to, with this newest version of the Yeshiva Boys Choir all done a capella! This cd features a great assortment of songs including the already popular Amein Amein Amein Amein. Wow, that’s a lot of ameins! This brand new song is an upbeat song and very catchy. You may ask how you can have a catchy song with no music but Eli Gerstner suprises us with his amazing drumming. No, not with drums, but with his mouth! Without any computerization, I must say I am highly impressed. Most songs on the album feature these “drums” and this really adds a lot, without leaving you wondering if it just might be music… The album also features some heartwarming slow songs including Odcha and Ess Ponecha from the Chevra albums. The beautiful Eishes Chayil which was composed by Yossi Newman (originally for a color war song) is also featured on the album. Yisimchu and Hayom are the more funky songs and really fun to listen to. Yisimchu also has something we haven’t heard on previous YBC albums, which is an authentic Israeli soloist. I think this contrasts beautifully and I would like to see more of this in the future. My favorite song on the album is the brand new Al Naharos Bavel which was written by Eli for the three weeks. It is a stunning song with great solos that really bring out the high part beautifully. This song is sure to be a hit in many camps this summer. At the end of the album lies a real treat, with the super popular Ah Ah Ah done in acapella, although I must admit almost had me checking to see if this one has music! It sounds that good.  Many people are asking me why they would put out a sefira album? Well, for that and much more, you can read our interview with Eli Gerstner right here on JMR. Just click on interviews in the news section and see SPLASHNEWS-Jewish Star. All in all this cd will please kids of all ages as well as adults who enjoy the angelic voices YBC.

As the son of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries, Yisroel Amar has grown up always on the lookout for ways to reach and inspire ever more people. All of 13, he’s seized upon the gift of an angelic voice as his preferred medium for channeling Jewish teachings and uplifting audiences in his corner of South Florida and beyond.

“Since I was eight years old, my father would give me and my brothers some pieces of the services to sing on the Sabbath, and people from the community would join in,” relates Amar, the son of Chabad of Golden Beach directors Rabbi Chay and Nechama Dina Amar. “To this day, the whole community sings these parts together. It unites our community and makes it unique.

“Even when I don’t feel like singing,” he continues, “my parents always encourage me to sing because they know the great impact it has on people.”

Amar’s father often speaks at other Jewish events around Florida and the United States, and he brings his son along with him.

“The entertainment helps a talk’s message penetrate the heart,” says Chay Amar. “My son uses his talent to help other Jews connect. Music has a wonderful unifying quality.”

The younger Amar, who won last year’s Junior Jewish Star competition and whose albums can be found online and at some Judaica stores, agrees.

“I feel my mission is to touch hearts and to make people happy and feel connected to their soul,” he explains. “What’s special about music is that it touches everyone young and old, observant and not.”

When Amar was six years old he was rushed into surgery for a serious medical condition. He emerged from the experience grateful for his newfound health and returned to his class of eagerly awaiting friends and teachers, his love for singing intensified.

Rabbi Yaakov Garfinkel, Amar’s third grade teacher at the Lubavitch Education Center in Miami directed the school’s choir when Amar returned back to school. He remembers Amar singing a piece of liturgy known asyehi ratzon in the style of a well-known cantor.

“People’s jaws dropped,” describes Garfinkel. “No one expected it, it was so pure and beautiful. He has such a golden voice. Everyone was dumbfounded, as if we all had discovered gold.”

Last year, he released an album called “Bayom Hahu,” whose title refers to the day when peace will rein throughout the world and people everywhere will be infused with knowledge of the Divine. Throughout the preparation for the new album, Amar did not give up on the rigorous regimen of study that characterizes his yeshiva education: During a week in Safed, Israel, he studied with his father and only afterward, took lessons with a voice teacher.

When in New York, Amar and his father travel to the resting place of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, in Cambria Heights. The site serves as inspiration for the boy, “opening my heart and keeping me focused,” he says, on the goal of inspiring others.

“My parents demand the same high standards as my siblings, and told me before I started music that if my grades or efforts in studying Torah go down, everything stops,” he adds. “After I had major surgery and experienced a great miracle, it made me appreciate the gift of life. It made me realize that in the same way G‑d gives each and every one particular challenges, He also gives each one special gifts, and we must take advantage of these gifts to get closer to G‑d and fulfill our special mission in life.”

Yitzy Walder, who composed the music for Amar’s new album, says that music has the power to change people.

“Over the years I’ve witnessed how music can affect one’s life, especially in difficult moments,” he relates. “If one Jew gets more connected to G‑d thanks to this album then it was all worth the effort.”

Via Chabad.org

The event had the trappings of a happening gig: huge speakers, a well-stocked bar, a loud crowd getting louder.

In the middle of it all, clutching a beer and schmoozing his fans, was the band’s lead singer.

Shmuel Marcus jumped on stage and grabbed the mike as if it were his best friend. He took off his black fedora, but the yarmulke stayed firmly on his head.

“The busiest rabbi in showbiz” was about to play.

He’s not a cantor who leads a congregation in song and prayer. He’s an orthodox rabbi. But he’s an orthodox rabbi who also sings for a rock band that, with songs in Hebrew, Yiddish and English, has produced three albums and performed around the world.

At 36, Marcus has accomplished a few more things.

He’s a poet, singer and composer. Director of a short film. Author of at least four published books, including two for children. Founder of a Hebrew school in Los Alamitos. A father to four, soon to be five children.

He’s also the driving force behind a song that’s such a YouTube sensation that it’s being emulated in homemade videos worldwide.

“This new album is what pushed us over into the big leagues,” Marcus said following a performance last month in Seal Beach.

“It’s very cool for a rabbi in a small town to have a global impact.”

MUSICAL FAMILY

Long before he had the band and the hit song, there was music in Marcus’ life.

“My uncle is a well-known Jewish singer (Avraham Fried) and we’d go to his concerts and listen to his tapes,” said Marcus, the rabbi of Chabad of Cypress, a small congregation that meets for services in the Rossmoor Community Center.

“But I didn’t take lessons or train. (Music) was just always around.”

Born in Miami Beach, Marcus moved to north Orange County as a youngster. He grew up in a home with 10 kids.

On Friday nights as Jews around the world do, the family gathered for Shabbat services and dinner—often inviting friends, neighbors and unaffiliated Jews to light the candles, drink kosher wine and share challah bread.

“The boys would drum at the table with their hands,” said Marcus’ father, Yitzchak Marcus, the rabbi for Chabad of Los Alamitos.

Was it noisy?

“It was very festive,” the elder Marcus said.

Music wasn’t the only influence.

All the boys went to rabbinical school. Of the six brothers, three are practicing rabbis, including Zalman Marcus, who leads Chabad of Mission Viejo. One brother, Eli Marcus, is a professional musician in New York.

After graduating from a rabbinical school in Los Angeles, Shmuel Marcus went to a second rabbinical college in New York. After that came a one-year stint (1996) in the Ukraine, where he interned with a synagogue and worked with poor Jews in the city of Kharkov.

It’s an experience he documented in a book of poems and short stories called “Chicken Kiev.”

“It’s early and cold as I step onto the black school bus. True, school buses with noisy kids tend to shine lemon yellow, but a school bus with a coffin in it turns instantly black” he writes at the start of the chapter “Baruch Israelnaya, The Man I Never Met.”

Still, even as he was ordained as a rabbi in 1997, Marcus felt the tug of another calling.

“In rabbinical seminary, a friend gave me a book with all the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s songs. And I thought, ‘Wow! You can do that.’”

Around the same time, Marcus’ brother, Bentzi Marcus, now 31, was finishing high school and was really into music. He liked Shmuel’s poems.

“I asked him if I could use one of them for a song and he said, ‘Sure, whatever,’” Bentzi Marcus recalled.

Poetry or not, it was good.

“Hey, man, you’re up to something. You’re writing some cool songs,” Bentzi told his brother.

Shmuel came back from abroad and told his brother, “Hey, check it out. I wrote more.”

“Cool,” replied Bentzi.

“And it just sort of organically started,” Bentzi Marcus said.

Fast forward a few years and Shmuel Marcus, as rabbi of Chabad of Cypress, was hosting a holiday party for the community and Bentzi, a guitarist, was performing with his friends and a few of his brothers. At the end of the concert, someone stepped up and said: “Ladies and gentlemen, the rabbi is going to perform a song he wrote.”

And that was it.

“He blew people away,” Bentzi Marcus said.

“We got a standing ovation. People said… You should do an album,” Shmuel Marcus said.

Then came the calls to play weddings and Hanukkah parties and other Jewish events. In 2005, Shmuel and Bentzi formed a band, 8th Day, named after Shmuel’s birthday and the eighth day of a Jewish holiday called Purim. They released their first album, “Tracht Gut,” (Think Positive) in 2006. Then came their second album, “Brooklyn.”

A third album, “Chasing Prophesy,” came out last year and it contained the song: “Ya’alili.”

“The song took on a life of its own,” Shmuel Marcus said. “It went viral on YouTube.”

Did he check YouTube daily?

“I didn’t have to check. My mother would call me every four or five minutes.”

YA’ALILI

“Ya’alili” has gotten more than 1.2 million views on YouTube.

It’s a hit on Israeli radio in Israel and New York, Marcus said. And it has spawned copy-cat videos from Canada to Israel to London and the U.S.

Fans are dancing to the song at weddings and bar mitzvahs and Jewish summer camps. And they can download the tune as a ringtone for their cell phones. Even Mickey Mouse is break-dancing to the upbeat tune in one YouTube video.

The song’s title means… nothing.

“It’s a word I made up,” Marcus said.

And the setting of the video—a supermarket—is not particularly meaningful either. A kosher market in Brooklyn volunteered to play host to the video shoot and feed everyone involved. Brother Chaim Marcus, who is in advertising, arranged it all.

But the song itself is full of meaning. Sung in Hebrew and Yiddish, the words show that while there is cultural diversity between Ashkenazi Jews and Sephardic Jews, “ultimately, we’re all the same,” Marcus said.

“In Israel, there’s a social divide between the Ashkenazi and the Sephardic Jews,” he said. “This became a song that brought them together.”

THE 8TH DAY BAND

Last week, the band traveled to Australia for three days. It may sound short, but that’s the way Marcus likes it. When they went to Hong Kong for a gig, they were in country for just eight hours.

“In and out. That’s the rabbi’s policy,” he says.

He’s too busy with his rabbinical duties, his family and his Sunday morning high school in Los Alamitos to be away for long.

When asked how he would categorize his band’s music, Marcus hesitates. Some songs sound like rock, others country, and yet others, have a reggae beat.

Rosy Rosenquist, the drummer, calls Marcus “the Rock’n’ Roll rabbi.”

The Marcus brothers, he adds, are “authentic.”

“They eat, live and breathe Judaism,” says Rosenquist, who is not Jewish. “There are not too many people doing what we’re doing.”

But even as the audience for their music grows, the rabbi doesn’t want to give up being a rabbi. He still wants time to tend to the local family facing eviction or the teenager whose only parent is ill.

“Once you’re a rabbi who interacts with people the way a Chabad rabbi does, you can’t just stop that,” he says.

Which isn’t to say he’s quitting music. The next 8th Day album – due out later this year — will be completely in English.

“It’s an attempt to open it up to people who don’t speak Hebrew,” Marcus said. “We’re using the same team that produced the hit “Ya’alili.”

“We’re looking to change the world,” the rabbi added. “I’m very wary of the world changing us.

“Whether you’re a rabbi or a performer, it’s your job to uplift people and move them to a better place.”

VIA OCREGISTER

It was really great to see fresh new singers competing for the top prize but the truth is that even the finalists that did not win, really won in a big way. Ami Eller, a finalist, said “I’m happy for whoever wins; this is my first time performing in Brooklyn College so I definitely got my name out there”. What he said is absolutely right. Bottom line is thousands of people got to see these brand new singers on the big stage. Mendel Antelis is already working on a debut album  and when he releases it next year, people will already have heard his name and voice. Shimmy Markovitch as well, is now planning on pursuing a career in music and says, “I would love to put out an album!” The junior winner, Dovid Moskowitz was very excited to have won and also plans to continue singing. We shall see what the future will bring for these up and coming stars.

Lipa Schmeltzer put on a stellar performance and we got his comments after the show. 

-SPLASHNEWS-What makes this concert different than all others?

-Lipa Schmeltzer-It gives people that have talent to finally get it out and show it to others. If they are unique, they are making it to the big world! Regarding the winner (Choni Goldman), this guy really has it and I think he can make it big.

-SN-With so many new singers nowadays, how can someone really make it big?

-Lipa-There are a lot of elements involved but I think if you really put in the work, have a good selection of songs, and you really know what you’re doing, people will like you. There are a lot of stores, restaurants, wine stores but people have certain ones that they like and are more popular.

-SN-Why is there such an influx of Jewish music?

-Lipa-First of all, the community is growing. Second of all, every new thing by us takes a while to get accepted. It used to take guts for someone to get on stage and perform but today a lot of people say, “I can also do that”, and we see a lot of people getting up there.

-SN-Do you feel that you had a lot to do with that?

-Lipa-I definitely feel that I had a lot to do with changing the market. I think that myself together with others such as Yossi Green have a big part in forming where the music today is going.

-SN-Do you have a release date yet for your new album?

-Lipa-The official release date is around Shavuos but if it doesn’t sound 100% good by then, it may be longer for I am not settling for anything less than the best. It has to be something that I never made before and a huge hit. It will be a little different because it will have a lot of singable songs and won’t just be art. I realized that the way people listen to music has changed so I need to have catchy, easy to learn songs, but I also want the art so I will mix and blend both.

Mendy Pellin, one of the judges, gave a lot of flavor to the show and was hilarious. A couple people actually told me that he was their favorite part of the show!

-SPLASHNEWS-Are your lines prepared before the show?

-Mendy Pellin-No. My lines are not prepared whatsoever. This is my favorite show of the year because there is no pressure at all.

-SN-Are you nervous that you might say the wrong thing?

-MP-No. There’s no such thing as saying the wrong thing… well, there is actually. The reason that this my favorite show of the year (besides the Shalom Bayis Tour) is because you have 11 or 12 really nervous people doing their thing, and I can just sit back and whatever comes to my head I can say. I just have fun!

-SN-Why were you selected to be on the show?

-MP-I was selected on the show because they asked me to be on the show. I’m not really sure why exactly. But listen, I do a lot of production, casting for commercials; the actors come in and I can judge in like 30 seconds if they have it or not. I’m not taking it from a music perspective but from a star perspective. I’m here to say this guy’s got it or this guy doesn’t.

Choni Goldman is an extremely talented fellow from South Africa and the crowd reacted strongly to his performance. More importantly, the judges reacted and declared him this year’s Jewish Star.

-SPLASHNEWS-How does it feel to be the winner? Were you nervous?

-Choni Goldman-I am elated! When you’re on stage, you’re not really nervous, it’s more like you have to be just present and live in the moment. It’s an amazing feeling and I would just like it to last longer.

-SN-What does winning the contest do for your musical career?

-CG-Alot of music guys that didn’t hear of me before, now know that I am on the scene and we can work in collaboration.I also have a new car to get around to the studios!

-SN-Do you plan on running your music career out of South Africa?

-CG-I’ll be here for a few months but the truth is that with today’s technology it doesn’t matter where you are really. Of course for show’s it helps to be here in America.

-SN-How are you different than other singers?

-CG-I think I bring a lot of freshness; I am very versatile as I am comfortable with a lot of different genres.

-SN-Do you plan on sticking to one genre or will you move around?

-CG-I’m not sure yet, I’m still experimenting but I love rearranging music. I think for me, the music has got to be soulful. I like to have fun but I really have a very soulful side of me.

Yossi Green is one of the most prolific composers of our time and he used his musical expertise on the judges panel. Here are his thoughts on how he judged and on composing in general.

-SPLASHNEWS-When discussing the contestants you often mention connecting with song. Is it just connecting or is there something else?

-Yossi Green-It begins with connecting. If someone has the performance but doesn’t have the connection, it’s useless. Although the crowd may not appreciate it as much as I do; the connection is really the most important thing.

-SN-Being in the music world for so long, do you see today’s music getting better?

-YG-It’s getting better than ever. The only issue is that there is a lot of choice. When I was growing up there was a new album every six months and everyone bought it. Today there is so much going on and each singer has a few hundred people that love him. No one is really taking the full market.

-SN-What’s your advice to a singer looking to make it?

-YG-Everyone should continue doing it. Our biggest problem was that we didn’t have enough outlets to sell the music but now we are switching to ITUNES so this will make it immediately available to the entire world.

-SN-With so many new composers looking to get involved, do you see it as a competition?

-YG-There is only competition for bad songs. If you have six good songs there is no competition; if you need to put four bad songs on an album that has six good ones, there will be a huge line for the four bad songs. “Use my bad song! No! Use my bad song!” For a good song there is no competition. You can write a hundred good songs and the public will love every one.

-SN-Some people complain that singers are too into brand name composers. They would rather use a song that’s not so good but as long as it’s from one them, it’s okay.

-YG-It has nothing to do with who made it. A kid told me he has 180 songs and asked me for some tips for his demo’s. I said, “when you write a song sing it to your friends, if they like it, it will come out”. You can’t hide a good song. There is no such thing as tips or connections. People that complain about connections usually don’t have the goods.

-SN-Do you ever feel that you are running out of songs?

-YG-This past year was my best in terms of composing and selling. I sold between 40 and 50 songs in the past 8 months. Recently I was sitting with someone trying to compose a song and nothing was coming. I realized that sometimes we forget where it is coming from. It has nothing to do with us. It comes completely from the Ribono Shel Olam. He can write another million songs from that same piano. You have to step aside and let Him take over. When we think we are the one’s doing it, it doesn’t happen.

-SN-Why do singers put songs that are not singable on their albums?

-YG-I do a lot of these. Some songs are not meant to be sung. I am surprised that people try to sing Tanye. Singing is one thing and listening is another thing. The point of these songs is for people to listen and be touched by the singer who is singing the song.

Eli Gerstner is a musical genius and is the man behind many albums including the Chevra and the Yeshiva Boys Choir. There’s no question why he was selected to be a judge for the Jewish Star Competition.

-SPLASHNEWS-What do you see this competition as? What is the purpose of it?

-EG-There are people that ask me to produce them and they tell me that I can own their albums and will make the money. There is no money in selling CD’s today no matter who you are. The money is in the concerts. The potential of this competition is that we can see people now and love them so that when they put out their album, we already know them and can go to their concerts. Also each of them put out a video so we get to see the guy’s personality. If the guy is good guy you are rooting for him. You heard the crowd going nuts (besides the family members!) and cheering for the underdog. I think it’s because of these videos.

-SN-Why do singers put out music videos nowadays?

-EG-A music video is another medium to get the song out there. In the days that CD’s were selling amazing, no one put out a music because then you are taking away from your own song by giving it away for free. Nowadays, the gneivah is so rampant, it is out of control. Someone was letting people download peoples music for free and I asked him why. He said that “nebuch people can’t afford CD’s these days so he is helping them out”. Does that mean I can go into someones china closet and give all the silver away to poor people who can’t afford it?! Since when does the mitzvah of tzedakah mean you can steal?! Oh, by the way, this guy is charging $5 a month from the poor people so they can download the music!

-SN-When can we expect a new album from Yeshiva Boys Choir?

-EG-YBC Acapella should be coming out next week.

-SN-Why did you decide to put out an acapella album?

-EG-There is a need for it. Chevra Acapella is still selling amazing today and I just said before that cd’s aren’t selling so why is this cd selling? People that respect sefira buy acapella because you’re not allowed to listen to music during sefira, and those guys wouldn’t steal! On the new YBC Acapella, because it is more catered to kids, I am adding with my mouth drums and bass.

-SN-Did you use synthesizers and EQ on your voice for the drums?

-EG-No. It is completely my mouth, you will laugh the first time you hear it as it sounds like I am making a fool out of myself, but then you will appreciate it. I also did not go past that. There are no fake trumpets or guitars like other albums. I happen to be a huge fan of AKA Pella.

-SN-What’s your take on an album like that?

-EG-I think that anyone that listens to it (during sefira), knows the deal. Me personally, I don’t listen to it during sefira but I do listen it during the year! It’s an exciting cd and the talent behind that production is so incredible. I am putting this out knowing that kids are buying it for sefira and I took a step back.

-SN-There are a lot of singers but very few choirs. Do see a competition, or is there room for more?

-EG-At the end of the day it is siyatah dshmaya. You see really good cd’s that don’t sell and really bad ones that do. I never ever thought that I am having hatzlacha because of my music. At the end of the day as more choirs pop up, we are doing better. Is it because of the new choirs? No. We are all good friends. I love Yitzy Bald, I consider him one of my teachers. When NYBC came out I put it right into my car’s cd player. Not because I’m scared about the competition, but because I love it, I think it’s great.

This list contains some of my favorite Jewish music from the 80s and 90s. I hope to compile a list that contains some more recent material so if you have suggestions please free to leave a comment.

Tzlil V’zemer “Let Us Grow”

   

In the last ten years, auto-tune has become a staple in every recording studio, turning mediocre singers into great ones and resulting in dozens of “singers”, that live on stage, couldn’t sing their way out of a paper bag. In my opinion, auto-tune’s biggest victim has been the boys choir. Once upon a time, London School, Miami Boys, and Tlil V’zemer were made up of raw talent. I discovered everything beautiful about Jewish music in these albums from the gorgeous harmonies, meaningful songs and mostly from the soloist whose sweet voices sang about Torah and Yiddishkeit honestly and innocently. Voices were distinguishable and personalities were developed, resulting in an obsession with the superstar singers.  (Who can forget Ari Goldwag and Nachum Stark in “Meheira“). Today, in my opinion, every boys choir album, while steller in production, composition and arrangement, is mostly interchangeable and sound exactly the same. Boy’s voices are tuned to virtually unattainable notes until they become robots singing in keys often impossible for a human ear to hear. If not for the music videos, I don’t thing we would recognize one child’s voice from the next. (There are a few exceptions but very very few.) ”Let Us Grow” and “Together Again” are real examples of the Jewish Boys Choir and two of my favorite albums of all time.

Avraham Fried-Bracha V’Hatzlacha

Although I don’t count on my memory on a general basis, I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard Avraham Fried’s song “Don’t Hide From Me”. I remember stopping in my tracks and taking in the unique melody. The tune was original, the concept creative and the chord changes fresh and exciting. The entire album marked a turning point in Chasidic music and was groundbreaking in its ‘modern meets traditional’ sound. I sing “Yerushalayim” at Bas Mitzvahs and it gets me happy every time. With not one filler, this album contains hit after hit and should be a reference point for everyone there creating Chasidic music.

Mordechai Bed David-Tamid B’Simcha

Mordechai Ben David reminds me of the actor who is nominated so often for an Oscar that is simply doesn’t matter whether he wins or not. He is that good, and while there are many imitators, there is no competition. Tamid B’Simcha brought us one of the most lyrically satisfying English songs of our time, cramming decades of history into a English song (and Hebrew version) called simply “Yerushalayim”. You would think learning the words would be a challenge but when this cd came out everyone knew them by heart. The bright trumpets at the intro of the song announced you were in for a good time which is exactly what this entire album brings to the table. A good time, unadulterated and authentic.

Piamenta 

Those of you who know the know infamous Yalili song by heart, you know the lyric “Yossi Avi, Hu Sefardi, Yom Ha’Shmini, Ashkenazi”. Now with all due respect, comparing The Piamentas to the Marcus Brothers is like comparing Jimmy Hendrix to the Osmonds. Both talented but in totally different leagues. Combining hard rock and traditional sefardic music the Piamenta brothers proved to be the most talented, authentic, raw and unbridled musicians (and performers) in Jewish music history. The sounds of their flute and electric guitar solos are instantly recognizable and the songs “Ashar Bara” and “Siman Tov” are as original today as they were when they came out (Granted Ashar Bara was a remake of a secular song, the Piamentas delivery completely changed the feeling and purpose of the melody).


Michoel Streicher 

Mentioning Micheol Streicher today and you will be met with mostly a blank face. For whatever reason, when we were kids Streicher was all the rage and “The Whole Truth” played over and over in our house. I even remember going to his concert when he came to Miami. And he was great. Listening over to some clips today I realize what the excitement was about.  I suppose back in the day when mostly Avraham Fried and MBD represented Chasidic music, Streicher’s music managed to make its mark by carving out it’s own niche that leaned over to the Yeshivish market. Secondly and more importantly, his voice is just beautiful on this album.  On the  ”Chazanus” track (and I am not a Chazanus person) he sings like an angel. One more thing that makes this album so great. It’s a total throw back to the eighties with synths and pads all through out the songs. Beautiful songs, great trip down memory lane for anyone in their 30s.


Sholom Simcha 

The only time I ever interacted with Shlomo Simcha was a few years when he got in touch with me regarding one of my songs “Esa Aini” that he was considering for his new album. I am not sure if that album ever came out or not but I can tell you that if he was only to put out one album in his career (he didn’t)”That Special Melody” would suffice. With a stunning, super sweet voice, his album showcases his pure voice and he rolls his “rayshes” like a pro. Mostly slow, Hebrew songs, the songs are piano driven, rich and melodic. He is great on the fast songs as well and you will be surprised to learn that “Visamachta” and “Eliyahu Hanavi” on this album are his. “That Special Melody” is a great English song, simple, uncomplicated and to the point.

Dveykus

In my mother’s house, in the piano bench there is a Dveykus songbook. As a kid I played them all and today know that there is not a song in there that is not absolutely epic. Lev Tahor, Kol B’rama, In A Vinkale (also known as Tateh Tateh, Shwekey’s version), Na’ar Hayisi, the list goes on and on. Granted this production and singing style on the album is very dated, the songs have been thoroughly incorporated into the index of Jewish music and are still sung in camps, schools and choirs around the world. A remake of these works would be incredible and long overdue.


Journeys II

Moshe Yess and Abi Rottenberg, in my opinion are the Simon and Garfunkel of Jewish music. Although they don’t sing together, they are both natural story tellers that don’t over sing the material and let the story do the talking. This masterpiece shows off some of their best writing in this album on works such as the stirring “Neshomale” heart-wrenching”Memories” and deliciously moving “Teardrops”. Every song is a treat that children and adults can enjoy.

Shlomo Carlbach-Songs Of My Soul

No jewish song list would be complete without at least one album of Shlomo Carlbach. Although I don’t play his music often his older songs are a Kumzitz staple and like I like to say “With 3 chords and the truth, you can play anything.” “Songs of My Soul” is a great place to start if you are a Shlomo newbie.

Adult Semi Finalists:

Ami Eller –A music fan from day one, fifteen year old Ami is no stranger to the stage or the recording studio, having performed live with some of Jewish music’s biggest stars including Benny Friedman, Baruch Levine and Srully Williger and has sung at weddings, dinners and Bar Mitzvahs.  Ami was a star soloist in Kol Noar Boys Choir, has been a soloist on six other albums, including Shloime Gertner’s Say Asay, two AKA Pella albums, Shea Rubenstein’s Ohavti and Shua Kessin’s Lo L’hityaesh and has recorded vocals for two additional albums that have not yet been released.  An avid piano player for more than half his life, Ami is teaching himself to play guitar and has composed several songs which he dedicated to the choson and kallah at his siblings’ and cousins’ weddings.

“Being a semi-finalist is amazing,” said Ami. “I have been to Brooklyn College for so many concerts.  The idea that I will be singing on the same stage as the biggest names in Jewish music is awesome.  While I may be the youngest adult contestant, music inspires people of all ages, from my one year old niece who wants to hear Ya’alili over and over again to my Zaidy, whose biggest pleasure is singing zemiros with his grandchildren.  It is a direct path to our neshamos and our hearts and a way of bringing us closer to Hashem.   More than anything, I want to thank the coordinators, producers and sponsors of A Jewish Star for giving me and my fellow contestants a chance to follow our dreams.”

Choni Goldman – One of eleven children, twenty eight year old Choni is the Cultural Officer at the Israeli Embassy in South Africa and serves as the Chazan at Chabad of Sandton in Johannesburg after doing a three and a half year stint as Choirmaster in the Pretoria Shul.  He has been singing since childhood, both in Shul and in school choirs and sang with Mordechai Ben David at a concert in South Africa.  Choni loves African harmonies, plays some percussion and confesses to being extremely adept at drumming on the table.  Choni aspires to become a recording and performing artist.

Extremely happy to have made it to the semi finals, Choni is aiming to win this year’s competition with a great performance and after flying in from South Africa, he hopes he is over his jetlag on the night of the concert.  He has a deep passion for Judaism, the Jewish people, Israel, the Grand Rabbi and is a keen tennis player who enjoys dmc’s and invites his fans to friend him on Facebook.

“Get my autograph before the concert,” advises Choni with a smile.

Dovi Minkowicz  - Thirty three year old businessman Dovi Minkowicz is a father of five who loves to practice the cantorial art fused with a taste of modern Jewish music, blending the best of both worlds.  In addition to having davened at Shuls all across the globe, Dovi has appeared with both Avraham Fried and Mordechai Ben David and plays the piano as well.

Dovi admits to being surprised that the judges selected his more chazanish voice over the more classical pop voices of some of the other contestants.  He hopes to further impress the crowd and the judges with the same quality that they recognized in his audition video.

“I am super excited about the Jewish Star concert,” confessed Dovi.  “It is surely going to be different and electrifying.  Good Jewish music isn’t a myth, it is very real.  Everyone was curious why Yossi Green was so hung up on singers connecting with their songs.  The truth is, he is completely correct.  Feeling, understand and expressing the song, with or without lyrics, is the magic of music.”

Moshe Biton – Born to immigrant Moroccan parents, thirty one year old Moshe was raised in a new immigrant section of Tiberias called Shikun Dalet and learned to sing in Shul, as singing is an integral part of prayer for Moroccan Jews.  The father of two children, ages five and three, Moshe works as a Mashgiach in a Chinese Kosher restaurant and loves to sing Jewish Oriental tunes and religious poems, but has also sung at weddings, Sheva Brachos and the Yahrtzeits of tzaddikum like the Yom Hilula of the Baba Sali.

“Tiberias a small development town, with not too much contact with the outside world, but my friends say I have a good voice,” said Moshe.  “My father in law suggested I try the Jewish Star and Baruch Hashem, I am in.  I pray that someone takes an interest in me but most importantly, I hope my singing brings Jews closer to their Father in Heaven and awaken their souls.  I know it sounds silly, but that’s what I want to accomplish.  Finally, always remember:  All Jews are Jewish Stars.”

Pinchas Tsinman –  A twenty seven year old resident of Pinsk, Pinchas Tsinman works for the local community, as a teacher in both the Jewish school and kollel, runs the Pinsk Beit Chabad and is the father of an eight month old baby boy named Avrom Michoel. Pinchas went to music school as a child where he studied both flute and guitar and played in the school band at various concerts dedicated to Jewish holidays.  While Pinchas had already composing his own music for quite some time, it wasn’t until he went to yeshiva that his music began to take on a new dimension, reflecting his newfound love for Yiddishkeit.  Pinchas hopes that his music will invigorate people who think that Judaism is boring and dated and hopes to record albums in order to be able to reach an even larger audience.

Pinchas admits that he never expected to be chosen as a semi-finalist because of the language barrier.

“I thought that my style wouldn’t be a fit for this project and that people would not be able to value my song because of the Russian words,” said Pinchas, who submitted a translation of his lyrics with his video submission.  “I am trying to translate parts of my song into English but I hope that when words come from my heart they will reach the hearts of others and everybody will understand my message.  I want to thank A Jewish Star for all their help and hope that my music will bring every Jew closer to yiddishkeit, which will reveal Moshiach in our world, soon in our days.”

Shimi Markovich – An importer of medical supplies who devotes his nights to learning, twenty four year old Shimi is the father of a baby boy named Aby.  He has been singing since he was a child and has performed in school choirs and at weddings.  Shimi has his own music studio and plays piano, guitar and drums.

“I would love to be able to share my music with the world and succeed in the Jewish music business,” said Shimi.  “I think A Jewish Star is a great opportunity for people to be able to show their talent to the world and let them decide if they would like to hear more from you in the future.  I want to thank everyone who voted for me and I hope to do my best at the upcoming Jewish Star concert.”

Shmueli Schwartz  - A twenty seven year old social worker for the Jewish Home of the Aging in Los Angeles, Shmueli is currently enrolled in the Yeshiva University semicha program.  Married for just two month to his wife Raquel, Shmueli has in his own words, “twenty kids on the way.”

Shmueli comes from a family of singers and was trained by his own father at the Shabbos table.  He composes his own music on the piano and has been singing in community choirs and at chupahs for years.  Shmueli hopes to bring people closer to Hashem with his compositions and his Jewish Star submission was an original song written both as a hesped to the Fogel family who was murdered in Itamar last year and as a way to help both Jews and non-Jews experience the tragedy on an emotional level.

“I appreciate becoming a semi-finalist,” said Shmueli.  “I hope it can help my music career and I want to give concerts both locally and internationally.  I think there is a lot of talent being displayed at the Jewish Star concert and that regardless of who wins or loses, it is an experience in and of itself.”

Yehoshua Solomon – A Jewish music teacher at Brooklyn’s Yeshiva Derech HaTorah and a counselor and musical director at Chaim Day Camp, thirty five year old Yehoshua hopes to bring simcha to as many Yidden as possible as both a singer and a keyboardist.  Yehoshua performed as a member of the Pirchei Boys Choir in A Time for Music 2 and as a member of the Miami Voice Symphony at Miami Experience IV and V and would love to release a single or an album one day.

Despite his many years experience, Yehoshua confessed to being both nervous and excited about the upcoming Jewish Star finale and expressed gratitude to his audio and video producers as well as Hashem Yisborach for helping him get to the semi final round and giving the public a chance to see him as a lead singer instead of just an instrumentalist.

“Looking at the videos I see there is some really good talent and even if I don’t win I will get great exposure.  I always dreamed of singing onstage as a youngster, but never had a solo performance like this in front of a large audience.  I believe my mother, a’h, would be very proud of me and I’m sure she’s smiling down from Shomayim, shepping nachas.”

Junior Semi Finalists

 Dovid Markovits – A resident of Kew Garden Hills, Queens, Dovid was born in Jerusalem in 1999 and is twelve years old. The oldest of three children, Dovid has a nine year old sister named Esther Leah and a six year old brother named Chezky.

Dovid attends Yeshivah Ketana of Queens and has been a singer since he was three years old, performing at family gatherings and weddings. At the age of six Dovid joined the Chazak Boys Choir conducted by Ofi Nat and spent summers honing his singing skills, earning a chance to sing a duet with Avraham Fried at one of the Chazak summer concerts.  More recently he has recorded and performed with Yitzy Bald and the New York Boys Choir. Under Yitzy’s mentorship, Dovid has learned musical arrangement and has greatly expanded his vocal skills. In addition to his love for music, Dovid is busy preparing for his Bar Mitzvah which will take place on Shabbos Nachamu 2012, where he plans to lein Parshas V’eschanan.

Dovid recently started learning how to play the piano and guitar and looks forward to developing his skills on those instruments as he continues to expand his musical talent.

Dovid is grateful to the producers of the Jewish Star competition for this opportunity. He has had a great experience thus far and looks forward to being a part of an amazing concert on March 19^th.

Mendel Piekarski – A sixth grader at Yeshiva Oholei Torah and the oldest of three children, twelve year old Mendel already has a long musical resume.  He sang with Temimim and Sparks Boys Choirs, produced his own album (which is not available for sale), performed at the Tzivos Hashem BAM Theater in 2011 and Tzivos Hashem Dinner at the New York Hilton in 2012, is featured in an upcoming music video and is the voice orator for Jewish Education Media’s Living Torah museum, doing the weekly childrens’ narration.  Mendel, who took drums as a youngster and plays piano by ear, aspires to maximize his talent as a young star and child prodigy and perhaps return to the Jewish music one day as an adult.

Mendel is very excited both to be a finalist and to have the opportunity to work alongside with his fellow competitors.  He looks forward to connecting with the audience at the Jewish Star finale and hopes to be able to touch the hearts of everyone at the concert.

Mendy Antelis – Fourteen year old Mendy is a student at Jewish Education Center (JEC) in Elizabeth, New Jersey and is the seventh of nine children. A member of an extremely musical family, he has performed at family events as well as at Queens College.  Mendy hopes to release a debut album and continue to work on and improve all aspects of his musical endeavors.

“I’m honored and excited to be one of the semi finalists and I can’t wait to meet the other contestants and judges,” said Mendy.  “I look forward to performing and rocking the house at the Jewish Star concert and am thankful for the opportunity to be part of this competition.  Thanks to all those who have supported me thus far. I can’t wait for perform in front of all of you!”

Shlomo Skolnik – A former member of Yeshiva Boys Choir who sang on the HASC stage and performed with Shlomo Schwed, fifteen year old Shlomo has seven brothers and one sister.  Shlomo is a ninth grader at Yeshiva of Far Rockaway who loves sports and hopes to one day release an enjoyable album that will appeal to Jewish music lovers.

“It is really amazing to have been chosen as a Jewish Star semi-finalist because it must mean I have some talent,” said Shlomo.

As for the upcoming Jewish Star finale, Shlomo had only two words.

“Can’t wait!!”

Click here to purchase tickets

Marketing has always played a critical role in sales. As such, companies are constantly scrambling to come up with innovative ideas on how to push their products further as they constantlyseek better and more effective marketing tools. Today, it’s not just the companies that seek to market products. It is also the individuals whose products are being marketed who realize that in many ways, the keys to the success of a given product often rest soundly with how far the individual is willing to invest inthe self-marketing of his product. The results of self-marketing are bigger and better marketing venues as people use their own ingenuity and apply their own creativity towards applying new marketing tools.

“Anyone who creates the technology to stop the copying of CD’s,” says singer Beri Weber, “will make a lot of money. But for now, maybe what we need is more education on what genavia is, something I would be glad to help sponsor to help bring it the forefront.”

“Everyone in the industry seems to be trying something else,”Beri Weber continues, “such as adding incentives like bumper stickers and other giveaways into their CD’s. But when you think of how just the cost of the CD alone is prohibitive, adding incentives to the CD just ends up costing you more. So I haven’t done it.”

But one person has gone ahead and attempted to do something. This something is an ingenious idea recently created by thePester Rebbe – Yoely Lebovitz whose new CD –Pesterized was released, and has since seen record breaking sales already topping last year’s record for a Yiddish comedy album  with  his CD Boondash.  The CD includes one entry into the Lobovitz’singenious marketing technique: the Pesterization Game.

The Pesterization Game’s ingenuity lies in the double service playing the game can provide. Not only is the consumer happy with being able to enter into the raffle entry each CD’s unique code entitles the bearer to, but it also gives the consumer a direct voice thatYoely Lebovits wants to make sure is heard.

“In a comedy CD, as opposed to music, it is so much harder for the performer to get a sense of what the audience wants,” Yoely says. “Given how some people are more sensitive and others appreciate different styles of humor, the Pesterization Game lets me know exactly what my listeners like to hear.”

With the Pesterization Game, the buyer enters his unique code online onwww.badchen.com . He then fills in his name, the store he bought the CD, and his feedback. He can fill in his favorite track, whether he would like to see more music videos or more dialogue. He can offer suggestions of what he might like to see in a future CD, what songs, what episodes. After entering this information, not only is the consumer given a voice but as an added incentive, he will be entered into a raffle to win $400 -at the shop that he purchased the CD in – during a drawing which will take placeMarch 25, (though the winner needs to be sure to keep his original album cover to confirm the matching code.)

Even the stores come out ahead, since the store which has sold the most CD’s according to the online entries, will be announced to the  Pester Rebbe’s email following on a list that reaches more than twelve thousand addresses.

“If I can do something like this on my small scale,” says Yoely, “Just imagine what the big music performers like can do with an idea like this. It’s the best kind of payback, benefiting the fans and benefiting the performer as well. From my perspective, if my fans communicate what they like and what they want to see more of, it makes me smarter to see what people embrace and is well worth the $400 raffle prize.”

“Aside from the monetary value an artist can secure, the benefit of involving the fans in “the decision” of which material to use, is priceless!” Says comedian Hilly Hill – who has many years experience in marketing, – “it cultivates the fan to a loyal fan! And the loyal fan will protect the interest of the artist.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” says Beri Weber, “a great idea, but not necessarily a solution. I still feel it is a lost battle until you can talk to everyone and show them. I can’t say that I understood myself before I got involved in the business, before I truly understood how hard it was to get out a CD, how it takes years of work, how it rips out your heart to know that one out of ten copies out there of your CD have been copied.”

But the feedback for Pesterized and the Pesterization game has so far been amazing.

“The truth is,” says a satisfied fan, “I would buy another Yoely Lebovitz CD anyway, but having the raffle prize is a nice addedbonus.”

The comedian, Mendy Pellin on his twitter handle @MendyTV jokingly tweets, ” I always knew you could sing, I never knew you were funny.”

And so this innovative marketing tool has made its debut at the same time as fans all over get Pesterized. The question remains though how successful will Yoely Leobivtz’s new marketing endeavor be – the answer will have to depend on the fans, a part of the market that until now never received the voice and attention that the Pesterization Code opportunity is offering as of today. So will the fans choose to reamin in the dark or will theytake advantage when “Opportunity Knocks”. My suggestion:Tzind ooon de light!

Source: M. C. Millman for TLJ News

SPLASHNEWS- The album that we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. It’s not often that two super stars release their albums at the same time, but it just happened. This album was years in the making as is quite evident from the quality of the album. Featuring 13 songs in all different styles, this CD has something for everyone. Everyone knows that Fried’s voice is unreal but what really hit me in this album is his ability to adjust his voice to the specific style and emotions of each song. That to me is what makes this album a masterpiece. Produced by Avraham himself, this album arrived with a bang and is here to stay. Here is what I think of the songs. Many songs were arranged by Yuval Stupel; I will note if not.

1-Hofachta- Composed by Fried together with Yitzy Waldner, this song will be an instant hit and if you are looking for “that” song, this might just be it. Exciting intro, but not too much, leads into a fast paced thumping song. Interestingly, there is an Irish interlude at 2:52. I would have liked to hear more of the high-harmony that he does on the high part a couple times but even without that, this song did it for me. 5 out of 5 stars

2-Yehalelu- This song, also by Waldner & Fried, is a waltz and pleasant to listen to. I just can’t figure out when this song can be sung. Maybe as a dinner song? I will leave this song unrated as I don’t really understand waltz’s, but you could tell me what you think.

3-Vezakeini- Composed by Yossi Green, I know many of you will say how can he dare put out another Vezakeini?! When I first saw it, I thought it would be a fast song because it is right after a slow song, but he went two in a row. Sounds nothing like the song by Baruch Levine and I guess that’s a good thing. For those Kallah’s that insist on walking down to Vezakeini, now you have two options. Arranged by Moshe Laufer. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

4-Ein Kelokeinu- This is a fast Yeshivishe style song that could have been the opening track. It is also a three part song with the main high as the more intense part but switches to the less upbeat third part. This creates a well rounded song that doesn’t get boring. Great chasunah potential. Composed by Meshulam Greenberger. 4 out of 5 stars

5-Retzoneinu- Guess who composed this one? Yes, Yitzy Waldner. For those that miss the Fried songs of old, this one is for you. Starts off in the chazzanus style that Fried loves and he really displays his voice nicely at 1:49. It also features a kids choir that does a great job and at 3:57 the mens choir harmonizes over them which creates a gorgeous affect. This song is stunning and you may have to listen to it a couple times to learn it but it is worth it.With a group that knows what they are doing, this can be the kumsitz song that will take over. Personally, this is my favorite song and when I listen to the melody while thinking about the words, I get the chills from it. Arranged by Moshe Laufer, featuring Shraga Gold’s Shira Choir. 5 out of 5 stars

6-Kach Es Sheli- Starts off with heavy guitar riffs and the music gives the first low a sense of urgency. This song is not an original song, but that’s okay in my books as long as it’s not well known. The song also features great contrast between the low and the high parts. Exciting bridge at 3:28. Composed and arranged by Yuval Stupel, originally recorded by Yisrael Parnes. 3 out of 5 stars

7-Keep Climbing- The title track is a typical Avraham Fried english song composed by himself. It features a good message and great arrangements by Avremi G. The highlights for me were at 3:47 while singing the word climb, he literally climbs with his voice to heights rarely heard on this album. Also towards the end of the song on the words, “where you want to go” there is really good falsetto harmony. I don’t like how he transitions from low to high, but that is obviously how he wanted it. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

8- Amein- Also starts with heavy electric guitar. This song, composed by Mendy Gerufi, is a typical Yeshivishe song and features a very interesting musical interlude at 2:29 that I don;t even know how to explain, so I won’t! This song can go both ways, either it will become popular, or we will never hear it again. 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

9-Lomoh Hashem- Starts with acoustic guitar, percussion, and possibly harmonica but I doubt it. In general this is a very pleasant song to listen to and I particularly like the non-typical arrangements. One part that I listened to a couple times is at 4:04 where his voice fades out and almost breaks but I think it’s to contrast with the transposition. I’m not sure if I agree with choice of lyrics, asking why from Hashem but as is evident from the album jacket, he also wasn’t sure about it but apparently he decided to go through with it. Composed by Fried and arranged by Ruli Ezrachi. 4 out of 5 stars

10- Sharei Mizrach- A horah that is sure to become a hit. Expect to hear it at  the next chasunah that you attend. As he writes in the jacket, “what’s an album without a good horah?” It sounds almost like a dig a Shwekey’s new album that doesn’t have even one horah, but of course it’s not! It is ironic though. Composed by Elimelech Blumstein and arranged by Ruli Ezrachi, also featuring the Shira Choir. 4 out of 5 stars

11-Elokai- This song features an all acoustic intro and is the second song with the nostalgic Fried feel. One highlight is at 3:06 where the choir sings the high part and gives a slightly Chassidishe feel to it. Very nice, solid song. Composed and arranged by Moshe Laufer. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

12-Light- Both the intro and the low part have a sudden start which I like because it is something I am not used to and I always like something new. The song also features a very interesting bridge at 2:35. From the lyrics to the music, this is something you have never heard before. It is worth listening to this just for the arrangements, although it doesn’t take a genius to realize that they are not your regular. Great job by Yitzy Waldner, with Ilya Lishinsky on the arrangements. 4 out 5 stars

13-Heimoh Heimoh- This is a Lipa Schmelzer classic and has been out there for a little while but will now become super popular with it being featured on this album. When I first heard the intro, all I was able to say was, “what?!” Then I had to listen to it again before listening to the rest of the song. You will probably do the same. In the beginning the song doesn’t sound so exciting but at 2:35 it really picks up the pace and can get you up and dancing. Make sure you are not driving. The song seemingly ends at 3:35 but then takes a 360 degree turn and then spins around again at 3:52 for the ending. Not for the faint of heart. Please keep all hands and feet in until the ride comes to a complete stop. Respect for Naftuly Moshe Schnitzler who arranged this masterpiece but there is no way that Lipa was not involved! This should become an instant hit which means… 5 out of 5 stars

Congrats to those who made it to end of the review. All in all, this album, while it does not feature any major breakthroughs, is an excellent album from top to bottom.  It has three songs that I rated 5 star and I do not do that often. Even the weaker songs are great songs and a lot of time was obviously spent on this album. Overall, I rate this album 5 out of 5 stars which means be careful not to spill your drink in your rush to get out.          

There are many singers out there that are trying to reach to the top. Pretty soon, you will say regarding some of them, “I remember when he was just starting. Wow, look at him now!” There are also others that you will unfortunately forget about. A couple weeks ago I wrote an article on The Top 5 in Jewish Music. Who are The Up & Coming? (This list is of course, my opinion and is not meant to be taken as factual)

1-Benny Friedman- Benny is already a household name and it’s just a matter of time before he hits the top 5 list as he is basically there already. Here is an interesting story with him. Years ago, he used to be able to sound exactly like his uncle Avraham Fried; so much that Camp Romimu used him to put on a fake Fried concert. This was a younger Benny who had no beard, etc. They fitted him with a beard that looked like Fried’s and he put on an entire concert with the crowd thinking he was Avraham Fried! To his advantage he decided to use his own voice for his career and was able to make a name for himself. This is just the beginning.

2-Yoely Greenfeld- Yoely has, in my opinion, one of the best voices in our time. His debut album was a smashing hit and he is now one of the most sought after chasunah singers. He also attracted both the chassidishe and litvishe crowds which is hard to do. In an interview with SPLASHNEWS he was asked what is the most popular song on his album and he said, ” It depends, if you ask a chassidishe he will tell you Aimusei, but if you ask a litvak he will say Yichadsheihi!” In a side note, he one of the only singers who sounds exactly the same, live, as he does on the album. A big factor will be if he continues to stay away from the stage or not. If he does decide to do concerts, he can quickly hit the top, but if not he will probably remain in ranks with Shloime Daskal. I guess that’s not so bad!

3-Beri Weber- Beri’s new album is flying off the shelves. In the new album we see two things. Firstly, his voice is noticeably better than  in his first album, and we also see that he is able to move away from the generic chassidishe music as the album features many different styles. He is also very similar to Lipa which makes sense because he is Lipa’s ”baby”. Lipa should just make sure that his baby doesn’t grow big enough to eat him! Beri also has a huge fan club in Eretz Yisroel and is quickly gaining stardom. We shall see if he hits the big stage.

4-Yosef Chaim Shwekey- His new album is possibly one of the best albums I’ve heard all year. What’s important is that he stayed away from his brother Yaakov’s style and developed his own. This is the first step in making a name for himself. No one can become a top 5 singer if he ”sounds  almost exactly like Y. Shwekey or Fried etc.” (ie: Dovid Gabay) Yosef Chaim has tremendous potential and he is already putting on big concerts in his home land, Eretz Yisroel.

5-Yisroel Werdyger- Sruly is already in a different league and his songs songs are played everywhere. He has something for everyone and he is a pleasure to listen to. The concert question is also a big factor for him but I think he is comfortable where he is.

6-Shloime Taussig- Shloime also has an incredible voice and is wildly popular as a chasunah singer. He was also able to attract the litvishe crowd with his song Modim as his claim to fame. Singers like Werdyger and Greenfeld may hold him back, but a brand new album can change that.

7-Amram Adar- Adar has hit the music world with a bang. His music video is also very popular and I know people that bought the album just because of that! Yes, sometimes a good music video will do it; just look at 8th Day. He has a little bit of a “different” voice which can be to his advantage as people are always looking for something new and different. Is he Yochi Briskman’s new guy? We shall wait and see.

8-8th Day- I had to decide wheather they go on this list because they are a group and this list is really for solo artists but okay. 8th day really took the world by a storm with Yalili and put on a major concert with Lipa but here is the problem- When they put out a new album, everyone will want to know which song is the new Yalili but the question is, can they do it? Normally, singers are not under pressure to outshine their previous album/hit song, but I think that 8th Day is under enormous pressure for this because their career was virtually launched by this one song. Another factor to determine if they will hit the top and stay there, is that they really have their own distinct genre of music and the question is if the mainstream is really interested in that.

Once again I appreciate your comments. Let me know what you think and feel free to voice your own opinions!

You can get an idea of how the night went but just to give you the rundown

• The Show started with Baruch Naftel and Hillel Kapnick of One Man Band + Plus (www.onemanbandplus.com) They played a medley of Motzai Shabbos Songs
• Shalom Bondar and Hillel Kapnick performed two brand new songs that they are planning on releasing somewhat soon.
• Yair Shahak then joined Hillel to play “Modim”, a song that Hillel composed and dedicated to his wife whose birthday was that night.
• Nochi Krohn came on and played some of his amazing compositions including

1. Ma Rabu
2. V’nikeisi – Baruch Naftel joined Nochi for this song

• Yair Shahak then played a few impromptu pieces. What this means is that an audience member at the Seforim Sale gave Yair a scenario such as “Trying to find parking in Washington Heights” or “A baby crying at two in the morning”. Yair then translated these scenarios musically and played them on his violin. It really was an amazing thing to see.
•  Nochi then came back on and played his well known composition “Tzeischem”
• Then the Grand Finale!! – Nochi, Yair, Baruch, and Hillel finished off the show with a medley of songs including Nochi’s “Oz Tischazeik” and Hillel’s “Hinei Kel”.

1-Kdai- The album starts off with an exciting intro and is a great lead up, not only to the song, but to the entire album. The song is sure to be a popular chasunah second dance song. Shwekey reaches his climax in the song at 3:08 where he harmonizes himself and really sound great. This song also reminds me a little of Viohavta from Shwekey 5. Composed by Yitzy Waldner.  4 1/2 out of 5 stars

2-Batuach Ani- Composed by Elimelech Blumstein, this is a very nice song and more of a typical Shwekey song. Beautiful words. 3 out of 5 stars

3-Lo Yaavod- Here is the first song of a different style than what we are used to from Yaakov. In a bold move, the song which is arranged by Jeff Horvitch, features ”Metalish” which is a heavy metal guitar group. The song starts off with the heavy metal and has a few Metalish interludes. It is a very energizing song and you can just amagine yourself at a Shwekey concert with the crowd rocking away with this song. Especially at 2:52 and at 3:36 with the heavy interlude and then the clapping. Composed by Yossi Muller. Every album has “that” song and this just might be it. 5 out of 5 stars

4-Mi Bon Siach- I know many of you will say “another mi bon siach!?” The truth is that it’s still a nice song and will probably be used at many simcha’s. It also sounds  more up do date so don’t just skip it! Arranged by Moshe Laufer. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

5-Hinei Anochi- The intro starts off with the Shira Chadasha Boys Choir from Ramat Beit Shemesh. A fast song that says Shwekey all over it. Composed and arranged by Moshe Laufer. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

6-Oleinu- This is a gorgeous slow song and touches me especially because a few years ago I realized that Oleinu is the most overlooked Tefilah and decided to make this very important Tefilah into “my” Tefilah. This is sure to become a popular song as it is beautiful and also very easy to sing which is always very important. As I listened to it for the first time I was thimking that it would make a great acapella song. Sure enough the song finishes off in acapella! Composed by Ezi Reissman. 5 out of 5 stars

7-Rabi Nehorai- A very catchy song composed by Yitzy Waldner & Elie Schwab. Arranged by Ruvi Banet & Yanky Briskman. It includes a bridge that  has a sefardi taste to it at 1:46 although the song isn’t sefardi at all. The ending is like this as well. By the way, as I write this I just realized that there aren’t any sefardi songs on the album. I guess after Libi Bamizrach he thought we had enough of that! 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

8-Yesimcho- The song starts off sounding like one of those baby lullabie machines that go on top of cribs. The song nevertheless is a beautiful song and features Menachem Shwekey at 3:24. Yeh, that’s his son. It also has the potential to become a camp alma mater. Arranged by Yisroel Lamm and composed by Yitzchok Rosenthal of Shalsheles. The low part sound more like a Shalsheles song than the high part. The song ends with Yaakov reaching the highest note that I have ever heard him sing. He may have used auto-tune so I’ll have to wait to see if he can do that live! 4 out of 5 stars

9-Retzoneini- He may have left out the sefardi song but not the chassidishe one. This geshmake chassidishe style song is sure to enhance many simchos. Composed by Pinky Weber. 4 out of 5 stars

10-CRY NO MORE- This is the title track and the second song in a style that we haven’t seen from Shwekey. As soon as I saw the name Ken Burgess,who wrote the lyrics, I got excited. I just love his stuff. A lot of his stuff sounds eerie but very moving. Yanky Briskman did a great job on the arrangements keeping the Ken Burgess feel. Each part of the song is enhanced by added music. The second low brings the guitar line. The third low starting with the musical interlude features a beat using brush drumsticks which gives more of an orchestra sound. The last highs have more of an electric drum beat. Although this sound like an overly-arranged song, it is far from it. The music never once outshines the voice and it perfectlyenhances the song. Composed by Yaakov together with Yitzy Waldner, who did the backup vocals as well. 5 out of 5 stars

Overall I give rate this album 5 out of 5 stars which means you should already be on the road to the closest music store!

[EDITORS NOTE: Please remember this is not meant to be taken factual, it is merely the authors own personal opinion of his top 5 singers in Jewish Music, if you disagree, please do so in the comment section!]

There are many singers out there. Some have been around for years and some have not. Each and every singer has what to offer and each has his unique style. Here is a look at my opinion of the top 5 right now. I’m sure many will disagree with me, so feel free to comment on who you think are the top 5!

(I left out singers with a very particular genre such as Itche Meir Helfgot.)

1-Avraham Fried- Fried has a voice like none other and has dominated the music scene for years. He is still at the top of the mountain and is not looking to come down any time soon. The world is awaiting his upcoming new album. He has spent the year on a world tour together with…

2-Lipa Schmeltzer- Lipa is the new King of Jewish Music. He has impacted and changed the world of music single-handedly. His influence on almost every other singer is incredible. He has also opened it up for many chassidishe singers. Without him, where would Gertner and Weber be right now? He is also the #1 performer in the world and completely owns the stage. – BTW, respect to MBD but you can’t really call him the current King if he is retired.

3-Ohad Moskowitz- Ohad has shown that he can sing alongside anyone and will firmly hold his ground. His range puts him in a  different league than everyone else. He is also impacting music by being very involved with younger artists such as Itzik Dadia and Yonatan Shainfeld.

4-Shloime Gertner- Has a little bit of a different style and has shown that he is comfortable with just about any type of song; slow, fast,
techno, etc. Also paired up often with Lipa. Bottom line, there are many new albums that you will say “Oh, look he put out a new one” and then you will walk on. You will not pass up a new Gertner album.

5-Yaakov Shwekey- This choice was a hard one because a few years ago Shwekey was worth a lot more than 5 but has lost many fans after a 5th album that lacked something new and exciting (people expected more from from someone of his caliber), followed by the album, ”Libi”, which I thought was a great album but apparently not everyone else did. Maybe because it was all Sefardi. I would’t say he is past his prime as his voice is only getting better so let’s see what his upcoming album, “Cry No More”, will sound like. Oh, and he is the undisputed #1 singer in Eretz Yisroel. Hmm..

-6-? Shloime Daskal is tough because he is obviously sitting with the big guys as his voice and last album “Poseach Es Yodecha”, puts him in another class, but we haven’t heard from him in a couple years.

Thanx for reading! Let me know what you say and stay tuned for the next article – “The Up & Coming”!

Look for an all new album, from singer songwriter Mendy Werzberger, expected to hit stores around Rosh Chodesh Adar.  Some of the best and the brightest in the Jewish music business, including Eli Lishinsky, Yitzy Waldner, Yitzy Schwartz, Yanky Katina,  Shai Bachar, Nir Graff,  Mona Rosenblum, Eli Laufer, Yitzy Spinner, Shloime Kaufman, Yoel Dikman, Avrumi Berko, Ruli Ezrahi, Sholy Brach and Moshe Werzberger have pooled their talents for this one of a kind album, which features eleven songs in a variety of music styles.  Stay tuned for more news about this exciting new album!

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By Kol Isha

(If reposted please include link and credit to JewishMusicReport.com)

Having seen my share of HASC videos and having heard the timeless classics that were introduced at HASC concerts over the years, going to an actual HASC concert, long touted as “the concert of the year” has always been on my to do list.  Being presented with a pair of tickets to a HASC concert seemed like a golden opportunity to experience this musical event firsthand.

As with any concert, there are both advantages and disadvantages to seeing an event in person.   A concert video doesn’t capture the energy and the excitement of a sold out audience, the majesty of a room like Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall which seats 2,738 people.  But a live performance doesn’t offer any chance for do-overs.  You have one chance to get it right and if you mess up, chances are good that people will notice.

This year marked the 25^th anniversary of the annual concert originally conceived by Sheya Mendlowitz as a fundraiser for the children of Camp HASC and in general, the concert focused more on the concept of the HASC concert than the music itself.  That is not to say that there weren’t some memorable performances, but by and large the night was all about the concert itself.  Performers were mostly limited to a single song each, with a never ending stream of singers taking the stage one after another, introduced by the number of times they had each appeared in previous concerts.  Only two acts were invited for a debut on the legendary HASC stage:  The Maccabeats and 8^th Day.

The evening began promptly at 7:30 as advertised, with Yisroel Lamm conducting a Neginah orchestra that had approximately twelve pieces.  The HASC choir, led by Shloime Kaufman and featuring Sholom Jacobs, Yaakov Klein, Yaakov Ettinger, Meir Popowitz, Asher Fine and Shua Nachman,  was on the stage for much of the night and did an outstanding job. The stage featured a big center video screen flanked by two 21 feet high banners bearing the words “HASC 25 A Time For Music,” artfully designed as was all the HASC artwork.

Before I go through all the songs, let me just issue a disclaimer.  I will probably get some names wrong.  Feel free to correct me in the comments section and I will be happy to make changes as needed.

First up on stage were Avraham Fried, Lipa Schmeltzer, Shloime Gertner and Ohad who used the nusach of Maariv for Kol Nidrei night as an introduction to a set of songs including Ribono Shel Olam, the HASC classic Small Piece of Heaven, Abi Mileibt, Adi-Tanya as performed at HASC 20 and Avraham Fried’s Shalom Aleichem.  Dedi came onstage to join the quartet and the group sang Dedi’s Kulanu Nashir B’Yachad, with lots of help from the audience, occasionally substituting the words “twenty five years together” for “everyone sing together”.

A breakdancer dressed up as the aging Six Flags dancer used in previous HASC campaigns came on stage for a few moments and the last song sung by the group was London School of Jewish Song’s Mareh Cohen.

Next up was a quick, modified video clip of Dovid Gabay learning with his son, from the Ana Avda video released by Sheya Mendlowitz in conjunction with his Big Time Alte Heim album, followed by Dovid Gabay dancing all over the stage as he sang Ana Avda with the choir.  Abie Rotenberg was introduced as the HASC record holder, having appeared at fourteen HASC concerts and he spoke briefly and beautifully about both HASC and concert founder Sheya Mendlowitz who was not in attendance.  After asking the audience to give Sheya a standing ovation, Abie launched into the first song he ever wrote for HASC, the truly touching Who Am I, which all these years later is still as beautiful as ever.

Zale Newman, master of ceremonies for the first six concerts introduced the next segment of the evening, paying tribute to six performers who had previously graced the HASC stage but are no longer with us.  After first mentioning Laibel Heshel, Danny Berkowitz of Menucha and Mikey Butler, Newman introduced musical tributes to three musical greats who were all HASC alumni:  Shlomo Carlebach, Jo Amar and Moshe Yess.  Eitan Katz, Yehuda Green, Chaim Dovid and violinist Ruby Harris performed Carlebach’s U’fros Aleinu followed by Hashem Oz.  Ohad returned to the stage for an impressive performance of Jo Amar’s Barcelona, followed by Avraham Fried singing Moshe Yess’ signature song My Zaidy.

The next singer, Israeli entertainer Yoel Sharabi, was introduced by Uncle Moishy as one of the original HASC performers.  Sharabi, who plays several instruments proficiently, came out on stage with bongos, beginning with a few bars of the chorus of the classic Kol Haolam Kulo, before launching into a rendition of the Eyal Golan hit Mi Shemaamin, recently redone and made popular by up and coming superstar Benny Friedman.  While the middle aged Sharabi can’t possibly match the energy and voice of Friedman who is so many years his junior, he gave an enthusiastic performance, jumping all over the stage with a temporary segue into Mordechai Ben David’s Mitzvah Gedola.

Next on stage was concert chairman Miles Berger.  After all, you can’t possibly have a benefit concert without thanking all those involved in the process, can you?  But the expressions of gratitude were short and in no time at all, Shalsheles and Shalsheles Jr. took the stage.  Neither group was full, as both Simcha Sussman and Edan Pinchot live outside of the New York area and were absent.  Following a short medley of Heyma and Gadol, the Maccabeats (or most of them anyway) appeared singing their viral hit, Candlelight.

Chazzan Yitzchok Meir Helfgott delivered a flawless performance of Moshe V’Aaron  and was followed by Lipa, in an electric jacket and hat.  I mean, literally electric, as the trim on both Lipa’s jacket and hat were trimmed with lights, which was pretty cool on a darkened stage. Lipa launched into a cute bit as he reminisced about previous concerts and a video showed first a five year old Lipa singing at his home in New Square when the HASC concert series began and we see Lipa singing at age ten, then at age twelve in his first pair of unconventional glasses, which Lipa described as having been paid for by Medicare.  Lipa continued in his musical musings, consistently crediting the wrong singer with a particular song, describing Shlomo Carelbach singing Diet, Abish Brodt singing Ya’alili and launching into a nigun he claims to sing every Shabbos with his children, the theme from the Godfather, before conductor Yisroel Lamm attempted to set him straight.

Up next was, what for me was probably the best performance of the night, as Journeys, aka Abie Rotenberg, Elie Kranzler and Gershon Veroba took the stage, singing Abie’s first English song, Time to Say Good Shabbos.  From there it was time for the second debut performance of the night as 8^th Day rocked the house with Ya’alili.  Another tribute followed, this time to the numerous gedolim that were niftar recently, by the trio of Srully Williger, Mendy Wald and Shloime Dachs singing the touching songs Lev Tahor and Acheinu.  Sadly the accompanying background video with pictures of the gedolim never went on.

Dedi was the next performer to take the stage which was already occupied by a royal guardsman, one of the unsmiling sentries who flank the gates of Buckingham palace.  In an attempt to get the guardsman to smile, Dedi hums Shloime Gertner’s Shmeichel, but to no avail.  Hoping that perhaps a fellow Englishman would have more success coaxing a smile out of the guard, Dedi is joined by Gertner and after a rousing chorus of Shmeichel and Dedi’s V’Koivei, the guardsman starts to loosen up, as his limbs start to twitch and by the end of the set he removes his tall black hat, puts it in front of his face and we are rewarded with a smile from the Justin Bieber look alike dancer who we first saw at the Ohel concert this past November.

Singer/Composer Baruch Levine took a seat at the piano bench, singing Bitchu from his latest album, Hashkifa, followed by a song and dance number from Miami Boys Choir as the boys bounced all over the stage singing the opening track from their latest album, Shema Yisroel.

The evening ended on a bizarre note, as Yigal Calek took the podium, reminiscing about his youth in Tel Aviv, as he was addicted to music but there was no Jewish music available and in a short sermon, he both thanked HASC for a quarter of a century of beautiful concerts and chastened the performers to keep the “Jewish” in Jewish music.

A video of Camp HASC set to Avraham Fried’s Forever One was a poignant reminder of what the HASC concert series is all about, as the beautiful faces of the HASC children and the dedicated staff filled the large video screen.  The entire cast gathered onstage for the HASC theme song, Candles, complete, of course, with candles illuminating the darkened stage in addition to Lipa’s electric couture.

There is no question that while the HASC concert is a huge fundraiser and one of the most highly anticipated musical events of the year.  For music lovers everywhere, the fact that other organizations have also begun staging top notch fundraising concerts that give HASC a run for its money is a positive development as it raises the musical bar for everyone.  For those who are looking for musical perfection, where every vocal and every note is dead on, I strongly suggest you stay home and wait for the HASC concert to come out on video.   For those who are looking  to make a sizable donation to Camp HASC, while enjoying an evening of live music, you might want to start thinking about HASC 26 before it, too, sells out.

I was thinking about the big HASC concert, coming this Sunday. It’s one of the premiere concerts in Jewish Music, certainly the longest running, now in its 25th year. The show will debut a cast packed with names from the past and some new faces, currently trending in Jewish Music. A cast that, at least announced, boasts 22 different groups or solo artists. (Counting a group like Shalsheles Jr or Miami or 8th Day, as one act, not as 3 or 20 or 2 each) One would assume since it’s the 25th year and they love surprises, they will have at least 25 acts.

We will know after Sunday night how this concert, featuring probably the largest cast ever assembled for a Jewish Music show is received, but before then, I thought it would be fun to dream up our own ultimate concert lineups.

Of course, this does not mean you need to include 50 artists, maybe your ultimate dream is 2 acts, or even, 1 act! It’s your dream, so you can have what you wish. So let’s see. I believe most people would pick from the big players, and of course, since it’s a dream scenario, don’t worry about mixed seating yes, mixed seating no, or I’d like this guy at his prime, or that guy 10 years ago. No rules, this includes time and space as well!

Since I’m the writer it would be only fitting to give my own dream concert, or at least, one of them.

MBD, Fried, Dudu Fisher.

Dudu opens show, then Fried and Dudu, then Fried, then Fried and MBD, then MBD, the finale, MBD, Fried and Dudu.

Your turn, all comments welcome, no negativity, this is about having fun. But, hey, how about more than 9 comments this time!

Recently I passed the 10^th anniversary of being a professional vocalist (I get paid to sing, so by default I am professional). I was having a conversation recently with a friend who is a huge music lover and amateur musician, and in the course of conversation he mentioned how he loves to just sit down on his keyboard and jam away all the time, and how much fun it is. This reminded me of a conversation that I had with another friend a number of years ago. He is a drummer, and a very fine one at that. I was trying to convince him to play professionally and told him he’d do well. His response to me was that although he knew he was good enough, he’d never do it, because he doesn’t ever want to lose the love he has for music, and the fun he has when playing. I am not trying to suggest that becoming a professional musician will take away the love and the fun of the music, but it got me thinking. For most people out there, music is fun, and a diversion. For us professionals it’s a business, and something that even if you only do it part time, as I do, still demands a lot of practice and prep time. Without getting into the work involved with being a band leader (dealing with clients, hiring musicians, getting all your equipment and music books in order, etc…), even a regular musician or vocalist has a lot of work to do. Anyone who wants to stay on top of his profession must devote time to practicing, learning all the latest songs (and words), and doing the proper exercise to handle the physical challenges that will give you the stamina on the jobs you play or sing at. There is also continued training that many of us have to go through to try and improve. I can hear why someone would think (and how it is actually possible) that becoming a professional musician would take away from the love and fun of it. However, I personally have quite the opposite experience myself. I come from a family of professional musicians that have been performing for close to 40 years. Their enthusiasm and excitement hasn’t waned at all over the years, and in my 10 years, neither has mine. The adrenaline rush I get when I start to sing at a job is an unbelievable phenomenon. A doctor once commented that he is jealous of musicians. He has people coming to him all day telling and showing him their problems. We get paid to make people happy! What can be more fun than that?

This Sunday at 8 PM, join Shaindel Antelis, Henny Stern, Leah Goldman and the Bas Kol Band for the Sweet Sukkos Celebration.  Presented by AYIL and Ladies First, the evening wil feature singing, dancing, a fashion show, open mic and more at the Ocean Parkway Jewish Center, 550 Ocean Parkway at 8 PM.

Admission:  $10 RSVP/Student or with food/clothing donation or $15 at the door.

For more information contact Miriam Leah at 917 686 1211

VIN  Exclusive Interview:  MBD Says Latest Release Will Be His Final Album

By:  Sandy Eller

New York – Thirty eight years after the release of his first album, Mordechai Ben David Sings Original Chasidic Niggunim, the man who has been called the undisputed king of Jewish music has announced the release of what will be his final album.

The album, titled Kisufim, is slated to be released on Tuesday by Aderet Music and will contain fourteen songs, including ten new compositions and four old niggunim, two of which date back a century or more and features significant vocal contributions by the Shira Choir.

Werdyger, who composed several of the songs on Kisufim, described this album as having a very different flavor than his most recent hit album, Kulam Ahuvim, whose songs have proven to be a mainstay on the wedding circuit.

“This particular album is a very warm, chasidishe album, something I have wanted to do for many, many years, and I plan to sign off with it.  It is a mix of new material and old nigunim, with original material by Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz, Yitzchak Fuchs and myself.  I am madly in love with it.”

In an exclusive interview with VIN News, MBD spoke about his decision and the current state of Jewish music.

VIN:  Is this really your last album?
MBD: That is the current plan.

VIN:  Does this announcement mean you are leaving the Jewish music scene entirely?
MBD:  I am only retiring from albums.

VIN: What made you take this step?
MBD:  Putting together an album is too much work. People don’t realize how much goes into an album.  Unfortunately, electronic media has destroyed the CD business and even the biggest secular companies are going under because people just download music they find online.
The way it is right now, it really doesn’t pay to do an album.

VIN: In that case, what does the future hold for Jewish music?
MBD:  Moshiach will come and we will have the music of the Leviyim in the Beis Hamikdash.

VIN:  What are your thoughts on current Jewish music?
MBD: Unfortunately I really have no time to listen and don’t really know what is going on in Jewish music.  I do know that it has taken a completely different direction and Chasidic music is no longer Chasidic music.

VIN:  What do you think is missing in today’s Jewish music?
MBD:  Hartz, which has to be the main ingredient in any album.  If music doesn’t come from the heart it is nothing.

VIN: What do you think is the reason you are still around and popular so many years later?

MBD: Siyata d’ishmaya.

VIN: Thank you for your time.

A member of one of Jewish music’s most heralded families, Mordechai Ben David’s musical career began when his father, the legendary Chazan Dovid Werdyger, overheard him playing original musical compositions and suggested he record an album of his own, which was released in 1973.  Kisufim will be MBD’s thirty sixth full length solo album, in addition to four singles and having appeared on over thirty five other albums in his very lengthy career.  MBD has become a fixture on the concert circuit with numerous appearances in the HASC concert series and the annual Chabad Telethon.  Many of his classic songs remain as popular today as they were when they were first released years ago.

It’s been a while since I posted. I know, I know, shame on me. It’s been a hectic summer, which lead right up until now, the chaggim. I hope this article settles your reading hunger for the time being. And look, I even drew a little cartoon for you above to show that I’m sorry for the wait.

Let’s face it, we’re in the generation of the mp3 player.

There’s the iPod and all of it’s copycats out there. It’s in your co-workers purse, in your kids dresser drawers (or more likely, on the floor where it shouldn’t be) and I’ve even seen a mailman strolling down the block with his mail cart bopping his head to the music blaring from his mp3 player. And don’t forget about the stroller pushing stay-at-home mom; nothing like listening to a new cd (how much longer will that term last?) and getting herself and the baby out of the house. Kill two birds with one stone anyone?

My point is that mp3 and downloading have become mainstream. But what about the Judaica stores who received the profits that kept them open from selling cd’s?

Tough luck, right?

Maybe. But I’ve had this plan in the back of my mind for some time now. I don’t know if it’s at all possible, but why not?

Perhaps Judaica stores could install MP3 booths? Sounds stupid, I know. People can just download the songs from the comfort of their own home, why go out to do something you can do at home? What if the Judaica store had its very own “JMR” reviewer or any knowledgable Jewish music listener as an employee there. Then it could be worth it.

I’ve seen it before and I’ve seen it almost every time. The majority of Jewish music buyers, or perhaps even all music buyers, don’t know what to buy. Sure, we can go on mostlymusic.com and listen to the preview and read the beautiful write up on the upcoming cd, but does that really compare to a knowledgeable person or friend’s opinion? Whether or not the preview or the write up is true, in the back of our minds, we’re thinking that of course the preview sounds good, they selected the best 8 seconds of each song and tried to push that; or, of course the write up looks great, the writer was probably paid to write it (which, by the way is what is so great about JMR for the readers, we don’t get paid a dime. Trust me, you should see my bank account, we just love Jewish music… a lot.

The fact is, it would be super cool to have an ATM-like machine in Judaica stores with a list of downloadable music available. You could swipe your card, plug in your flash drive and download the music. How great is that? That’s not all, like I said before, you would be able to ask a employee of the store for his opinions on albums. Of course you would be able to listen to the full songs from the mp3 list (the terms cd and album have really become obsolete…) in the store on the cd racks next to the machine. You know what you’re getting. No more, would be the days of listening to 8 sec previews. We want to listen to the full song before we buy it, right?

What would be even cooler is a review button on the machine that shows reviews from your very own JMR. Not only do you get to listen to the full cd before buying it, you get to read full length reviews, ask questions from a knowledgable employee, and take in the whole being in the outside world experience. Remember the outside world? The days before the internet? Go listen to music at the store, shmooze with the other people listening. Communication is a wonderful thing.

I know this article is a little outside the box, but that’s probably because I’m a little outside the box. Hope you enjoyed it, and I would love to hear some feedback. Just drop me a comment below.

Have a great new year!

Join Shua Kessin for an exciting end of summer Shabbos in the at Cutler’s bungalow colony in South Fallsburg.  Shua will be davening Kabalas Shabbos in Cutler’s Shul at 7:15 and doing an after Seudah Oneg at China Town.  Join Shua motzei Shabbos for an unforgettable free concert/kumzitz at 11 PM.

As August  rapidly draws to a close, day camps, at least where I hail from, have all closed up shop and the first busloads of sleepaway campers have begun to deposit tanned, happy and exhausted campers back in their hometowns.

With three of my children ending up in a total of five different camps this summer and assorted nieces and nephews in another four camps, I asked them all what albums or songs they heard played over and over again in camp this summer.

Not that it came as much of a surprise, but they all gave me the same answer.

The music they heard repeatedly this summer?

Ya’alili.

Yes, there were other things played, but there is no doubt, that of the nine camps I polled Ya’alili was the clear favorite.  Nothing else even came close.

What were the songs of the summer where you were this year?  Drop us a comment and let us know!