In Review: Joey Weisenberg "The Torah of Music" & Joey Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble Nigunim Vol. VI: “By the Waters of Babylon”

I first came to know Joey Weisenberg when I heard him play a CD release event for klezmer clarinetist Michael Winograd. He played a beautiful mandolin improvisation that showed his deep roots in Klezmer and traditional Jewish modalities. So, a few years back, when I heard that Joey was writing and recording his own nigunim, I kind of expected to hear neo-klezmer melodies/arrangements. A YouTube search revealed that I was wrong. And so, I've checked in with Joey's output from time to time and followed along with his prolific output.

I am just home from a remarkable evening with Joey Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble. The event -- performance would be the wrong word -- was beautiful. The room was set up in circles, with the ensemble in the middle and rows of chairs circling around them. And, rather than perform, Joey led the room in singing (and listening) together. I was impressed and moved. Joey has the remarkable ability to get 300 or so people singing together in a way that is inclusive, respectful, and powerful. Rather than the "look at me" approach so many Jewish music presenters have, Joey graciously shares the spotlight with the members of the Hadar Ensemble, and brings everyone in the room along for the ride. Of course, I'm sure it helps that 150 of the people there were participants in Machon Hadar's spiritual singing seminar which took place this week in NYC, and so were familiar with his nigunim. However, the feeling I had was that this would work pretty much the same if no one in the room, apart from the ensemble, knew his songs. It was that powerful.

This event, as well as Joey's book and recordings, all share a purpose. That is, they all seek to bring people in through music, to encourage group singing and listening, and connection with Judaism through music. It'd be a mistake to review one of these things separately, as they are all part of the same organic whole.

I wound up at this event when I received an invite to review Joey's new book "The Torah of Music" and attend this event marking its release. The sweetener was the copy of the latest Hadar Ensemble album "By The Waters of Babylon", which includes "Shochein Ad", a tune that I've been singing/playing since I first heard it. In fact, I wound up singing an acapella Bar Mitzvah in the city, and when the cantor broke into this melody, I was the only one in the "frum" group who knew it. The entire congregation, on the other hand, joined along immediately.

A little about the music. I mentioned that it wasn't klezmer. However, it is deeply Jewish. I'd describe it as American Jewish music, deeply rooted in Jewish and American folk traditions. If Stephen Foster wrote Jewish music, it might have sounded like this. Bits of Americana, Chassidus, and even some slight Carlebach influences blend together in an organic new yet mature sound that sounds much older than it is. The albums -- this is the sixth in the series -- are all recorded live in an old shul in Brooklyn where Joey served as Baal Tefilah for seven years. Buy the album to support the artist, but then watch the album on YouTube to see how involved everyone is as these tracks were laid down. Highlights include the afore-mentioned "Shochein Ad" which begins with a beautiful vocal taksim by Rabbi Yosef Goldman. I'm also partial to "Keil Adon" which features Deborah Saks Mintz, as well as Yigdal, which in Joey's setting is a six-minute-plus Americana-infused melody that really gets at the meaning of the words. In general, Joey's songs do that, and if there weren't words repeated in the song, I'd be using "Shochen Ad" in my shul. The whole album is excellent and well worth getting. It's worth checking out the earlier ones as well. Amazon has the album here:


Which brings me to the book... As with his recordings, Joey seeks to empower the kahal to come along with him on his musical journey. The book is his attempt to do just that, sharing Torah thoughts about song, the power of music, the importance of listening, and more. Especially notable is that Joey includes a large open library of texts with translations -- roughly half the book -- so that the reader can join in the process of exploring what Judaism has to say about music and personally engage with them. The 179 texts range include pesukim from Tanach, quotes from Mishna, Gemara, and Midrash, to writings by Rishonim, Mystical and Halachik Writings, Chassidic Torah, and more.

Before getting to the open library though, Joey discusses the connection between music and prophecy, the power of music, the importance of silence, and perhaps most importantly, the importance of listening and of joining together through song. In a gentle self-effacing way, through use of sources and personal vignettes, Joey shares his understanding of and belief in the power of music. The book is a useful resource for anyone interested in the power of music and Judaism.

Amazon has the book here: Joey's approach serves as a model that anyone interested in creating serious, deep Jewish music should be aware of and be inspired by. He unites intellect and emotion to create warm, deep, and friendly inclusive Jewish music, and that's something we can use a lot more of.

They'll Keep Fighting Until Someone Cries Uncle!

Over at COL... Battle of the Two Uncle Moishys

I'll Bet It Was Minimal Criticism

JQY Throws First Benefit Concert, Draws LGBTQ Community And Allies 

Naor Carmi Is On A Mission From God!

Hannukah Diet - Ari Lesser & Avi Kraus

Protest Singing

אביב גפן הופיע עם סלוטייפ על עיניו כמחאה על מעשה יונתן רזאל

Stop Saying I Can't Sing Because It Distracts Orthodox Men | Lilith Magazine

Over at Lilith, Cantor Deborah Katchko Gray writes on Kol Isha... Stop Saying I Can't Sing Because It Distracts Orthodox Men.

I'm very sympathetic to Cantor Gray and feel that she should be able to sing at an egalitarian event. I also think that if an Orthodox group doesn't want to co-sponsor because of her singing, that's their prerogative.

That said, there's an awful lot of either ignorance or deliberate misrepresentation in this piece. I'd like to assume it's the former.

Forward Thinking on Carlebach

Quite a good nuanced article on Carlebach and #MeToo at the Forward... Shlomo Carlebach And #MeToo: Should We Sing His Music?

New Yonatan Razel Tape Out

Over at VosIzNeias... Popular Orthodox Singer Sticks Tape Over Eyes To Avoid Seeing Women At Concert

Recent Peeps from Da Hood

It's been a while... "The Negotiator" This peep is very wealthy, but can't help lowballing anyway. They'll call for a small gig and when you quote a very fair price, they'll offer your mitzvah gig rate and claiming that that's the budget they can offer and that even that will be split between both families making the simcha. IOW, they're willing to pay half of that total. We just turn them down. Naturally, the negotiator will call back offering more. We turn them down again. In the end, relatively last minute, we take the gig at a small discount that is still within the range we usually get, and well above their offers. Naturally, when we get to the gig, it's quite the affair, with fine cigars, expensive hot catering, etc. After the gig, the negotiator makes sure to ostentatiously pay us, and then adds a tip, bringing it back to $20 less than the initial quote. $20 to create a negative impression. Well negotiated. "I'll Never Use You" This peep is a real charmer. Over the course of the event, he'll respond positively to numerous song selections, coming over to sing loudly along demonstrating his approval, giving us smiles and thumbs up signals and saying nice things about the music when we take a break. At the end of the gig though, he'll come over, introduce himself, and say: "just so you know, I'll never hire you." That's because he's a die-hard Soulfarm fan and there is simply no alternative, as far as he is concerned. He just had to make sure we knew that. Um, ok.

Waters Under The Bridge

German TV Pulls Sponsorship of Roger Waters Concert over BDS

Shatnez!

Check This Slovakia Out!

Nick (Didn't) Cave

Over at the Times of Israel... Aussie rocker Nick Cave says he's in Israel because of BDS

Nice To See These Guys Back Together Again!

Via Life in Israel

Not Ron, Eliran!

Morrissey: "Lo Tachmod!"

Morrissey: Israel haters are just ‘jealous’ of the country

EMT Saves Drummer's Life

Over at Vos Iz Neias... Video Shows EMT Saving Choking Drummers Life At Wedding Hall

Been A While Since We Posted A Ban...

The following event in Lakewood was "CANCELLED DUE TO RABONIM", some of the people involved shared on Twitter.

Not A Hermit!

Menachem Herman and the Happy Strings of Gratitude

Carlebach in the Mirror

Emes Ve-Emunah: Reflections on Shlomo Carlebach z”l

Adon Olam - The Village Stompers

Yonina: Happy Vsamachta Bchagecha

דספסיטו ביידיש - "רבי נחמן"

'Wish You Weren't Here'

'Wish You Weren't Here': Training the lens on Roger Waters

Chamol ~ David Taub

Ochila La'Kel: Rav Hillel Peley with Yonatan Razel, Aharon Razel, Chanan Ben Ari and Yitzchak Meir

Over at Life in Israel... Ochila La'Kel: Rav Hillel Peley with Yonatan Razel, Aharon Razel, Chanan Ben Ari and Yitzchak Meir.

Just beautiful!

"Kevakoras" feat. Eli Marcus & Mendi Jerufi with Chony Milecki

Just another yeshivish kid from Lakewood...

Matt Dubb - Sababa | מאט דאב - סבבה

Night Tree - Survivor’s Nigun

Billy Yoel

Billy Joel Wears Yellow Star of David Amid Rising Neo-Nazi Activity

From the mailbag...

E. forwards a link...  כך תישארו בעניינים בחתונה דתית: כל הלהיטים - בשתי דקות - יהדות

Not Bialik

Read all about it at Tablet Magazine

‫ישי ריבו - הנה ימים באים

Nice!!!

Mi She'asa Nisim

Over at PJ Media, of all places... Can Rap Music Be Kosher?

Shulem Lemmer - Shulem [Official Album Sampler]

Hakol Yihyeh בסיידר

"Nachamu Nigun" (2017) by Joey Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble

‫אשת חיל - פרשנות למוזיקה יהודית - אחיה אשר כהן אלורו‬‎

Ḥazōn - Take Me Back

Tzey Ulemad

Over at the Lehrhaus... How Halakhah Changes: From Nahem to the “Tisha be-Av Kumzitz” 

‫קילי הלפרין- האור מציון | Kaley Halperin- Haor Mitzion‬‎

From the mailbag...

Nikki Haley Fan Song

It's been a while since we've posted one of Dovid Kerner's songs. He's a fan of US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley.



Her support for Israel --and her non-apologetic public expression of it too -- is quite a refreshing change.

Great Band Name

Meet the Bar Pappas: 

Low Down On Jerusalem

Over at ToI... A mellow new Jerusalem life for Dylan's bassist

Well Said!

Over at Rolling Stone... Thom Yorke Breaks Silence on Israel Controversy

Bot Dylan: The Jig Is Up

Researchers create a computer that writes own folk music

The Poper Rebbe

Over at the aptly named Cross-Currents... Jammin' with the Pope

What's The Catholic Version of a Carlebach Minyan?

So these guys met with the Pope and brought along Pumpedisa to sing/dance along with. They played Carlebach's Orech Yamim. Some are very upset about this.



Me? I see the humor in it. They also missed the opportunity for much better song selection like perhaps "Yoshke Fort Avek".

“Shokhein Ad” (2017) by Joey Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble, featuring R. Yosef Goldman - YouTube

YouTube:

Korean or Hasidic?

Too funny! Korean or Hasidic– Can You Guess Which Song Is Which?

Mah Nishtana: You're All Singing It Wrong!

Nice article. Four Melodies for Four Questions  The comparison between the composer's version of Mah Nishtana avoiding the minor (mostly) vs. the way we all sing it is fascinating.



Chag sameach!

Spinal Tap Goes to Eleven, I Mean, Court

In Rolling Stone... Harry Shearer: Why My 'Spinal Tap' Lawsuit Affects All Creators

That's Some Black Hattitude!

Over at the J-Post.... Dropping beats from Jerusalem to New York

From the mailbag...

From Simple Man... "Simple Man is a new Jewish multi-genre band from Highland Park, New Jersey with innovative sound fusion including hip-hop, rock, funk, reggae and more. Lead singer/songwriter Yaakov Kafka was just featured as the rap lyricist on Beri Weber's new hit, One Heart.

Simple Man's unique flow is bolstered by Kafka's empathetic lyrical style. Band guitarists Tamir Tusia, Eli Weiss and bassist Clayton McIntyre blend rock, blues, classical guitar, and other styles together.

Simple Man's first video, "Hydroplane", from their debut EP is now available. You can check out links to their entire EP at simplemansound.com/ and upcoming shows will be announced in New Jersey and New York City.

Please let us know the best way we can support your blog and be a partner in music."

Here's the link: Simple Man

From Chillent... "I'm from Chillent, a Pittsburgh based Jewish funk/blues/jazz band (chillentband.com). We just released an alternate mix of a song from our upcoming album "Jewish Soul Stew" which will be out around Shavuot. Single available for free streaming here: Universe in Miniature (Brian Fitzy Mix) | Chillent

That moment when....

... the Ba'al Tefilah chooses a melody for Birkas Hacjodesh that no one in shul knows, and then sings "chayim she'ein bahem busha uchlimah" badly off-key.

Original Purim Song

‫ניגון ברסלב עתיק - "ויבוא עמלק". אברהם בלטי ואחיה אשר כהן אלורו ‬‎

‫

A Yiddisher Rastaman - Ehud Banai in Yiddish!

‫א יידישע

Oy, S'Iz Git!

‫לוי פולקוביץ ותזמורתו של יוחי בריסקמן "ס'גוט פאר מיר" | Levy Falkowitz - Yochi Briskman Orchestra‬‎ - YouTube:

Strumz - Yoimum - יומם (Meilech Kohn Cover מיילך קאהן)

Nicely done!

The Making of Universal Favorite: The Noam Pikelny Story

Now that's a promo video!

Hamiltaschen - A Shushanian Musical

Video Premiere: Zeke Finn “Plight ft. Matisyahu”

Over at Relix... a Video Premiere: Zeke Finn “Plight ft. Matisyahu” 

Chizuk from Peter Himmelman

For Musicians, Singers, and the People Who Love Them

The Mashpia's Blog

להפוך מוזיקת עולם למוזיקה יהודית מהנשמה - הבלוג של המשפיע 

BD'E - Eli Lipsker Z"L

COL reports on the passing of Eli Lipsker, 76, OBM.



I remember attending weddings as a kid that Eli played at with his band. Very spirited Chassidic music with feeling. (Andy Statman was playing with his band those times). Yehei zichro baruch!

‫רינת בר - באמונה שלמה - קליפ (מארחת את ד"ר צ'אן)‬‎

Rak b'Yisrael! Women dancing in revealing clothing while singing about God.

Hem Chazru Betshuva

In Tablet: How Musician Meir Banai Reflected Israeli Culture's Recent Return to Jewish Tradition

Yanky Lemmer - Hamalach Hagoel

Avraham and Sarah Siri

Gershon Veroba - Ani Yisrael

Eitan Katz Gets Down To Business

Over at the Frum Entrepreneur... Interview with Renowned Singer & Producer Eitan Katz.

MBD Makes International Kiddish Hashem

In Newsweek... "Popular Jewish Singer Makes Racial Slur Against Obama at Jerusalem Concert."

‫שיר ‏כניסה לחופה - דודי קנפלר - מקהלת שירה‬‎

‫שיר ‏כניסה לחופה - דודי קנפלר - מקהלת שירה - ברכת כהנים | Dudi Knopfler ft. Shira Choir‬‎ - YouTube: