Much has been said about the recent explosion of Chassidic singers and performers, so for me to pile on is unnecessary. Since Shragee Gestetner’s new album has come out, I have listened to it extensively to really get to know the songs and to try and formulate an opinion based on a longer amount of time than I usually would before writing a review. As a whole, I think this album is a very enjoyable album and worth buying. When it comes to songs that will become popular on the wedding scene, I think it is not a fair barometer anymore to judge a new release. I am not sure why there have not been many new songs from recent albums being played at weddings (and maybe that can be a post at a later date), but the fact that there are not that many songs in the last year and a half that have come out and become big, means that we can’t judge an album by how many songs will become popular.  There are many more albums coming out today and every performer has to try to do something special or different so that people will want to buy their album. Shragee has a very sweet voice, a nice range, and he also composed some of the songs on the album, so we know he has a lot of talent to bring to the table. The album is produced by A Teem Production, Yossi Tyberg and Gershy Moskowitz, and many of the songs are composed by Yossi Green. The musical arrangements are by Shua Fried, Ilya Lishinsky, Yuval Stupel, and Mendy Hershkowitz, and while I will comment on some of the arrangements that I feel were a little underwhelming, I think as a whole they are arranged tastefully.

Here are my song by song assessments:

Sim Bracha: The 1^st thing that hit me about this song was the bass guitar solo to begin the song. If I might digress for a moment, this is a hot button topic by musicians (especially bass guitarists) in the Jewish music scene. If you go to a typical wedding, there is usually no bass guitarist and the bass lines are being played by the keyboardist. There are some keyboardists out there who can play a mean bass, but there is no replacement for the real thing. Aside for trombone, the bass guitar is probably the most underutilized instrument. For me it is a breath of fresh air, and very daring to begin the whole album with a bass guitar solo. It is amazing! The song as a whole, composed by Yossi Green and arranged by Ilya Lishinsky, is a pleasant Hora, and very enjoyable. Yossi Green adds to the song with his unmistakably unique background vocals. I am not sure why the song fades out at the end, but if there was no ending to be had, it is better than just an abrupt end (as I will expound on later).

Venizkeh: A surprisingly upbeat ballad that is just enough different to stick out, but a really nice song. The song is composed by Ari Haas and arranged by Shua Fried. Shragee sings the backup vocals himself on this song. I think the instrumentation and arrangements on this song are very tasteful. I especially enjoyed the guitar and saxophone solos, and the ending as well.

Maleh Mishalos Libi: Two slow songs one after another is not something you’ll usually find on an album, but in my book, it’s ok. This song is composed by Shragee himself, and arranged by Shua Fried. It has more of a haunting and somber feel to it. The very simple instrumentation the first time around the song is very tasteful, and I like how it progresses and builds up during the song. Shragee’s backup vocals are also very powerful in this song as well.

L’chaim: Yossi Green! Need I say more? This song is a prototypical Yossi Green song. It is an enjoyable song to listen to right up until the abrupt end. It just ends. (kinda like my assessment of the song just ended…)

Kerachem Av: This is another Yossi Green composition. The musical arrangements are by Shua Fried. This is a very nice slow and hartzige song .This is a song that really highlights Shragee’s sweet voice and range.

Dayoy: This is a very solid Hora that might be the best song on the album. It is composed by R’ Moshe Peretz Schwartz and arranged by Shua Fried. The choir is led by Moshe Kraus. There is a little techno/synthesized music that is not my favorite, but the song is so good that I can overlook it. This song also ends abruptly.

K’sheim: A real nice and catchy song. The song is composed by Shragee, the intro is composed by Pinny Ostreicher, and arranged by Ilya Lishinsky. This is a very upbeat song and is one of my favorites on the album.

Odeh Hashem: This is another Yossi Green and Shua Fried collaboration. It is a very sweet and emotional song with words (giving thanks to Hashem) that really fit the song. This song also fades out at the end.

Bnei Beischa: A very lebedik and geshmake song composed by Pinky Weber and arranged by Yuval Stupel.  There is a lot of brass in the song ala Moshe Laufer, but since I love brass, it works for me. The choir by Moshe Kraus really adds to the song as well.  I really enjoyed listening to it.

Uvruchim Heim: A beautiful and hartzige song composed by Shragee himself. The song is arranged by Shua Fried. The highlight of the song for me is the children’s choir, led by Moshe Kraus.

Moshe V’dovid: The final song on the album is a Yossi Green composition that came out a few months ago as a video in tribute to a bar mitzvah boy. It is arranged by Mendy Hershkowitz of Freilich Orchestra. I liked the song when it came out, and like even better with Shragee singing the whole song himself, with of course Yossi Green’s background vocals.

In conclusion, I feel that this album is a very solid album and an enjoyable listen. I highly recommend it. You can purchase it at http://www.topjewishmusic.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=236, http://www.mostlymusic.com/shragee.html, or anywhere good Jewish Music is sold.

Just when one may think that the Jewish music world was saturated with enough singers, the ” esTeemed” Teem Productions has treated us to Shragee Gestetner, a Haimishe Yingerman that sings songs with a wide range of styles that will please everyone who has taste for Jewish music. He has a clear sweet voice that reminds me of Shloime Gertner. So if you are a Gertner fan like most of us, you gotta get hooked on to Shragee!

The album consists of 11 songs. 5 are composed by Yossi Green – himself a multi-faceted composer and the best in the business. 3  are composed by Shragee himself and he is not a novice in composing great songs. For example, Shragee composed a song Anim Zemiros  for Shloime Daskal’s album. The remaining 3 are composed by Pinky Weber, Ari Haas and Moishe Peretz Schwartz.

Most songs are arranged by Shua Fried who is an amazing arranger and keeps getting better.

The songs on the album that stand out the most are as follows:

#3- Malei Mishalois Libi composed by Shragee is a hauntingly beautiful song. At the 4:10 mark, he comes in like a backup vocalist in a big time powerful way that’s very meoirer.

#5 – Kerachem Av composed by Yossi Green is a really hartzige nigun. (It’s funny that the last time I remember Yossi composing a song with these words was with New York School Volume 2 in the 70′s…) But you gotta hear this song…. Chamoil, Chamoil,Chamoil al ameichu….and the arrangements at the end of the song…very touchy.

#6 is Dayoy composed by Moishe Peretz Schwartz – The words are “Ma yisoinein ho-odom chai, dayoi shehu chai”. I remember hearing a drasha from Reb Zelig Pliskin that always talks about happiness and he mentioned this phrase base on a passuk in Eicha and that once a person appreciates the fact that he is alive there is nothing to complain about. This song brings out this yesoid in a powerful Hora – style way. So if someone fels a little down, he can just turn on this song and immediately start dancing!

#7 is Kesheim she-ani roikeid composed by Shragee. It is upbeat and catchy and reminds me of Dovid Gabay’s Havi’i Bonai from his first album.

#9 song is a leibedike geshmake nigun composed by Pinky Weber called Benei Baischa.

#10 is Uvruchim Heim composed by Shragee. It’s a really varemeh song and maybe the best song on the album. It includes a chidren and adult choir led by Moishy Kraus.

To sum up, when you have a new singer that has the best composer for the biggest portion of his songs, and includes his own compositions ” in er hot nisht vus tzi sheimen” then you know it’s a smashing success.

My first reaction listening to this album is where have they found this special talent? I have never seen any videos of him singing at weddings, like I have of most of the newest singing sensations. I have never heard of him, and I am probably not alone here. Amram Adar seems to have burst onto the Jewish Music scene (well actually danced his way in with his music video release) and taken us by storm. Amram is as versatile of a vocalist as I’ve heard. He can sing Ashkenaz, Sefard, Yeshivish, Chasidish, and Chazanus, and all of these really well. His voice is polished and full, and his range is amazing as well. Amram shows us he excels in singing both fast and slow songs. I don’t know if Yochi Briskman is the one who discovered him, but he has a great track record producing albums for solid and talented performers, and Amram Adar can be added onto that list as well. The album, Baruch Hashem, is sure to become a hit album, and I am confident that some of the songs will become big hits as well.

Baruch Hashem- As the title track of the album, this song really starts off with a bang! There are 6 different languages used to begin the song; Hebrew, Spanish, English, Russian, French, and of course Yiddish. It’s a very catchy tune, composed by Yitzy Waldner. The intro sounds like a classic Moshe Mona Rosenblum piece, complete with some nice piano and brass parts and he is the arranger of the song. This song really brings out Amram’s voice and is a great song to start off the album.

V’ilu – Wow! I think that sums up my opinion of the song. We all know Yochanan Shapiro, of Acheinu fame, is an amazing composer, and therefore we expect nothing less than an amazing and hartzige song from him. Add in Yanky Briskman’s arrangements and Amram’s sweet voice, and this has a chance to be a real hit song.

Halaila – This is the song featured on the recent music video that Amram released. It is mostly techno music, arranged by techno master Ian Freitor. This is a catchy horah composed by Yitzy Waldner.

Boee Kallah – This song is another sweet and hartzige song. It is composed by famous composer Yitzy Waldner, the main composer on the album, and arranged by the legendary Moshe Laufer. I can just hear this song as a staple by Chupas and as dinner music.

Aneini – A real nice upbeat song composed and arranged by well known Israeli musician and band leader Yoni Eliav.

Kesser/Kodosh – This is a two part song. The first part is a nice piece of chazzanus, composed and arranged by Dr. Mordechai Sobol, a legend in the world of chazzanus. Amram shows his versatility by doing an amazing job on the chazzanus. The other part of the song is composed by Yitzy Waldner, and arranged by Dr. Sobol’s son, Ofir, also a legend in the world of chazzanus. This song as a whole has more of a chazzanus feel, and as such, is not the usual style you would find on a regular Jewish music album. Nonetheless, it is a nice and enjoyable song.

Git Voch – Another Yitzy Waldner song set to the words of Havdala with added Yiddish words, hence the name Git Voch. The song is arranged by Ian Freitor. Although Ian usually is into techno programming, he also proves here is a talented arranger with regular instruments as well. This song is not one of my favorites, but is an ok song.

Ad Matai – A touching song about the long galus we are in. This is the Hebrew version of the song. The song is co-composed by Yoel D. Goldstein and Yitzy Waldner, arranged by Yonatan Razel, and features child soloist Moshe Green.  The Hebrew lyrics are written by Srulik Adler. This is the type of song that I expect to see eventually on Youtube with a touching video attached.

Moshiach – This is a catchy and upbeat song, which I find to be the perfect ending to the previous song. The meaning of the words is that we should be zoche to greet Moshiach! This song is composed by Yoni Eliav, and arranged by Moshe Laufer & Yanky Briskman.

Brich – Another sweet and hartzige song, this one co-composed by Amram Adar & Yitzy Waldner, and arranged by Moshe Laufer. From all the slow songs on the album, this is the weakest, which just speaks to how solid and amazing this album is! Brich also features child soloist Moshe Green.

Yismach – This song stats off in more of a sefardi style hora eventually switching to a disco beat. It’s a nice solid song that might also find its way onto the dance floor. Yismach is composed by Yitzy Waldner, and arranged by Moshe Mona Rosenblum.

Ad Mosai – This is a Yiddish version of Ad Matai, with the Yiddish lyrics written by famous badchan Motty Ilowitz.

In conclusion, this seems to be an amazing debut album by a real exciting performer. To buy baruch Hashem visit http://www.mostlymusic.com/adar-baruch-hashem.html or wherever quality Jewish music is sold.

How often can an album be released featuring an all star lineup of Mordechai Ben David, Lipa Schmelczer, Dovid Gabay, Shloime Gertner, the Mezamrim Choir, Chilik Frank and the Freilach Orchestra, produced by Sheya Mendlowitz, and arranged by Suki Berry,  and seemingly not even register a blip on the Jewish Music scene? Then again, with most of the musical focus nowadays on new sounds and styles, this album, Big Time Alter Heim – Then and Now, is one that could fly under the radar, undeservingly so. Set in a wedding type format this album mixes some older classics with some newer classics to make a very pleasant and enjoyable to listen to album. Since, this is not an album with brand new songs (except one) I will not do a song by song review, but will give some highlights of each medley.

Opening Medley (Od Yishoma) – This medley features Lipa Schmelczer, Dovid Gabay, clarinet virtuoso Chilik Frank, and both the Mezamrim Choir, under the leadership of Chilu Posen, and the Moshy Kraus choir. This begins with a couple of classic od yishoma songs. Although I am not a fan of the Israeli “knaytch” on the 1^st od yishoma, I still love the song itself. It also features a few classic chassidishe songs, including V’chol Karnei and Tzali Voroini, a favorite of my Rosh Yeshiva’s, a Rav Shmuel Brazil and Regesh classic, Uvo Litziyon, one of Baruch Levine’s nicer freilich songs, Avinu Malkeinu Galay, and ends with another wedding classic, Vayehi Bshurun. Between the songs themselves, the musical arrangements, and the harmonies of the choirs, this is a real solid medley.

Chupa Selections are the next five tracks. My favorites are Mama Rochel, a Mordechai Ben David classic, as Mi Adir, with MBD himself singing, a stirring rendition of The London School of Jewish Song’s B’ein Malitz Yosher by fellow Englishman Shloime Gertner, and another London School of Jewish Song classic, Hamalach, sung to the words of Mi Bon Siach by the Mezamrim Choir. All in all these selections are very calming and beautifully arranged.

Anah Avdah – This is the only brand new song on the album. It is a techno style song, that people who have read my reviews before know is not my favorite style of music. I must say that Dovid Gabay does an amazing vocal job on this song, and the animated video that was created from this song (http://youtu.be/9PWEAQ6RPIw) has been a big hit with many people, including my children and has over 25,000 views on YouTube. A JMR colleague of mine recently told me that for many it was the high point of the album.

Marches- the next medley is a couple of famous chassidishe marches sung by the Mezamrim Choir. This is also a very nice and relaxing listen.

K’neses Yisroel – a beautiful song composed by Shloime Kalish, and with Yiddish lyrics by Lipa Schmelczer, who also is the main vocalist on this song.

Closing Sameach Medley – The last medley on the album is a very interesting mix of songs. It begins with Sameach, which I had only heard before as an Uncle Moishy song, and one that I have always enjoyed. It follows with a Chabad niggun, B’cho Hashem and a Satmer niggun, U’vchein, which Lipa Schmelczer not only sings on this album but also on Non Stop Lipa. Two MBD classics follow, Samcheinu, from his Mashiach album, and a newer classic, Kulam Ahuvim. The medley ends with two older classics Chaim Shetehay, a Moshe Laufer song, and Vosik, a Chaim Banet special. In addition to Lipa, vocals on this medley feature both choirs, MBD, Dovid Gabay and up and comer Shalom Jacobs. The ending on this medley is a classic “back in the day” Suki Berry/MBD ending.

All in all this is a very enjoyable and relaxing album. If you are looking to wax nostalgic and hear what Jewish music once sounded like, I totally recommend this album. It is available at http://www.jewishjukebox.com/products/jewish_wedding_music/2362.asp, at mostly music http://www.mostlymusic.com/big-time-alter-heim-then-now.html, and wherever good Jewish music is sold.

Disclaimer : I’m sorry that the CD has been out for a little while and only now am I writing up this review. Turns out I got swept in the Yom Tov rush like many others and I was only able to finish it now.

From the moment I started listening to the newest Nochi Krohn album, I haven’t been able to stop. Since Nochi’s last album “Ananim”, he definitely stepped it up a notch. This album in particular moved more towards mainstream Jewish music while still keeping everything fresh and original. Although I could go on for a long time about how great I think this album is, I will do everyone a favor and try to keep it short as I run through each track and attempt to sum up this album.

1.Ein Kadosh Kashem – A funky techno beat starts off this album switching to a hora and then back to a disco/techno beat. As far as the composition: many artists sings songs nowadays that are tailor made to them (which is great) but it can be much harder for the typical person to sing these songs themselves. Nochi’s songs have a tendency to be easily singable and not too hard to pick up. This was the first song off the album that I found getting constantly stuck in my head.  The song is very jumpy yet still on the softer side making it a perfect album opener.

2.Esa Einay – Many people feel that this is for sure one of the best if not THE best song on the album. The song starts off with a guitar/mandolin/saxophone serenade. A beat settles in, almost country-ish but soft, then moves on to without a doubt one of the best melodies I’ve heard. This is one of those songs where you can really “feel” the song. The band put a lot of heart and soul into this one (as well as really great mandolin riffs through the song)

3.Yoshaiv – This song overall is very nice. Harmonies play a big part in the chorus in this song but harmonies is one of those things that Nochi and his brothers do quite well. Honestly other than that there isn’t anything specific I have to add about this song in particular

4.Oz Tischazeik – Although I don’t complain about songs I have a very large complaint regarding this song. IT’S WAY TOO SHORT! This must be one of the best nigun-songs that has come out in a long time and this song was stuck in my head for a very long time after I heard it only once. (I think it still might be). Great arrangements as well as melody, love the mandolin and definitely one of my favorite songs off of the album

5.Banai – For the cover song Nochi brought in the very well known Yosef Karduner.  A very well played song. I love the way that the chorus comes crashing in (in a good way).

6.Deah Es Hashem – The song starts off with an awesome rock intro, and flows into the groove of the song. A great mix of both softer and heavier beats. Nochi did an amazing job on the vocals.

7.Berosh Hashono – There are unfortunately many songs in the Jewish Music world where the words don’t quite match the music they are being sung to. This song is a lesson on how a song can be perfect for the words. This song is slow (without being too slow) and really has the flavor of Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur injected into it.

8.Rabos Machshavos –  This song was composed after Nochi went through in his mind what his Rebbi, Rabbi Geisler had taught him about these words. He even shares this understanding of these words with his fans at 3 minutes and 30 seconds into the song. It’s a real talent to throw a D’var Torah into a song still have the song flow so well. The D’var Torah is given through a great musical riff in the background.

9.Tzadik Katamar – Although I don’t think theres anything I specifically liked it still a great solid song. I don’t honestly think theres anything that Nochi has put out that I can say I didnt like.

10.Tzaischem – After releasing a softer version of this song on the album “U’Shmuel Bekorei Shemo”, the band stepped it up a notch by starting with a very synth-y arrangement. I personally love hearing that wild drumroll right before the song starts. This song (like many others on the album) is very catchy and is definitely a favorite at kumzitses (from my own personal experience playing them).  The first time I had ever heard this song was actually on the Sameach Music Podcast when it was still around and the song since then has improved greatly in all aspects.

To sum up :  I definitely recommend buying this album. It’s not easy to find a CD that has so many amazing songs, and Nochi being a musician, a producer, and a singer has a tripleheader in this case.

-HILLELKAPS

The all new issue of Ami Magazine  includes a six song CD, produced in honor of Succos, featuring the voices of Lipa Schmelczer, Yanky Lemmer, Shimon Craimer, Shloimy Zeiger and Moishy Waldner.  All six songs on the album, titled Big Voices, are original compositions by Moshe Lax, with arrangements by Shloimy Zeiger, Naftali Schnitzler and Patrick Wickham.  Big Voices will feature a contemporary take on classical music and chazanus with a Chasidic flavor and was produced by Shloimy Zeiger, who also created the album cover art.

Baruch Levine has long been known as a composer and performer, whose material is both sweet and enjoyable. Although he has some really beautiful songs on other people’s albums, his big break came on his first release, Vezakeini, with the songs Vezakeini and V’hu Keyli making everyone’s list of must listen to songs. Every time I pick up a new CD and see that he composed a song on the CD, I am confident that it will be a beautiful and enjoyable song. As a full disclosure, I had the opportunity to sing once with Baruch, at his brother’s wedding, and he is also a first rate mentch. Saying all this, Baruch has a very distinct style, and on his newest release, Hashkifah, it is very evident. For anyone who is not a fan of his, or is in the mood for change, this album will not be for you. For me, who loves Baruch’s music, this album really hits the spot for me. He mixes his hartzige and sweet songs, with lebedik and enjoyable, but not wild, songs. Yochi Briskman is once again Baruch’s producer, and the musical arrangements are by his son Yanky Briskman, and Baruch himself. I think that both the musical and vocal arrangements are done tastefully.

Here is my song by song assessment:

Hashkifah – Ok, so it’s not such a surprise that Baruch picks his title track to be the first song on his album, until the music starts, and it’s a slow song! Usually an album starts off with a real bang, but Baruch Levine’s signature songs are all nice, slow and hartzige so it’s not a complete surprise to me that he begins this album with another sweet and hartzige song. Whether this or any of the songs on this album become hits, only time will tell, but this sounds like another special song.

Tov Lachsos – This is the first lebedik song/Hora on the album. I like how the intro is very upbeat, and when Baruch sings the low part of the song the first time around, the drums, bass, and most of the other instruments are silent, to allow us to capture the sweetness of the song, in its most simple form. The high part is very catchy (and that’s really the first thing that caught my ear when I was listening to the sample promo clips). I also enjoyed the choir’s harmonies, especially by the bridge at 2:46 of the song, and the high part at 3:13.The key modulation (which I happen to love and seemingly is also a favorite of the Briskman Family with Yaakov Shwekey and Baruch Levine) at 2:30 only helps highlight Baruch’s tremendous range.

B’ni – Before I give my opinion of the actual song, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my disappointment that the song starts with a very cheap and synthesized keyboard sound, which in my opinion, is out of place on such a nice hartzige song. Being raised by a professionally trained pianist, there is nothing nicer to me than a talented pianist playing a piece, and the sound used does not do justice. Now, to my assessment of the song, I don’t want to sound repetitive, but Baruch composes really nice, sweet and melodious songs, and B’ni is no different. He is joined by child/bochur singing sensation Dovid Dachs (whose voice sounds like it is finally changing….lucky him, my voice was changing within months of my Bar Mitzvah).

Tlas – This is Baruch’s 3^rd regular album (as evidenced by the 3 after his name on the front cover) and has a song named Tlas (three in Aramaic). Hmm…. Ok now onto the song itself. I am not a big fan of using obscure lyrics, especially not from the Zohar (or based on a Zohar). Despite that, the concept of the song is very meaningful. The song is a Mediterranean styled Hora, and it is a nice song, and I like how Baruch ends the song.

Bit’chu – While it is very hard for me to pick a favorite song on this album, if I had to, Bit’chu would be it. It is another beautiful hartzige song, with beautiful and meaningful English lyrics that just add to the song. This song is also the album debut for child soloist Dovid Ginsberg, son of my old friend Rabbi Doniel Ginsberg (from my CKT days). I have heard him live, and he is truly a talent. Once again, there is a key modulation (at 4:46) and my earlier comments can be inserted here as well. I will try to refrain from mentioning it again, but it is very prevalent on this album.

V’hogisah – I get a rush of adrenaline listening to this song, and it makes me want to get up and dance the hora. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but it is a very upbeat hora, that in my opinion has the best chance of being a hit song at weddings. I am particularly fond of the intro.

Mo Ashiv – Not to beat a dead horse, but once again the synthesizer to begin the song is a bit disappointing, and the amazing guitar piece that follows really exposes it even more than before. Overall, however, I do like the arrangements on this song, and to my knowledge it is Baruch’s first time arranging. There are some really nice guitar solos on the song, a nice saxophone solo, and I also love the harmonies that Baruch sings with himself.

Sheyibaneh – Here is the first and only freilich/rock song of the album. It is an enjoyable song to listen to.

Rina – The intro of this song is very brass heavy, with trumpet blasts throughout the song, and what do you know, the song is about “Joyous song and salvation and triumphant trumpet blasts- when I went forth from Mitzrayim”(as copied off the cover). I personally think it’s cute and that it is a good “chop”. Dovid Ginsburg adds his vocals to this song (he actually is recorded as a boys choir) and does a real nice job. This song alternates between march and ballad styles so it doesn’t flow as well as I think it could, but I think it does alternate to reflect the mood of the song and the words of the song.

Kol Atzmisai – For a while it was very popular to have songs with the approximate style on albums. It is not a slow balad, but it’s not fast like a freilich song, or rocked up like a hora (I have seen songs like this classified as an “Oom-Pah”, but I do not know if that is an actual musical term). Actually one of my favorite songs is in a similar (albeit a little slower) style and composed by Baruch on Aish 2, Orech Yamim. Incidentally, my 3 favorite songs from that album are all Baruch’s compositions: Birchas Habayis, Orech Yomim and Ma Tovu. This is the type of song that could be played during dinner music at a wedding and those who don’t like “moan and groan” songs (there are people out there who do not like listening to anything slow….) would be happy. This is a nice song, and is enjoyable to listen.

Refuah – This is a song that was originally performed and recorded for Yaakov Shwekey’s concert Live In Caesaria II. It is a beautiful Baruch Levine song, and I think he really does it justice singing it by himself. This is another song that has a chance to become a classic.

In conclusion, I think this is a wonderful album and very worth your while to purchase. You can purchase this album as a download or a CD available at Mostlymusic.com (http://www.mostlymusic.com/hashkifo.html) or wherever Jewish Music is sold!

I was never really a fan of Hasc concert cd’s, I preferred my self made mixes of the songs and singers I like over the many performing artists at a Hasc Concert. Listening to Hasc 24 made me see this concert and its music in a different light. The first thing I realized was that although half the energy of the concert gets lost once its on cd, and in no way can you compare listening to a recording of this to being in a packed theater watching the singers live on stage, the album still projects entertainment and excitement to the listener. The second thing I realized was the brilliance it takes in putting together so many singers and all their hits into one.
The concert begins with an Overture by four percussionists conducted by Yisroel Lamm and starts to draw you in to the magic of Hasc and sets the tone for excitement. Its almost as if the blends of the symphony are writing an intricate story without saying a word. Once again Hasc brings all the great performers such as Abie Rotenberg, Avraham Fried, Baruch Levine, Eli Gerstner, Shloime Gertner, YBC, Lipa, and Ohad. I especially liked some of the newer, rising stars like Benny Friedman and Yonatan Sheinfeld. The most pleasant surprise “guest” was the voice of legendary Shlomo Carlebach singing “Am Yisroel Chai” If that song didn’t infuse the air with pounding excitement and love for every Jew, a mission which I believe Hasc shares, then I don’t know what will. If Shlomo Carlebach was still alive today he would for sure be appearing at every single Hasc concert. The sound quality on this cd is so good, you can hear all the “natural” sounds of a concert, the microphone, the orchestra, the audience yet it still has the crystal clear sound of an in-studio record.
Following with the theme “A Time for Duets” you have Shalsheles & Shalsheles Jr singing together, Ohad & Yonatan Sheinfeld, Lipa & Shloime Gertner, and a very touching duet by Avraham Fried and Benny Friedman (uncle and nephew) singing “Lama, Lama ma Nikrah Moriah” and Benny Friedman’s “Ta’amu U’Reu”. By far the funniest part is when Lipa meets Zeidy Lipa who tells him of all the new “advanced technology” of cell phones, and how great it is that Moshiach has finally come and the Levi’im are doing a great job on the singing. Lipa then goes on to sing about the great “kedusha yearning, Torah learning, mitzva earning” and “no more pain, no more struggles” in the times of Moshiach. There’s also another great and enthralling duet by “Yehudah Green and Ohad” singing about “Hinei Yomim Bo’im” the days of Geulah are coming, you can hear how they’re connecting to the crowd saying “its up to you and me”, just another example of what a great concert it must have been.
Although I really enjoyed hearing all these artists mixing and singing each others songs, I think Hasc could do great in the future in getting a few different and more “upcoming” stars, rather than just the same classic singers every year. Don’t get me wrong these people can really “rock the stage” (like Lipa said) but having a fresh voice, a recent singer whose gonna be big, or a new flavor to the music like more Sefardi or Israeli, or more alternative style would spice up the album and would still be able to retain its outstanding reputation of fun for the whole family.
The Finale is spectacular. Spectacular. Again an amazing orchestra, and the very best of Ohad, Lipa, Avraham Fried singing “Neshomele”, “Mi Hoish”, and a soon to be classic “There is so much we can do to make this world, just a kinder better happier place!”

Almost three months ago, a very highly anticipated album was released. Yumi Lowy, a very popular vocalist on the wedding scene on the east coast, released his debut album, titled Ahavas Hashem. Yumi is known for his sweet and smooth sound, somewhat a cross between Yeedle and Dov Levine at times, and his album has been a favorite of mine to listen to. Somehow I neglected to actually sit down and review this album, and it seems to have fallen through the cracks without anyone else reviewing it either. Having listened to it numerous times, I think I am even better equipped to review Ahavas Hashem. Ahavas Hashem is produced by the talented Naftali Schnitzler, and arranged by eight different arrangers, which as I’ve stated before, adds to the different styles found on this album.

Here is my song by song assessment:

Kadosh – A lebedik song to start off the album, composed by famous composer and badchan, Pinky Weber, this song is a pleasant song, and a nice song to begin the album. The arrangements and choir are by Mona Rosenblum, and without even seeing the cover, has his style with the brass lines, and base lines embedded in the song.

Ahavas Hashem – The title track is a Yossi Green composition, and in the Tanya and Aderaba style that Yossi has made so famously. Yossi is also a guest soloist in this song. The musical arrangements are by Yisroel Lamm, and the choir is led by Yoely Horowitz, of the Shira Choir. While the song is a little on the long side, it is a very Hartzige and melodious song.

Moshe Kibel – This is a disco styled horah that combines some techno style music with regular music. This song, together with the accompanying Yiddish lyrics, is composed by Motty Ilowitz. Since I am not fluent in Yiddish, I cannot comment on the content, but this seems like a catchy song. It is arranged and produced by Eli Lishinsky, who also provides the background vocals as well. The song ends a bit too abruptly for me, but otherwise it is a very enjoyable listen.

Yaaleh Vyavoh – This is a hauntingly beautiful and sweet ballad composed by Yossi Green. I love how Leib Yacov Rigler’s arrangements barely have any instrumentation the first time through the song, and even as the song progresses, it still is a very soft an easy to listen to song. Yossi Green once again contributes his own brand of vocals to the song, and Moshe Kraus conducts the choir. There are parts of the song that Yumi’s voice resembles Dov Levine’s sweet voice (and for the record, I grew up loving Dov Levine’s voice and have always been disappointed that he never put out more albums).

Aromimcha – This is a nice enjoyable song composed by Moshe Wertzberger and arranged by Moshe Laufer. The one thing that bothers me about the song is the choir alternates between pronouncing avaricheka (correctly pronounced) and avarichecha.

Ten Lo – This is a Middle Eastern style horah, where Yumi sings with an Israeli accent. The song is composed and arranged by Ruli Ezrachi, I personally like when the composer is the one who also arranges the music because then the full flavor of the song, and the intent of the composer really stands out. I really like the spots in the song where Yumi harmonizes with himself.

Ma Nomar – This is a beautiful and hartzige song composed and arranged by Eli Laufer, who also conducts the choir as well. It has already been documented how the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but this song is but another example of Eli’s talent. I think Yumi does a great job on the high notes and his background harmony on this song, and it actually highlights his range and sweet voice.

Pen Pen – This is another song composed by Yossi Green. This is more of a swing style song, and not one of my favorites. Besides Yossi’s vocals, this song has his style all over it, and fans of Yossi Green are sure to be all over this song. The arrangements and choir are by Mona Rosenblum on this song as well.

Eishes Chayil – This is another beautiful and hartzige song composed by Pinky Weber. It is arranged by Moshe Laufer and the choir is conducted by Moshe Roth.

Umipnei – Usually an album will try to end off with a bang and a lebidik song, but in this case, I think the perfect song to end off with is Umipnei. This is another hartzige slow song, which is really easy to listen to and once again, shows off Yumi’s sweet and smooth voice. The song is composed by Benny Hershkowitz, and arranged by Dudi Kalish & Ruli Ezrachi, with Dudi also conducting the choir.

In conclusion, this is a very enjoyable album to listen to. I found it to be mostly relaxing, and it has been on repeat for me for all this time. If you haven’t already gotten “wired”, my recommendation is to purchase this album as a download or a CD available at Mostlymusic.com (http://www.mostlymusic.com/ahavas-hashem.html) or wherever Jewish Music is sold!

Yosef Karduner one of the pioneers of Jewish music since its inception with numerous chart topping hits to his name such as the acclaimed Shir Lamaalot which generated a range of versions recorded by artists from across the musical spectrum, is currently celebrating the launch of his tenth album, with a difference.

In contrast to his previous albums, which contained a selection of new songs in Karduner’s unique style, his new album Kumsitz consists of the best of Karduner’s unforgettable hits and more, that were recorded at various live shows performed throughout the US last winter.

Karduner rarely performs live due to his modest nature.  The tremendous success of his many albums left his devoted producer, Yehuda Kunsman, no choice and he was forced to dispatch Karduner overseas for a round of performances. The overwhelming impact of the shows caught them by surprise and this together with the high quality professional recording as well as pressure from those involved ensured that a kumsitz album of the shows was just a matter of time.

The new album is comprised of sixteen tracks, among which are Tesameach, Yedid Nefesh, Vetaher Libenu, Tzaveh Yeshuot Yaakov, Shir Lamaalot, and others.

Karduner’s identity as a Breslover hassid finds expression in two of his albums which contain hassidic niggunim.One album contains Shabbat songs and features Shuli Rand, and another contains songs for Motzei Shabbat. The lyrics of the songs in the other albums as well have a trace of the enchanting quality of Rebbe Nachman.

With the release of the hugely popular Sheves Achim 2, JMR proudly presents a three way review of the album, co-written by Just A Fan, JM Derech and JM Maven.

JM Maven: The long awaited sequel to the first Sheves Achim album is out and while it took time for me to really appreciate the album, I’ve really been enjoying it.  I find that there are some albums that I love right away and others that take listening to a few more times until I really like them.   I often end up enjoying the albums that I didn’t love at first listen more than those that I liked right away.

When the first Sheves Achim album came out, once I had listened to the album a few times, I was blown away by the talent of the Bell brothers. Aside from the singing and harmonies, they wrote quite a few of the songs themselves and although I liked some songs more than others, there were quite a few songs there that were just amazing, especially considering how old the boys were when they composed them.

But as anyone knows, any album/group featuring boys only lasts as long as the boy’s voices. When the first Sheves Achim came out, both Bell brothers were already getting older, and their voices were already maturing. That worked fine for the first album, and Moshe Bell was even featured on Sheves Chaveirim, another amazing album put out by Ari Goldwag. But as rumors spread of another Sheves Achim album, I  wondered, as I’m sure many others did, “Aren’t their voices changing? How good can a second album be once their voices change?”

Once I heard the demo, I was somewhat relieved.  Sure, it wasn’t the same boys group that it was before, but it definitely didn’t sound bad. After hearing the album a few times, I saw that even though it was different, it was a very solid album. The Bells hadn’t lost their touch, and still sounded great. They definitely sound more mature, but they still are able to use their voices well and hit some pretty nice keys.

JM Derech: The Bell brothers are back and they lost their sweet child vocals, but have developed soothing, mature adult voices. The music is still great and their compositions are still the best around.

The first Sheves Achim was a solid hit from start to finish and I expected no less this time around; luckily, my expectations were happily met.  I’m going to compare songs from this album to the last album, there are a lot of similarities that I noticed, which I’m sure you noticed as well.

Just A Fan: I was late getting the first Sheves Achim album, so it wasn’t too long after that I heard there was a second album in the works. I’m a big fan of the first album and I think it was all I listened to for a few weeks last year (considering I had an hour commute, that’s a lot of listening). But I had to wonder– what in the world are they going to sound like on the next album? Are they going to still be good when they can’t hit the amazingly high notes that the Bell brothers gained fame from?

Then the sampler was released. This is a little weird, I’ll admit, but I listened to the sampler a lot. That’s when you know an album is going to be great, when you sit there listening to 30 second clips of each song…  Getting the whole album has obviously been a much better experience since …you know… I can listen to the entire songs.

The album is very different than the first Sheves Achim. Yes, there are parallels you can draw. But the Bell brothers have grown up and Baruch Hashem their voices are still amazing (in a different way) while the music has become a lot more mature and well, better. Let me assure you, though I am a big fan of kids CDs (as you can tell from my recent reviews), this doesn’t sound like a kids CD. The first album was composed by Ari Goldwag with some songs by Shimon or Moshe Bell. This one keeps that tradition while adding in other composers to mix things up a little bit. Somehow, with all the differences, there is still a consistency among the two albums.

Overall, the album is really amazing and top quality. I really commend Ari Goldwag for this. I remember on the first album he said something about this isn’t his style of music, but it’s the boys’ style. It’s probably very hard to write songs and do all the instrumentation when it’s not your style, but he did a tremendous job as usual.

Most importantly, Shimon and Moshe Bell are pretty unbelievable. They are still teenagers and they have put out two high quality albums. There are a lot of great child soloists who are only in the music business as children for various reasons, and I’m thrilled that Sheves Achim hasn’t followed that pattern and that we will hopefully be hearing music by them for a long time to come.

Sheves Achim – Composed by Elimelech Blumstein

I’ve heard Elimelech say before that Ari Goldwag was the first one to use one of his songs – I’ll leave this one as a quiz for the readers, if you know which song it is, leave it in the comments below – extra point if you know what the original words for the song were, before they were changed. Additionally, I know that Ari does a lot of the demos for Elimelech’s songs, so he probably had “first dibs” on this song, and it sure is a good one. Call it the Sheves Achim theme song, it starts off with a bang. This song is, in every part, an Elimelech Blumstein song, and I love the way that the song and the words flow. I’ve always liked Elimelech’s songs because he is very innovative in how the songs flow, and almost every one of his songs is somewhat off the beaten track, but in a creative and good way. There are a few things in the song arrangement here that really add to the song, like the way the song moves up a key in the middle. There’s a lot of word repetition, but I like it, especially how all the Gam’s fit into the song. Overall, great song, and great performance – not going to start with rating each one, but it’s a definite hit in my book.

They sure did want to come out of the gate with energy. This opening song has all the power and excitement of an opening song, much like Ve’hu K’Choson did on the first album. However, the song I want to compare this to is Modim. It has a similar tempo and uplifting feel to it.

Given that this is the title of the group, it makes more sense that the first album would’ve had a Sheves Achim song. That being said, this song was worth the wait. It starts almost a capella and with a very fast tempo, introducing the album with a bang. The musical interlude that follows is a little too long, especially for a fast song/first song. The tempo is slower throughout the verse, but still upbeat. The song is really catchy and wonderful and is one of my favorites.

Mayim Karim – Composed by Moshe Bell

When I first heard part of this song on the sampler that came out a few weeks before the album came out, the first thing I was trying to figure out where the words were from. Once I got the album and booklet, I saw that they came from Mishlei. I always liked exotic words, but this may be a bit too exotic for me… I’m also not sure how Moshe Bell managed to come across the words. Either way, it’s a great second track, and I love the way the intro starts off. It reminds me a bit of another Goldwag intro, but I can’t recall which one, so that’s fine ;) Although it’s a great song, I‘m not sure this song will make it by Simchas, because the words are a bit too hard, but it definitely was performed well on CD, it’s a pumping song, and live performances/Simchas aren’t everything, so it definitely gets a thumbs up in my book, and Moshe Bell did a great job with the composition.

Here’s your V’Hu K’Chosson. This techno song is amazing, and has the Sheves Achim signature sound to it. You can feel the energy with every horn sound in the chorus. This is a great song for exercising or doing household chores.

Here’s the first song on the album composed by a Bell, and it’s Moshe, the younger brother. On the first album, he composed Modim and co-composed Vehu…two fast and super high energy songs, so this one is exactly what you’d expect based on those– but of course it’s a more mature and better version of those. Great song, although I could’ve done with a little less of the techno sound here. I’d buy an entire album of them singing without music, so we don’t need too many effects.

Tov Lehodos – Composed by Judah David

I have no idea who Judah David is, but this is definitely a very nice song. I like the way it start off with very little in the background, and gradually builds to a fuller arrangement with background vocals. The key switch is very smooth and almost unnoticeable, and I really like how the high part flows. One thing I might have done towards the end to add to the song is some a capella of the high part, with just singing and harmonies, and then bring the music back in to finish the song off, but I wasn’t asked, I didn’t arrange the song, and it definitely works the way it is :) Overall, a solid slow song with solid arrangements that I really enjoyed.

Ruchnius. That defines this song. This song is spiritually uplifting and makes me feel like and want to be a better person (huh, someone called me a bad person? :-D). This is possibly the best slow song from this pair of brothers and will be a guest at my Shabbos table for weeks to come. The closest song to this one is Avraham Yagel.

Here’s the first slow song on the album. It’s the Tov Lehodos words that we all love with a new and beautiful tune. This is one of the songs that best shows off their voices. It’s relaxing and just all around a very pretty song.

Hu Ha’Elokim – Composed by Ari Goldwag

Starting off with a simple guitar intro, this song has somewhat of a different feel to it. I like the low part, but didn’t love the high part as much. I also thought that the combination of the words used for the low part, from Yeshaya, with words from Devarim for the high part (and in the end of Neilah on Yom Kippur, in case that’s the connection) don’t really mix, and the words on the high part are a bit too repetitious. Definitely not a bad song, I just didn’t love this one as much as some of the other ones.

Acoustic guitar? Nice change. I love it! This song has the same “happiness effect” as Yaavducha from Benny Friedman (don’t ask, it just does). I guess the best comparison for this song is Ashreinu from the first album. It has the same summer camp feel.

Here’s the first song composed by Ari Goldwag. This is definitely one of my favorites and you’ll see why. It’s got a fast tempo but a laid back feel. On the first album, it’s closet to Ashreinu. This is one of those songs that makes you smile and is very pleasant to listen to. I love 3:00-3:35 when the words change up a bit.

The Artist – Composition and words by Dovid Klaver

This song seemed to have been one of the featured songs on the album, as all the releases and information on the album highlighted this song. I enjoyed the melody very much, and the music is very fitting for an English song, but I personally feel that English songs on Jewish albums can’t be too complicated, in terms of the story/message. I always had an easy time following the Journeys songs – they were clear, easy, and straight to the point. This comes across more as a poem, with a hidden meaning, but since the main purpose of a song is also the music, you have to be able to understand the words while listening as a song. I didn’t really understand it until I sat down and read through the words in the booklet, which isn’t a bad thing – I just don’t normally don’t have to do that. Either way, it is definitely a nice song, and once I read through the words, I did appreciate and enjoy the song, and this is one of the songs that I think we’ll really see feedback from in a few months, depending on where it goes.

Best English song EVER. Okay, maybe I’m a bit biased because I work as a graphic designer and this song’s topic strikes a chord. Remember the emotional power the verse “He’s learning in a kollel, now he’s their superman” from the first album was? Ya, listen to this song and the power of the last chorus with the verse “You see in the end, you do play a part in bringing the painting to life”. Awesome song!

This song starts with a metaphor of an artist with a masterpiece where every color is important and intentional, etc., and to be honest I originally thought “Nice thoughts but it’s pretty cheesy.” Then there is a change, and the comparison changes to how some people feel worthless, unloved, etc., but in truth there is no such person when we can see the whole “painting”. Ok, it still sounds cheesy, but if you listen you will see that it’s very beautiful. It’s got a great lesson and the composition of the song is really nice as well, so this is a very enjoyable song.

Sameach – Composed by Ari Goldwag

I liked the way the song started off, but the whole accent thing – Israeli, then Chassidish, just didn’t work for me. I think the song would go a lot further if they would have just sung it normally (OK, that’s a relative term, but I mean without any accent) – I like the song as a song, just the way it was done was, in my opinion, not the best way to do it.

I’m not quite sure about the change in pronunciation from sefardi to chassidishe, but otherwise it’s a good song. With the words chosen, I assume this song was intended to be sung by weddings, but the beat may be a bit hard to dance to. This song is a good fast song, but I won’t go beyond “good”. I think it’s safe to compare this song to Lo Lanu from the first album.
After three laid back songs we have another very (in the chorus it’s very very) high tempo song. Throughout the accents change up and you will hear a Chasidish accent as well as an Israeli accent all mixed together, and it reminds me (since it’s a wedding song) of the way some weddings bring all different types of people together; it’s a really nice thing. This song is super fun and exciting.

Shema Koleinu – Composed by Shimon Bell and M. A.

I don’t know who M. A. is, (unless it’s the Bell brother’s mother), but I don’t know why they wouldn’t write the whole name of whoever was involved, especially on such a nice song. Anyways, this is another beautiful slow song, which also features Ari Goldwag’s son, Moshe Dov, who was part of Sheves Chaveirim. The intro reminds me of Mi Haish from the first Sheves Achim album, but that’s not a bad thing… ;) Moshe Dov Goldwag sings a good part of the song, and while I thought that he may have been a bit too young on Sheves Chaveirim, he sounds older and in more control of his voice now, and he really adds a lot to the song, including harmonies and background vocals. There are some amazing harmonies on this song, and combined with some excellent arrangements, this is an overall amazing song.

Insert Goldwag’s son here. Moshe Dov Goldwag has definitely improved and is quite talented for his age, but his voice is still a bit “babyish” for me. This a slow song, but a good one, however, it is a bit typical. I think this song is the equivalent of Mi Ha’ish.

Another slow song, this time starting out with Moshe Dov Goldwag of Sheves Chaverim. I love Moshe Dov’s voice; it’s very sweet and pure sounding. This song was composed partially by Shimon Bell, who composed the brilliant  and beautiful Avraham Yagel on the first album. This song follows in that path, and it sounds like a lot of heart went into both the composition and the vocals.

Beshuvi – Composed by Ari Goldwag

For some reason, when I think of these words, I always envision a slow, hartzig song, but this composition by Ari Goldwag just goes to show how a well done upbeat song can bring out the meaning in words just as well. The intro is in line with the rest of the Sheves Achim intros, including some harmonies , which I really like. I like the somewhat toned down arrangements with mostly guitar in the background, but there are some sections and chords that were really done well, especially on the low part on the second time around. I also liked the bridge, how it went together with the background, and how they did the key change. The vocal are done very well, combining for an all around great song.

Ogil Viesmach Bilvavi… Oh? It’s not that song, could’ve fooled me ;). Much like Ogil, Beshuvi is a fantastic song with a great tempo. There’s not much to the song, but there beauty of it is that it still sounds great!

Of all the songs on the album, this one isn’t the most fun, the prettiest, or the one that best shows off the voices of the Bell brothers. Still, it’s definitely my favorite. I keep playing it on my iPod and I’m upset when it ends. It’s another one of those laid back but higher tempo songs, without the techno feel. I love the words, I love the tune, I love the feel, I love the vocals– I just love everything about this song.

Horeini – Composed by Moshe Bell

Time again for a slow song, and Moshe Bell’s composition doesn’t disappoint! I love the intro, and how it’s used later on in the song as a bridge with vocals. In some ways, I like the low part of the song better than the high part, but it’s still a pretty solid high part, and definitely has a lot of potential. The only thing I would have done differently with the arrangements and background is that it’s pretty much the same throughout the whole song – I would have had it increase somewhat in intensity and add something more as the song goes on, but the arrangement definitely does the job. Overall, great song, with some very nice vocals and harmonies.

This song threw me off. I was not expecting it, yet I was pleasantly surprised. There a yeshivahs taam (feel) to this song and it’s also very heartwarming. The light guitar strumming throughout the song goes to show that this song would be a great kumzits song. It’s best to compare this song to an Eitan Katz song.

Back to another slow song with this track, composed by Moshe Bell. This is the first we’ve heard of his slower compositions, and it’s great. I like that it starts out right away with harmonizing. The lyrics are very nice, and all around it was very well done. Love the na-na-na…s going with the music which might’ve instead been a long musical interlude– very pretty!

Shema Hashem – Composed by Ari Goldwag

This song, composed by Ari Goldwag, and with Ari singing guest vocals, takes a bit of a different twist, with more of an alternative feel to it. When I first heard it, I thought there wasn’t enough to the low part, though I did like the high part. The more I’ve heard it though, the more I’ve come to appreciate it, and I like how the high and low part compliment each other. The whole thing with the English words wasn’t really up my alley, and I thought the saxophone and guitar pieces were a bit too long, but I did like how, towards the end, they alternated between the Hebrew and English, and between Ari and the Bell brothers. Definitely a great song though with great arrangements, and I like that they mixed something with a different feel into the album.

Shema Hashem (HOT!) – Hello Ari Goldwag! This is totally Goldwag’s song (he sings on it as well) and I’m loving it; in fact, I can’t get enough it. It’s funky, fresh and has a great sound. The English in this song is a nice touch. It’s a close one, but this song gets my vote for best song on the album. No comparison here, aside from Sheves Chaverim’s “Hashem Loves You”.

This song is really unique. It’s got a jazzy coffee shop feel with both the music and vocals, which Ari Goldwag starts off. It’s catchy, it has a good message, it’s got great vocals… then there’s a change (don’t worry, those things stay) when English lyrics come in. The theme stays the same– “I always knew You were there for me, I knew that You were listening…” I love it! They got this jazz feel right on- different without being weird and still retaining the Sheves Achim feel and the Jewish feel, of course. Great, great song!

Leshana Haba – Composed by Elimelech Blumstein

This is Elimelech’s second song on the album, and although I liked his first song (Sheves Achim) better, this song was a nice way to end of the album. In some ways, I felt that there could have been more to the song, and there were some parts that sounded a bit repetitious, but that could just be the way it was arranged. Definitely a decent song though, and a nice end to the album.

Nice lyrics for a closing song. This song goes out on a mediocre note with this song. It’s a very repetitive song, much like any other Leshana Habah song out there. It’s not a bad song but it doesn’t really add anything to the album.

Of the fast songs, this is my least favorite. There is something great about it in that there are amazing harmonies throughout, but it gets really repetitive since they only say “Leshana haba byerushalayim habnuya” for over 5 minutes. So, yes, great vocals and fun tune, but not as good as the other fast songs mostly due to the repetitiveness.

Conclusions

It seems ironic that JMR ran a post on best Jewish songs that double as lullabies at the same time that I was asked to review an album titled “Lyla Byes”, a bedtime CD for mothers and children by Tamar Rudy.  Featuring fifteen original and classic lullabies in addition to six bonus instrumental tracks, Lyla Byes clocks in at 54 ½ minutes, offering soothing music designed to make bedtime just a little bit easier.

Rudy, a Beit Shemesh resident has starred in several of Israel’s renowned Zir Chemed Productions, as well as being a featured guest on Rebbetzin Tap:  Get Ready for Shabbos.  Her vocals shine on Lyla Byes and the songs, a mix of Jewish, secular, classical and original songs can be enjoyed by both those who are being tucked into bed and those who are doing the tucking.

My favorites on this album?  Mimini Michael and the classical pieces.  And while I enjoyed the vocals on Lyla Byes, I thought that the instrumental pieces were especially relaxing and hopefully, conducive to sleeping.

What parent out there hasn’t been at wits end trying to get a stubborn little one to drift off to dreamland?  Lyla Byes might just be the answer to your prayers.  Check it out at mostlymusic.com.

For all those who missed my introduction and part one (volumes 1-3) here it is:http://jewishmusicreport.com/2011/07/01/review-of-hasc-the-remastered-collectors-edition-part-1-volumes-1-3/

Continuing on:

HASC 4: Right off the bat, my first impression when it came out was WOW, and that was even before I opened up the triple cassette. Yes, I said triple, as in 3! The concert had gotten longer (or at least there was more material to share with the consumer) and now I had more music to enjoy! The Neginah Orchestra, conducted by Yisroel Lamm, begins with an overture, once again featuring features the original HASC theme song, this time in a rock style and later in the more classical style. I really used to look forward to hearing how they tweaked and changed the song every year. They also play an instrumental Memories Medley, which features some of the hit songs performed at the first three HASC concerts. The concert featured both of Abie Rotenberg’s groups, Journeys, singing Time to Say Good Shabbos and Ride the Train, and Dveykus, singing some of their hit songs, including one of my favorites, Shalom Rav. Abie also composed another song special for HASC, Candles, and it is performed by him and the entire cast. The entire cast also sings the Finale, U’vney, from Abie Rotenberg’s first Lev V’Nefesh album (and one of my favorite songs back then. Mordechai Ben David, is once again one the main performers, and he sings among other songs, a couple of medleys with some of his hit songs, Refa’einu, composed by Yerachmiel Begun and originally performed by Miami Boys Choir (I really love MBD’s rendition of the song), once again Yidin, and at the time his newest hit song, Daaga Minayin, complete with the original vocal tracks that begin the song on his “Double Album”. The Goldshmid Brothers, known as Kol Achai, sing one of their songs, Hinei Ma Tov. I always liked their work, and actually own all four of their albums, the last released in 2003. Their harmonies and togetherness, is very nice and enjoyable, and since I did see this concert on video, they even choreographed to move together on stage in step. The main highlight and performer of the evening, was The London School of Jewish Song, under the leadership of Yigal Calek. I know it wasn’t their first ever performance in the US, since they came to the US in December of 1976 (I was at their Chicago concert, but I was busy learning with the malach, so I don’t remember anything from that evening), but for the choir to come over was a big deal. They sing many of their hits and favorite songs, including Ko Amar, Mareh Cohen (yes, it is one of their songs from the 70’s), Vechi Yadav, Oshirah, and many more of my favorite songs. I grew up listening to their records, so I really enjoyed hearing them live in concert. This concert also marked the first concert where Nachum Segal was involved, as he was the Master of Ceremonies along with Zale Neuman. This was one concert I know I enjoyed, and would have loved to be at live.

HASC 5: The concert, called “Five Years in the Making” was another innovative concert. For starters, it’s the first one I have on CD, which I am pretty sure means it was the first one released on CD when the concert was originally released. It also features a brand new HASC theme song, titled “A Time For Music”, composed by Yossi Green with unbelievable lyrics by Abie Rotenberg. It is sung at the beginning by The MBD Vocal Quartet and at the end by the entire cast (and I love the Piamenta Brother’s line….”but time has come now we must part.” I don’t know why, but I always got a kick out of it). The Regesh Vocal Ensemble, with Abish Brodt singing behind a curtain, sings Shalom Aleichem (with the Piamenta Brothers singing Barchuni) and Modeh Ani (I love how Abish goes an octave higher on the low part to end the song). A few notable members of The Regesh Vocal Ensemble are Shloimy Dachs (one of the soloists), Avremi Gourarie (known to the world as Avremi G), and the director, Rabbi Eli Cohen (master keyboardist). They also sing another song, V’yaazor, later in the concert. Mordechai Ben David is the night’s featured performer and has several interesting additions to the concert. He sings a Regesh song, S’lach and Ma Ashiv (the one he made famous from an All Star tape) with the Ensemble. He sings a couple of songs with The MBD Quartet, and Neshomele with Abie Rotenberg. My two favorites by MBD are the History Medley, where he imitates many of the previous generation’s musical “superstars”, and Reminiscing, where he narrates and his son Yeedle sings, all about his own journey through Jewish music. The highlight of the evening however, is the “Showcase of the Masters”, a classical performance by Yisroel Lamm and the Neginah Orchestra, along with some of the amazing musicians of our time. My two personal favorites are Yaron Gershovsky’s version of Abie Rotenberg’s Hamalach, and Yossi Piamenta’s adaption of the Sabre Dance, which he renames the Sabra Dance.

HASC 6: This concert was called The HASC Concert of a Lifetime. It certainly had a multitude of performers, and is quite packed with memorable performances. To begin with, the main performer, yes once again Mordechai Ben David, only sings 3 of his own songs, Rashi’s Nigun (where he screams out in the middle “shmaltzer”), Moshiach, and Ko Amar (composed by Yossi Green, Mona Rosenblum, and  Chaim Banet respectively , and sung as part of the composers tribute), plus 2 other songs that we will talk about later. There is a new HASC theme song, that also incorporates the earlier songs, and other HASC favorites. Abie Rotenberg sings a HASC medley, featuring his compositions for HASC from over the past few years concerts, followed by a medley of HASC favorites sung by Mona Rosenblum and his vocal Sextet, including famous drummer, producer and arranger Yochi Briskman (and a special shout out to my old friend and fellow Chicagoan, Chaim Richter, for his chazzanus). Yoel Sharabi, one of the performers from the first HASC concert, returns and sings A Prayer for HASC, including some really funny (and corny) jokes. Yossi Piamenta sings a song, Vaani, with his signature guitar solos interspersed throughout the song, and Yaron Gershovsky plays another classical/contemporary piece, named Tain Shabbat/Pitome Medley. Avraham Rosenblum and Ruby Harris, both of Diaspora Yeshiva Band, perform one of Diaspora’s big hits, Tzaddik. Then there is a tribute to many of the top composers in Jewish music. Yossi Green,Mona Rosenblum and Chaim Banet, all have songs sung by MBD. Abie Rotenberg’s Hamalach is sung by a duet of Dov Levine and Rivie Schwebel. Shlomo Simcha, who at the time is new to the Jewish Music scene, makes his HASC debut singing one of Moshe Laufer’s songs. Another great friend of HASC who also makes his HASC debut, and at the time was also a relative newcomer to the Jewish Music scene, is Dedi, who sings a Yossi Green song from his debut album, which incidentally was Yossi’s first foray into producing albums. Dov Levine also sang a solo medley of songs composed by Yerachmiel Begun and Rabbi Shmuel Brazil. Before I get to my two personal favorite highlights of the concert, I want to jump to the end of the concert, where there is a Composer Finale, where Yigal Calek and the London Vocal Quartet sing and narrate a tribute for the composers, with Shlomo Carlebach joining them for his song, and the new HASC theme song being sung by the cast (including Yossi Green singing in his HASC debut as well) for the Concert Finale. I do find it ironic that back then they had the same song used for the Opening and Finale, and it was (and still is) so enjoyable. The first of my two favorite highlights of the concert are: The song Ki Heim composed by Boruch Chait, and performed by him and Mordechai Ben David. R’ Boruch talks about the anatomy of a song, and shows how it is composed. He first plays the song on his guitar and harmonica, and eventually is joined by MBD, accompanied by Yisroel Lamm and the Neginah Orchestra. It was a song composed a couple of weeks earlier on the spot for some cancer stricken boys. I have always had a special spot in my heart for that song. It is later found on one of Dedi’s albums, but it is always a HASC concert original in my mind. The other one of my favorite highlights is the section of the composer’s tribute dedicated to Shlomo Carlebach, and performed by Abie Rotenberg, MBD, and in a surprise, Shlomo Carlebach showed up and joined them on stage singing Ana Hashem, Esa Einai, Borchi Nafshi, and V’Yesayu. I can’t even imagine nowadays anyone showing up in the middle of a concert and making it on stage, but R’ Shlomo was one of a kind! This was really a HASC concert of a lifetime!

HASC 7: This concert was called The Next Stage, and they changed the format and venue for the concert. The concert was held at Radio City Music Hall, and it was mostly a play, with vocal performances mixed in. I must say, since I never watched the concert, and only had the audio, it was not my favorite concert, as it is only 1 CD, and there is much less audio content. Supposedly this was a very revolutionary performance, and is much more enjoyable being watched (maybe I’ll go watch it at my in-laws house one day).The concert begins with a new HASC theme song, named The Next Stage of A Time For Music, composed by Yossi Green, and performed by the Time For Music Vocal Quartet, Yerachmiel Begun and the Miami Boys Choir, and Mordechai Ben David. Of course the original theme song finds its way into the middle of the song. I find it real cute how every year they tried to find a new name for the adult choir each year! The first performer of the night is Sandy Shmuely, singing Shabbat Shalom. This is one of only two songs of his I have ever heard, but it was one of my highlights of the concert. Yerachmiel Begun and the Miami Boys Choir are the next performers, singing one of their hit songs, and my favorites from back in the day, Lo Yisa Goy. They also perform later on in the evening A Wedding in Chelm, together with the Chelm Chasidic Singers and Dancers, interspersing some of the famous traditional wedding songs with some of their hit songs. Mordechai Ben David sings a Yosselle Rosenblatt song, Keli Keli, one of his son Yeedle’s songs, Oz Yemoleh, and Mimkomcha (which is one of my favorite classic MBD songs). there is also a special performance of Spanish Rhapsody by world famous clarinet virtuoso Andy Statman. Abie Rotenberg and MBD sing another one of  Abie’s special HASC compositions, Hamalach (not his famous song by the same name). This is a very interesting song because he mixes in English and Hebrew lyrics, and even though it has never become famous, it was also one of my favorites from this concert. The Grand Finale of the concert is once again the same theme song from the opening of the concert, performed by the cast. This time around the original HASC theme song gets more play time. This concert seems to have been a fabulous concert, and even though it wasn’t my favorite, it still is an enjoyable listen.

In conclusion, this DVD set is a must have for collectors and lovers of Jewish Music. It is worth it just to hear what Jewish Music once was, and to hear the beginning of the tradition that is now about to be 25 years old, the HASC concert!

This can be purchased at http://www.mostlymusic.com/hasc-the-remastered-collectors-edition.html

Aderet’s recent release of the digitally remastered HASC’s A Time For Music Concerts Collection: 1-7 has brought back some very fond memories of my youth.

Let me explain. Nowadays, Jewish Music is a much larger and more sophisticated industry than it was back then. The HASC concert was the biggest and most anticipated event back then, and for us youngsters the release of the cassettes, videos, and later CDs, were eagerly awaited. Truthfully, however, that really has nothing to do with my love for the early HASC concerts or the memories that they bring me. I remember the summer of 1988, the first time I went away from home as an eleven year old boy to sleep away camp, Camp Kol Torah. The whole summer people were playing and talking about this amazing concert that had come out on double cassette, and after hearing parts of it over the summer, I decided that I had to buy it for myself.

Time passed by and somehow the next summer of camp was only a few days off and I had still not purchased it. My siblings and I were staying at my grandparent’s house overnight, since my parents went to play at a wedding in Detroit and I finally had the opportunity to walk to the bookstore where my grandfather worked to purchase this amazing concert. Imagine my confusion when I looked at the music section and saw not one, but two A Time For Music Concert double cassettes staring at me. One had a gold cover (volume one) and the other a blue cover (volume 2). Not only did I not know which one I had listened to the summer before, but I didn’t have the money for both of them although I really wanted to get both of them. I reasoned if the concert I had listened to the previous summer had been so awesome, then chances were both of these concerts were amazing. I don’t remember the next details exactly, but somehow my grandfather became aware of my dilemma and offered to let me “borrow” the money from him. Of course when I tried to pay back the loan to him and then to ybl”ch my grandmother, they wouldn’t accept the money.

I had one problem left and that was listening to the the albums. It was already the 3 weeks! All the cassettes got packed for camp, along with my Sony Walkman (that I still have, but haven’t tried to use in years). Boy was I waiting for chatzos on Yud Av! That day my bunk (Bunk Tahara for those CKT veterans) was playing basketball in the gym (on the 1^st court) for first activity. We did not get to play basketball often, since we were still from the younger bunks, so it was a big deal. I don’t remember the exact time of chatzos, but it was in the middle of first activity. I brought my walkman and tapes to the gym with me, and told my counselor that I would only play until chatzos. After that, I had very important music to listen to. That day, was the first of many that summer that I enjoyed both volumes of the HASC concerts.

I became a huge HASC concert fan, and waited every year for the new concert to come out. Seeing that this new collection was released, it has afforded me to relive many memorable memories, and to listen, once again, to some really amazing times in Jewish Music history, in crystal clear sound. To recap all 114 songs would be very tedious, however, I will give a brief synopsis of each concert and point out a few of my highlights and favorite songs.

HASC 1: The concert begins with a musical overture by The Neginah Orchestra, featuring the first HASC theme song, and a medley of songs from the night’s featured performers. It is arranged and conducted by  Yisroel Lamm.  The performers at the concert were Mordechai Ben David, Avraham Fried, and Yoel Sharabi. The Master of Ceremonies is Zale Neuman. My favorite songs from MBD were Yidin (which incidentally was performed in part or the entire song at three of the first four HASC concerts), Rachem, and Let my People Go, with a killer saxophone solo by Arkady Koyfman. My highlights from Avraham Fried are Tatenyu, Sholom Aleichem (Regesh’s song, which in my opinion, Avraham Fried’s version at this concert is the best I ever heard it performed), and Forever One. Yoel Sharabi sings a few songs; my favorite is V’ani B’chasdicha, and his performance on the recorder in the Recorder Medley. It was a very simple concert, as far as HASC concerts go, but for 1988, it was quite a trend setter, and a real joy to listen to.

HASC 2: This concert was also a groundbreaking event. The music was performed by a 60 piece orchestra featuring Yisroel Lamm and the Philharmonic Experience, and really has a sweet classical sound to it. The overture once again featured the HASC theme song, but it evolved into a classical sounding piece. There is also a choir under the direction of Moshe Mona Rosenblum called 101 Talented Voices. I am not sure if there actually were that many (I only counted 69 total between the adults and children) but it is still quite an impressive choir. Their highlight is singing Avraham Yogel, featuring solos from Laibel Hashel z”l. Mordechai Ben David is once again the main performer, singing among other songs, Meharoh, Golus Pharoh (which is what it’s called on the cover of my original cassette from the concert, yes, it is on the original cassette despite the advertisement saying otherwise), a couple of medleys with MBD classics, Someday followed by Yerushalayim, and Ribono Shel Olam, sung together with the 101 Talented Voices. There was a 25 year tribute to Jewish music  featuring performers who sing one song a piece, including Canter Yakov Motzen, Benzion Shenker, Or Chadash, Pirchei, D’vekus, and Disapora Yeshiva Band, featuring Avraham Rosenblum, however a few stood out to me at the time. Abie Rotenberg sings the first of many special songs he composed for HASC, titled Who Am I. Jo Amar sings Barcelona, with special words added for the evening. The Piamenta Brothers perform Asher Bara with the crowd continuing to sing after they finished, prompting the MC, Zale Neuman, to remark “Alright, calm down, calm down”. The highlight of the concert has to be Shlomo Carlbach z”l’s HASC debut. He was announced as the Rebbele of Jewish Music, and after he finished singing (he sang for under one and a half minutes) the crowd continues to sing, prompting Zale to remark “Alright, alright, you’re all hired next year!” As someone who has met and spent time with Zale over the years, it is but a tip of the iceberg of his witty and spontaneous lines.

HASC 3: Once again, Yisroel Lamm and The Neginah Orchestra was the Orchestra of choice, this time going under the name of The Jerusalem Bandstand. The overture also once again features the original HASC theme song in a swing style. They also perform an instrumental Hora Medley and a cute medley of shul songs, named Rhapsody in Shul. The main performer of the evening is Avraham Fried. My favorites of his are the Opening Medley (check out the rocking slap bass in Lefonov Na’avod), Tanya, A Yossi Green Medley (featuring some of his early hit English songs), and Avraham Yagel (with some chazzanus at the beginning and some more killer slap bass). A group called Harmony, featuring Avraham Rosenblum, Moshe Yess z”l, Avrumie Flam, Gershon Veroba, Jonathan Hill, and Matthew Hill (I am assuming the world famous drummer) sing a cute song called Harmony, and a greatest hits medley, featuring My Zaidy, Malchuscha, Chozok Yimalei, and Od Nagiya. Abie Rotenberg sings another one of his especially composed for HASC songs, A Small Piece of Heaven, my favorite from all of his special HASC songs. There is a special guest appearance by Mordechai Ben David, and he sings a medley featuring among other songs, Eliyahu Hanavi and Yidin (with more slap bass) and Sameach, a Boruch Chait song, featuring bouzouki by Avram Pengas. This was another very enjoyable concert.

To be continued…..

This can be purchased at http://www.mostlymusic.com/hasc-the-remastered-collectors-edition.html

Many professional choirs and choir leaders have come and gone over the years, but one constant in the Jewish Music scene is Yerachmiel Begun and the Miami Boys Choir. I grew up listening to B’siyata Dishmaya and Klal Yisroel Together, and can remember the frenzy when Shabbos Yerushalayim came out. I couldn’t wait to go out and buy the tape after hearing them perform Devai Haser at a concert in Chicago. Of course I can technically go back to Victory Entebbe since my mother sang the songs from that (ahem) record to me when she used to change my diapers (something she once told Yerachmiel very proudly, and surprisingly he didn’t find it amusing, but that’s a whole other story). I have a personal shita about boy’s choirs, but due to time constraints I will save it for the next choir review I write. When I think of Yerachmiel Begun and Miami Boys Choir, I think of innovation and spectacular quality that have made them a popular choir for over 35 years. Whether it is one of their new albums (from records to tapes to CDs, and now with digital downloads) or one of their patented Miami Experiences, there always seems to be something that they do to outdo themselves and surprise us all. Hearing that they were coming out with a new album, had me interested and intrigued to find out what new chiddush they would have this time around. One thing I notice right away about the cover of the album is that everyone is wearing their own tie, not like the norm of everyone wearing a matching tie and all dressed alike. As much as matching looks nice (yes I have a tie that matches with my 7 year old son’s tie that I wear sometimes) it is nice that the boys show individuality and are allowed to express themselves (as one of my aunts once told me that the tie is a man’s way to express their taste in fashion). I also notice that the adult choir is the famous Shira Choir, along with a couple of Israeli choirs, one led by Mona Rosenblum and the other by Menachem Klein. The biggest chiddush that I see however is that the Miami Boys Choir now has an Israeli branch, Miami East, and they make their debut on this album. Before I go into detail for every song, I must say that this is another prototypical Yerachmiel Begun masterpiece. If you like his work up until now, you will love this album as well.

Here is my song by song assessment:

Shma Yisroel­- Miami Boys CDs generally start off with a bang and a real hit song (thinking here about Revach) and Shma Yisroel has that feeling to it. The song begins (after the intro) with a few soloists. I think to rev everyone up would have been better to have the entire choir singing (and my wife, a huge MBC fan pointed it out to me independently), but this song sounds like a nice Miami Boys style song. The words for the high part are also a little complicated and in my opinion a hit Miami song usually has easy lyrics for the high part that you just want to sing over and over again (thinking again about Revach). The high part, though, is catchy, so it might end up as a hit song in the end.

Me La’Hashem Ailai- Miami is known for really nice and meaningful English songs, and this song, with the lyrics written by Yerachmiel and his wife Shoshana, is another nice sweet and meaningful song.

Yosis- Any time I hear a slow song to words associated to words from a wedding, I have an automatic flashback to Miami Boys Mehayrah, and this song with the mix of words from Lecha Dodi and words said after the chosson walks down the chupah gives me that automatic flashback. While I do not normally like two slow songs one after the other on an album, this song is a nice hartzige song.

Vtahair- A nice lebedik song, in my opinion, more probable of becoming the new Miami hit song than Shma Yisroel. The high part is equally catchy with much more simple lyrics.

Ashrai- Another pleasant lebedik song. The words remind me of the famous song we sing on Simchas Torah. I like the cute trumpet interlude.

Torah Tavlin- This song has the prototypical sound and feel of a Miami slow song. The words, from the Gemarah Kedushin and Mesilas Yesharim, are inspiring. This is not one of my favorites from this album.

Oh Hashem- A techno style song, with interspersed violin solos by Stanislav Nicholov. This song sounds similar to Mendy Wald’s Echod. I am not a fan of the techno sound, but the words are meaningful and based upon a Radak.

Hatov- This is probably my favorite song on this album. It is a really nice and sweet song, and I think the simple arrangements leave enough to my imagination that I feel like I can sing with and add another nice harmony to it. This song is also the only slow song under 5 minutes, and in my opinion the perfect length.

Melech- This is an upbeat song in the prototypical Miami style. If you are a fan of Miami Boys then you’ll like this song.

Ki Lecha- This is another slow hartzige song, also with the prototypical sound and feel of a Miami slow song. I enjoyed listening to the song, but it is a little too long for my taste.

Ad Musai- A real lebedik song that reminds me of Kein from Revach, and it really ends the regular part of the album with a bang. The song is arranged by a collaboration of Yerachmiel Begun and Mona Rosenblum, with Mona’s preference for real bright brass really sticking out. The adult choir harmonies are performed on this song by Mona’s choir and The Shira Choir.

Hebrew Version – Me La’Hashem Ailai- The music itself is the same as the English version, so my opinion of the song is the same. It is a nice “knaytch” to have the song also sung in Hebrew. This is the first sighting that we have of the new venture of Yerachmiel, Miami East, under the direction of Menachem Klein. I think the Israeli accented Hebrew is much nicer than other earlier tries to imitate the accent. I am curious what the future of this choir will bring, but for a debut I am impressed.

In conclusion, I think this album is another solid Yerachmiel Begun and Miami Boys Choir production. If you are a fan of theirs, you will like this album as well.

Can’t wait for the debut album from popular wedding singer Yumi Lowy?

Hang in just a little bit longer.  The wait is almost over.

Lowy told JMR that his album is “99% done” and is currently being mixed.  Produced by Naftali Schnitzler, it will feature songs by Yossi Greeen, Pinki Weber, Moshe Wertzberger, Motti Ilowitz, Eli Laufer, Ruli Ezrachi and Benny Hershkowitz with arrangements by Mona Rosenblum, Moshe Laufer, Dudi Kalish, Eli Lishinsky Leib Yakov Rigler and Eli Laufer.

Look for this exciting album sometime around Shavuos!

As we get ready for the next “exodus” back in to music, we thought it might be interesting to share with our readers some Jewish Music gems that seem to have fallen through the cracks or they never made it over from the last generation. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments.

1. The Other Side – Arkady
2. Bittersweet – Safam
3. Hasneh Boer – Aaron Razel
4. Wisdom of the Stream/Chochmat Hanachal – Levyatan
5. Adir Hu – Belz
6. Teva Vol. 1 – Moshe Antelis
7. The Movement – A Groyse Metzieh
8. Pionero – Yehuda Glantz
9. Songs for a Brother – Isaac Bitton
10. Chasing Prophecy – 8th Day (Jk)

*All of the above albums can be purchased from www.mostlymusic.com, excluding Levyatan (iTunes) and A Groyse Metzieh (good luck trying to find it).

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. I too was a little bit apprehensive when I heard about this album, as the title gave me the impression that it would have the steady sound of trickling water in the background (kind of like my basement after all that rain last month). But have no fear, A Kumzitz in the Rain is completely water free. (Exceptions: the cover art and the last track.)

This a capella album is not like many Sefirah albums that have come out in the past few years. There is no fake music or computerized voices. (Yes, those do sound more like ‘music’, and are therefore more enjoyable to most. However…well, that’s another story.) This album is more like the Lev Tahor a capella albums. (See: MusicBochur’s Guide to Jewish A Capella. I hope to have it up sometime soon.) Each song has its own original intro, sung in beautiful harmony by the choir. Additionally, each song features a different ‘celebrity’ soloist. I particularly enjoyed how they fit each soloists unique style of ‘shtick’, or trills, into their respective songs. As a whole, this album is a very pleasant listen, with nice harmonies and a very good song selection. A Kumzitz in the Rain was arranged and produced by Doni Gross of DEG Studios.

Disclaimer: The names of the soloists may be incorrect. I have not actually seen the booklet from this album, so it’s purely semi-educated guesswork. (For example, I accredit two different solos to Avrumi Schwebel, even though I’m not sure if it’s even the same kid singing.)

Track #1- Shalom Aleichem (?): The album starts off nicely with a Shalom Aleichem. Although it does sound somewhat familiar, I still have yet to identify the origin of this song (meaning the tune, not the words). I’m pretty sure the soloist in this song is (Elie?) Scharf, from Schwebel, Scharf & Levine, but I’m not sure. Regardless, he does a very nice job on this song and it was a pleasure to listen to.

Track #2- Hinei Ma Tov (Shalsheles): Hinei was the first song on the fourth Shalsheles album. Originally featuring Shalsheles Jr., this song caught on pretty well a few years ago. This version features Rivie Schwebel, whose unique voice adds quite a bit. Kudos to the arranger who very nicely fused the intro within the song (similar to how Lev Tahor fused their intro to the D’veykus Lakol Z’man into their rendition of that song).

Track #3- Acheinu (Lev Tahor): You may have heard this song before. But that’s probably only if you listened to the entire Lev Tahor album on which it was first sung. For some reason, this song never quite got its ’15 minutes’. Featuring Shloime Dachs, as well as a child soloist who I have yet to identify, (it may be his son, Dovid, but I think it sounds more like Avrumi Schwebel,) this song may finally catch on. Nice ‘shtick’ by Shloime on the last high part, and great harmony by the ending.

Track #4- K’ayol (Dedi on JEP): Fair warning- I’m biased. I already REALLY liked this song before this album. Most people have heard this song, as almost every camp has used this tune as an alma mater at some point over the years. Featuring Ari Goldwag, who added his own filler before the transpose (I’m assuming that was of his own creation), this song is rapidly shooting its way up my Most Played list. (It does help that there’s not much else to listen to these days.) Great song.

Track #5- Ahavas Yisroel (Marvelous Middos Machine, Yeedle, Every Tisha B’av Cantata For the Past 20 Years): I’m not a huge fan of boys choirs singing English songs; there are few I’ve enjoyed since the old Miami classics. However, the kids do do a nice job with this song. The voice(s) I’ve recognized belong(s) to Dovid Dachs and/ or a different kid from the new Shalsheles Jr. It feels a little shleppy to me, but that’s probably because there’s no music. Nice harmony on the high part, at the end.

Track #6- Ani Ma’amin (She’arim): Ani Ma’amin originally was sung on the little known album, She’arim. It’s a nice song, although it too sounds a bit shleppy without the musical flow that I’m used to. I haven’t been able to put a name to the voice of the child soloist, even though I’m sure I’ve heard him before. Perhaps Avrumi Schwebel? There is also an adult soloist, who I think is one of the original soloists from She’arim. Unfortunately, I do not know his name either.

Track #7- Min Hameitzar (D’veykus): This song originally was on the sixth D’veykus album. It’s a slow but nice song. I’m pretty sure that the soloist is Yitzchak Yenowitz, who also sings on the first two V’havienu albums. Very nice voice, and this song works well for him; I’ve heard he used to sing this song quite nicely in Camp Rayim years ago.

Track #8- Pia Pascha (Mendy Wald): Of all the songs on this album, Pia Pascha is the only one that comes close to K’ayol in terms of ‘classic’. Originally on Mendy Wald’s Sameach album, this song has been famous for as long as I can remember. This edition features Dovid Stein, and is a pleasure to listen to.

Track #9- Kah Ribon (Ari Goldwag): Another well-known song, Ari Goldwag’s Kah Ribon is a very popular tune for both the zemer, and L’cha Dodi in Shul. I’m pretty sure that this is the first Goldwag song I ever heard; ‘coincidentally’, I’m a pretty big fan of his Lishuascha Kivisi and Simcha B’libi albums. The choir does a very good job with this song, as does the soloist (whose name I don’t know). Enjoy.

Track #10- Kumzitz in the Rain: The final track is the only one that has rain in the background (as well as thunder). Beginning with the She’arim Ani Ma’amin, and flowing through the high part of both the classic Ani Ma’amin and the JEP one, this track features all of the guest soloists as they each sing another line of the song. The transitions as they slide from song to song are smooth, and this track is a nice finish to the album.

All-in-all, I found this to be an enjoyable album. It’s not too rocked up or ‘pumping’; those who feel that Jewish a capella should be somber or ‘toned down’ have nothing to worry about. This album is particularly good for listening to while relaxing at the end of a long day. I would assume that if one is allowed to listen to this during sefirah and the Three Weeks, it is also permitted to go to sleep while listening to this. (I advise consulting with your Rav or Posek before doing so.) I also like the fact that, while all of the songs are nice, the producer did not take only classics; rather he chose songs that are not well known by all (nor do they already have 12 different versions). The choir was arranged very well, and the harmonies are superb. Enjoy!!

I first heard Six13 a few years ago, right before they came to my college for a performance. Right away I liked their music, and for two sefiras and three weeks I played them pretty constantly being one of those people that needs to have my iPod on when I walk to the dryer to get my clothes out. I liked that they used a lot of songs that everyone knew and that it was catchy and fun. Plus, I met some of the guys, and they were all very nice.

All of their music is good. But with their third album, Six13 has changed A LOT. If you compare the albums, you’ll see what I’m saying. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what changed.  Maybe it’s that except for the playful songs (which will be explained more later), they have matured a lot.

All of the Six13 albums are good…very good. But this one is by far the best.

The best thing about this album is the variety, which is best explained by a quick look through the songs. But in short, there are two funny parodies, two beautiful slow songs dedicated to the wives of two of the singers, four  medlies of popular Jewish songs ranging from Levine to Lipa, and two new wonderful Six13 originals. I love when CDs are constantly changing from track to track and when the songs don’t sound alike, but still retain the overall feel of the group.

1. Tov Lehodot
-Really fun driving song that you will be singing along to the first time you hear it
-Nothing so different about it, but of the original Six13 songs, for sure a hit
-Sort of reminds me of Kol Mekadesh from their first album

2. V’ezakeini
-Baruch Levine’s V’ezakeini sung by Yitzy Spinner and Shmuly Brafman (the finalist in the JR section of a Jewish Star) with Aharon Razel/Yaakov Shwekey’s Vehi She’amda sung by Shmuel & Bentzi Marcus of 8th day
-GREAT guest vocalists, all of them!
-What a good combination of songs…two of the biggest slow hits from the last few years, and they sound great together
-It’s rare that I think an acapella song with beat-boxing is pretty, but this one is
-I think V’ezakeini is my favorite song of all time, so unless they did something really bad, which I don’t think they are capable of, I am gonna love it.

3. P-A-S-S-O-V-E-R
-”Seder Got Us Eating Unleavended Bread” , parody of Usher and P-A-S-S-O-V-E-R, parody of Ke$ha
-You can see this video from a post here a couple days ago
-If you don’t know the secular songs, then it’s just a pop-sounding song about Pesach
- If you’ve ever heard the songs (they play this Usher song all the time at my gym) then it’s hilarious. Even if you don’t know the songs, the lyrics are really clever and funny.
-It’s SUPER catchy!

4. Kol Han’Shama
-Say it’s “For Shira”, which I think means Mike Boxer is singing things song for his wife. Got to love that.
-Perhaps because of the personal attachment, Mike Boxer sings this song particularly beautifully of all the songs I’ve heard him in, and with a lot of feeling
-Very pretty choice of lyrics
-Like I mention in almost every review, I’m really hard to please with slow songs. To an unfair extent. So while I recognize this song is beautiful and I do like listening to it, it’s not one of my favorites just because 90% of the time I’ll pick a fast song over a slow one.

5. The Yeshivish Mix
-Legabay (Dovid Gabay) +  Mah Mah Mah (Yaakov Shwekey) + Gelt (Lipa Schmeltzer)
-These are all super fun songs and wonderful choices for the mix. I could listen to this over and over again. And for someone who gets bored too easily to listen to most slow songs, that’s saying a lot.
-I have to admit I didn’t know this Lipa song (sorry…), but it’s AWESOME! For those of you who don’t know it, it’s about how money is temporary even though we obsess over it, and Kosher money is Mitzvahs which stay with us forever. What a great message, especially in today’s economy.
-Wait. Is Six13 singing in Yiddish? I love it!

6. Hinei Mah Tov
-The verses are about how important it is to take care of each other, love each other, be peaceful, etc. and the chorus is Hinei Mah Tov
-Love the lyrics here. Such a relatable message here. There are enough problems in the world without us creating ones between ourselves.
-Laid back but fast at the same time. Love the relaxed feel, and it’s very pretty.

7. The Simcha Mix
-Siman Tov/Carlebach’s Uv’nei Otah (sung by Pey Dalid)/Avraham Fried’s Chazak/B’Yerushalayim
-The first time I heard it, I could sing along basically the whole time. Always a good thing.
-So fun and upbeat…hence the title.
-Once again, another good mix of songs you’ll probably know
-Six 13 is great with the transitions. The songs all for sure sound different, but they change very smoothly.

8. I Light It
-”Dreidel”, parody of Justin Bieber, “Latkes” parody of Kanye West, and “I Light It”, parody of Enrique Inglesias
-You probably saw this video around Hanukah times (they are all Hanukah songs if you couldn’t tell), but if you didn’t, you should see it!
-Like P-A-S-S-O-V-E-R, it’s a lot funnier if you know the songs. I didn’t know the second two songs, so it wasn’t as funny for me.
-Still very funny lyrics that we can all relate to. You should read the lyrics from the booklet. They could be published in a comedy article.
-Very catchy, but not as much as P-A-S-S-O-V-E-R

9. Yerushalayim Shel Zahav/Salaam
-Naomi Shemer’s Yerushalayim Shel Zahav and Sheva’s Salaam (if you went on Birthright, you heard it a lot)
-I was at first a little upset, thinking “I can’t listen to this for four minutes.” because it’s very slow and operatic which I have a limit to. Then, after about 90 seconds it goes into Aryeh Kunstler singing Salaam. Fun and has a rock feel to it
-Normally wouldn’t combine such a slow song with such a fast song…but it worked!

10. Mi Adir/Mi Bon Siach
-”A Six13 original”
-This one’s for Yafit…I hope I’m guessing correctly that Yafit Cohn is Moshe Cohn’s wife, and he is singing this song for her. Amazing.
-This is a personal preference, but it’s a little hard for me to listen to “et hechatan v’et hakallah”. You say Shabbat, I say Shabbos, but it doesn’t mean the song doesn’t sound a tiny bit awkward to me when some of the main words sound really different
-Despite my pickiness, it’s beautiful! I love his voice; it’s very calm and sweet.

Best and Worst Things About the Album
-There’s a lot of information in the booklet. I can see who is singing the song, what the exact words are, where they came from, etc. That makes a big difference to me.
-The remakes of songs we already love (I mean the Jewish songs here, not the parodies) were a great idea.
-I love medleys. Just when a song could get repetitive, it changes up. It’s also a more creative way to use songs that we have already heard so many times.
-A LOT of wonderful guest stars give each song a fresh feel
-The guys in Six13 all have great voices, and they are different enough that you can generally tell who you are listening to. It also says in the booklet…
-So much variety!!!!!
But…
-The album is less than 40 minutes long. It would have been nice to have a few more songs. It doesn’t even last me a trip to work. Guess I’ll just have to replay the Yeshivish Mix!

Favorite Songs on the Album
-The Yeshivish Mix (!!!)
-V’ezakeini
-Hinei Ma Tov
-Tov Leodot

The Yoni Alayev Orchestra, a popular wedding band in Israel is going to be releasing a new CD with wedding favorites very soon featuring 11 different singers from Eretz Yisroel. You can hear the demo below.

Download the sampler here.

Taking Over My Heart, the title track of Chanale’s soon to be released fifth album is now available for download.  A unique blend of pop music with touching lyrics, the song about her two beautiful little girls and the magnificent chaos they produce is sure to touch the heart of mothers everywhere.  Look for Chanale’s album, containing 11 English songs, to be released this summer.

To hear the song, which is for WOMEN!!!! only  go to Chanale’s website.

To download the song go to jewishjukebox.com.

Lyrics to the song:

Sameach Music proudly presents Yetzias Mitzrayim – Exodus – Part I, is yet another exciting album from story teller par excellence, Rebbee Hill.   Feel Yetzias Mitzrayim like never before as Rebbee Hill weaves his unique blend of magic and transports you back in time.  Don’t miss this exciting Pesach release, sure to be a hit with children of all ages!

Available now at jewishjukebox.com!

When I heard around a month ago that there was a ‘wedding’ album due out to promote a relatively new orchestra, my reaction was (and I quote,) “eh”. But then, the very next night, I went to a chasuna at which the Nagila Orchestra played.  I was, to say the least, wowed; the music was so impressive that I was ‘on a high’ for three days after. So needless to say, I was greatly anticipating the release of Avi Newmark’s Nagila V’nismicha, featuring the Nagila Orchestra, with Benny Friedman singing.
This album is not like any other wedding album you’ve ever heard. The only thing ‘weddingish’ about it is the way the songs are broken up- Room Opener, First Dance, Second Dance, etc. As a whole, this album features solid musical arrangements through and through, as well as superb vocals (as we’ve come to expect from Benny Friedman). Personally I’m still scratching my head over the song selections for this album, but I must say, these songs to do quite a good job of showing off Benny Friedman’s voice. Also, I like the fact that this album does not have an abundance of Benny Friedman songs. (They were/are good, but too many on the same album again would be overkill.) Another thing that I liked about the way this album is arranged is that rather than squeezing in 35 songs at around 90 seconds per song, here they’ve opted to only put in 18 songs with closer to 3 minutes per song (plus 2 brand new, full-length songs).
Excluding the two original songs, each track is paired with its own intro aside from the intro with which it was originally recorded (AKApella style). As a promotion for a new orchestra, this definitely settles any worries that you may have of whether or not this group can play ‘contemporary’ intros. Considering that I didn’t get the feel that most of these intros were written for their respective songs, (they blended nicely, but didn’t always leave the feel of ‘wow these were made to be played together’,) it would have been nicer to hear more Shwekey and Gabay, and less, um, alternate genre artists. Nevertheless, each and every track flows perfectly and this album was a pleasure to listen to.
Sameach- Starting off the album is one of the two new songs, Sameach. Composed by Elimelech Blumstein, and featuring the Moshe Roth Choir, this song is a great way to start off an album. Especially considering that the words fit in perfectly for a wedding, don’t be surprised if this song is incorporated into the repertoire of second dance songs by many orchestras as early as the end of this month. Plus, this song has the words Nagila V’nismicha in it.
Room Opener- The ‘wedding album’ theme goes around as far as the title to this track. Although the songs that are used are not typical ‘wedding songs’, they still demonstrate the musical talents of this orchestra. I must say, I was happy to hear Benny singing his hit No Lyrics again. It’s a shame that they haven’t been playing this song more frequently by weddings (at least not at weddings that I’ve been to). Also played in this group of songs is Gevald, a song originally from MBD’s Efshar L’takein album. Benny does a great job with this song. I also like how the intro from the beginning of the ‘dance’ is incorporated in other songs, not just the first.
First Dance- As is common at weddings these days, the First Dance has not only one, but TWO intros. At first I was rather surprised- MP3 only just came out two weeks ago, yet the high part to the English song is already being used as an intro on Nagila V’nismicha?! Then a friend of mine recognized it as part of a song they play before Yankees games….I guess the Yankees are popular in the Jewish Music world. Anyway, back to the songs themselves, First Dance begins with one of the two yehoreig v’lo ya’avors of Chasunas these days- Ashreichem. I doubt there has been a litvish wedding in the past three months at which they did not play this song. It’s a solid freilach with a pumping high part, a guaranteed pleaser. Good job by Benny Friedman in the intro used for Reb Yid, although I think it may have sounded better had the vocal fade been stretched out a bit longer. (But hey, there’s a reason why THEY get paid to do this and not me :) .) De Zeides is a good song that strikes me as a cross of the Marvelous Middos Machine’s Never Take Your Kids To A Store song, and an old Tzlil V’zemer Maccabee song. And on we go.
Mehaira- Mehaira is the second and last original song on Nagila V’nismicha. It was composed by Mendy Fisch and features Yitzy Spinner as the adult choir, as well as Benjamin Newmark as the child soloist. Don’t be surprised if you hear this song played during the meal of chasunas in the near future, as it is a very nice song. Mendy seems to have a lot of talent as a composer, so keep your eyes (and ears) open for more of his songs!
Second Dance- The second dance is where the song selection of the performing band counts the most, as for some reason the people on the dance floor seem to need more motivation to dance then. That’s where songs like Libi Bamizrach come in clutch. It’s a fun, Sfardi styled song that really gets you moving. I especially liked the tribute to Mendy Wald’s Sameach shtupped in at 1:13; halevai that there were more! ) I was also pleased to hear Shloime Gertner’s Ashrei Mi included in this group of songs. Sameach is squeezed into this track as well, at 2:13. The dance ends nicely with Benny’s own Moshiach, which is paired with Taio Cruz’s very popular Dynamite.
Ten More Minutes- We are now up to the final part of the album, which features songs of the genre that one tends to hear at the end of the second dance. First up is Benny Friedman’s Taamu. I particularly like how the band really seems to ‘get into’ these songs; it gives it more of a ‘live’ feel that you don’t tend to hear on recorded albums. The next song is the other yehoreig v’lo ya’avor of Chasunas these days- Ki Hirbaisa. I was actually at a wedding recently at which they did NOT play this song…that resulted in the forty bochurim there singing it in unison after the band stopped playing. Yes it’s very popular, and for good reason; just hear for yourself. Next up is the well-known One Day, originally sung by Mattisyahu. I don’t know if you saw the YouTube video going around over the summer of Benny Friedman singing this song, but he really makes this song sound like it was written specifically for him to sing. It’s a very good combination to have as the album nears its end.
Wow! That was a fun ride. I look forward to many more enjoyable listenings of Nagila V’nismicha, as well as expecting to see this orchestra playing at Chasunas with much success. I can honestly say that if I were choosing a band for a wedding in the near future with all things being equal, my first choice would be the Nagila Orchestra. Feel free to head out to your nearest Jewish Music retailer to pick up a copy of Avi Newmark’s Nagila V’nismicha today! Or just go online to MostlyMusic.com from your home computer. (Parental supervision while doing so is heavily encouraged for children of all ages.)

There are few albums that I was looking forward to review more than this one! Yossi Green is the foremost and most respected name in the Jewish music composing field. The Shades of Green series is a real testament to his ability to compose in specific styles and genres. One thing about this album that appeals most to me is the way that the songs are arranged in a unique way that the style the song was composed in is emulated and stressed to the point of obviousness! This could not have been done without the skills of Yisroel Lamm, who did a phenomenal job at this. More to come…

When listening to the original Shades of Green, I was of the opinion that maybe there should have been guest artists singing the songs. Now that I heard the second album it is clear in my mind that Yossi is clearly the voice needed for this album. If there were other vocalists, you would lose that unique specialized style assigned to every track. And while the lead vocals take some getting used to – it becomes quite enjoyable throughout the album.

Shades of Latin – The moment the song starts you hear the latin percussions really bringing the Latin vibe… One thing that really got me thinking is that you hear very clearly that the songs are all arranged differently than they were on the original album. I am not sure if this is to try to get them to fit the featured genre, or this is the way Yossi originally wrote it. Either way I actually like the Ki Hatov better when it is arranged with less of a heavy middle eastern feel (as it was on Shwekey’s album). The second song sounds a little rushed in the new tempo.

Shades of Motown – Love the opening groove. I guess this is what a Jewish Motown sounds like because I’ve heard some real motown and umm it wasn’t exactly like this. Maybe when the Wurlitzer kicks in I start feeling it! Either way the bass is what really gets a motown going and a more intense line probably would’ve done the job. The combination of songs is really a fun mix.

Shades of Dance – As soon as you hear the opening trance you can almost feel a Gertner song coming – and he doesn’t disappoint! This is like what you would expect from a remix and it is amazing! The vocals are superb and not overpowering. There is a long long interlude (maybe too long) and then we move onto a Wald song that was a real jump in those days!

Shades of Hipsh – Well now that we know what Hipsh means (see a few articles earlier) we can skip talking about the word (for now). The funky sound that Yedid takes on on this track is almost worthy of being released as a different version of the song! The arrangements are really fun also. I can almost imagine what the sessions were like!

Shades of Rock – Here you see the proper tempo that rock songs were written in. I’m pretty sure that the songs were sped up before they were put onto the eventual artist who bought the song. This is great opportunity to mention one of the greatest treats for me on this album is getting to hear songs that I never knew were Yossi’s. Wow Im ein ani li, an oldie but goodie – enough said. Amazing variation at 3:40…

Shades of Baroque – For those who don’t know what that weird word means – Baroque was one of the styles popular in Classical Music composition during certain periods (1600s-1800s ?). I was talking music with Yisroel Lamm a while ago, when he expressed his particular enjoyment with this style. So I can imagine he had something to do with this :-). Either way Chesed V’emes and Tzama are both true masterpieces and really underrated songs, hopefully this will get the songs out there a little more. The musical interludes are also really amazing. GREAT TRACK

Shades of Debka – I really don’t enjoy Debka too much in general but the vocals on the track are great. I don’t feel this one as much as I should…

Shades of Blues – Blues is a difficult genre to tackle. And I think the intro sort of avoids it in general but then the low part gets a little closer to the real thing. This is the first song (Ani Maamin) on the album that I don’t know its origin, anyone out there please help?

Shades of Soul – This song put a smile on my face. The arrangements are really great, and really stick to the genre even though the song itches to get more into a disco feel. Vocals actually really sit well with the big sound of the mix. Kudos to the one who mixed this song! Was probably interesting to watch.

Shades of Chant – Hands down my favorite track on the album! Aside from being an amazing song – the arrangements are brilliant and the emotion of the song is really captured in a unique way with the pounding drums! While it does drag out and get a little long – the vocals are consistent and the second part is priceless!! I always wanted to sing tanya with a digital kit backing me up! Aderabe is sung more like Ahhhh Derabe!

Shades of Yiddish – It is obvious that Yiddish is his mother tongue when Yossi sings in Yiddish. If I’m not mistaken the lyrics on Gelt were written by Lipa, either way it is a great song, and really shook things up when it was released. (Are the lyrics different? pretty sure) Nice use of the Diet song back from the HASC concert a few years ago..

Shades of Acapella – What more can I say beside A.K.A. Pella has set a standard that is not going to be passed any time soon. Min Hameitzar is a stunning song that really captures the emotion of old. The group really compliments Yossi’s choir well, something I thought would clash because of the full choirs overpowering each other. The interlude is especially gorgeous! If you listen with headphones you can hear how much work goes into mixing this as the background sounds fade from left to right ear…

Shades of March – Not sure this song was necessary, the album is really long! But another song I had no idea that Yossi composed – and I love marches! So bring it on..

Bonus Track – A nice tribute to the much deserved Hatzolah member. The vocals are pretty intense! The sirens fit in very appropriately to the music. This is a great choice for a bonus track – fits into the fun theme of the album.

Now for a BONUS! The first person to tell me where else in Jewish Music did Yossi Green use the word HIPSH – will get a copy of the album from me!
Good Luck!

Celebrating a world where children with special needs experience acceptance and inclusion, DeScribe teamed up with Matisyahu to create “pure soul,” saluting these incredible children and the Friendship Circle (http://www.fcnj.com), an organization that offers them so much hope.

A pulsating blend of Hip Hop, Reggae, and R&B paints a picture of children full of courage and joy. “Pure Soul” is not just a “feel-good” pop song. It is rather the anthem of a movement to shift the popular conception of children with special needs.

So join this historic wave, because this is not just a song, it’s a revolution!

GET THIS SONG NOW: SHEMSPEED DIRECT | ITUNES | AMAZON

FOR OTHER SHEMSPEED ALBUMS & MP3′s, ENTER SHEMSPEED.COM