Yehuda is a native of Cleveland. Yehuda learned his stage presence early, singing with his father’s simcha band. Both his grandfathers were singers in the Chassidic courts of pre-World War II Klausenberg and Vishnitz. (he has music yiches). His website says: “Yehuda is not just a star, but a Yeshiva-educated young man with a mission.”
http://www.yehuda.org/main.html
The Yavneh Ensemble, conducted by Robert A.M. Ross, is the Philadelphia area’s newest independent Jewish chorus. Composed of professional and experienced amateur singers, Yavneh presents tightly themed programs of historic and newer Jewish choral works, with narration, which both educate and entertain. Yavneh made its debut in the spring of 2006.
http://www.yavnehensemble.org
The Yale University klezmer group has a CD, “Klezmosis,” which was recorded by the band of 2002-03. Webpage will need updating with the new school year.
http://www.yale.edu/klezmer/
The Traveling Tefillah Band describes themselves as “a Kansas City-based musical ensemble whose mission is to bring a refreshing spirit to Jewish worship.” Their website provides samples of music, links and contact information as well as a nice photo of the group.
http://www.yachadmusic.com/
Composer, classical, jazz and pop performer, Jewish music advocate. Typical of the renaissance in Jewish music phenomena of today’s contemporary music world. Musicians today are combining secular careers with Jewish activities and involvement. Today, those Jewish activities are also going on the resume. One such example is this website of a working musician in California. Website contains bio, links, resume. mp3s must be updated.
http://www.yochanan.com/
Gan Eydn (Garden of Eden) is the name Peggy Davis (artist)and Yosl (Joe) Kurland have given to their home. Their website features an entire online guide to Jewish Weddings and features information about both the recordings and the calligraphy.
http://www.crocker.com/~ganeydn/
An a cappella group heard for a number of years on NPR for programs such as The Birthday of the World, The Chanukkah Story and The Passover Story. Along with Jewish music they have recordings on early American folk and art music.
http://www.westernwind.org/
A temple Choir from the Wembley United Synagogue, located in Wembley, a suburb northwest of London. The site includes an interesting history of the group, a bit of philosophy on their music and audio clips of selected works.
http://www.j-geek.org/choir/index.html
Vurma is a klezmer sextet based in Stockholm.
http://hem1.passagen.se/vurma/
Voice of the Turtle is a Boston-based group specializing in the music of the Jews of Spain. The group “learns most of its repertoire from field recordings housed in Jerusalem at the Jewish Music Research Center, at Hebrew University and at the radio station Kol Yisrael. These versions were collected by radio-journalists, scholars, and ethnomusicologists from Sephardi communities in Israel,documenting many versions of the songs which have been preserved by oral tradition.” Their website includes information on the performers, their instruments, and the group through FAQs. Artistic Director, Judith Wachs.
http://www.voiceoftheturtle.com
Group performing since 1986. Music and dance of the Sephardic heritage. Judith Brin Ingber (dancer, choreographer and co-founder); David Harris (Artistic Director, vocalist, and co-founder); Mick LaBriola (percussionist); David Burk (guitar, ‘ud, chumbush, bass);David Rockne Stenshoel (violin). They have CDs called Hamsa, Viva Sepharad, and Pasión. They perform in and around the Minneapolis area.
http://www.voicesofsepharad.com/
Eliana Gilad uses voice and rhythm as a natural healer. She has several CDs of healing and calming music and also CDs with lullabies for babies. She conducts workshops in Israel, other countries in the Middle East, Europe and the US. She claims her music “has been found to lower blood pressure, increase focus and quality of sleep.” Her website also has a travel and event calendar, sound clips and contact information.
http://www.voicesofeden.com/main.html
Female a capella group based in California. The group sings in English, Hebrew, Ladino, Yiddish, and Arabic. Members include Judith Kate Friedman, Linda Hirschhorn, Liz Stuart, Alison Lewis, Jennifer Karno, and Ellen Robinson.
http://www.vocolot.com/aboutvocolot.htm
Adrian Stoet, violin and Tjako Van Schie, piano have been playing together since 1984. On one CD, he plays Jewish music from the camps and ghettos of WWII. Their CD is “Shtil, die nacht iz Oysgesternt: Yiddish Music from the Ghettos and Concentration Camps. It has selections such as ‘Peat Bog Soldier’, ‘Es Brent’, ‘Yisrolik’ and other Yiddish and European songs from WWII and the Holocaust. Van Schie teaches at the Amsterdam Conservatory and concertizes in NL and elsewhere in Europe. He is a specialist in Bach.
http://users.castel.nl/~schic02/yiddish.htm
Tzimmes is a musical group based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Tzimmes offers a program that “emphasizes the tremendous diversity within Jewish music.” They sing klezmer tunes, Sephardic and North American folk ballads. Their programs usually include several languages. Musical samples are available at the site.
http://www.tzimmes.net/
A group dedicated to the revival and interpretation of Sephardi repertoire. Nora Usterman – soprano; Ernesto Wildbaum – violín; Ricardo Barceló – guitar. Since 1994, the Trio has successfully performed at international festivals and a great number of concerts in Spain and abroad. The website is both in English and Spanish. It includes performer bios, photos, events calendar and a little history.
http://www.arrakis.es/~wildbaum
Where can you hear Yiddish sung with an Israeli accent in a recording coming from Munich with a Weill-styled voice? Nizza Thobi sings Yiddish to German audiences who are only too familiar with klezmer feel good music, but not as much with soulful music of poets about loss, the Holocaust and other Jewish themes. The website features the razzle dazzle of flash technology and webfilm qualities. Concert venues and reviews.
http://www.nizza-thobi.com/
Born in Buenos Aires, Cantor Dr. Ramón Tasat learned Ladino, the language of the Sephardic people, at his grandmother’s knee; his style reflects the rich history and drama of this extraordinary culture. Trained in five different countries, he received a doctorate in voice performance from the University of Texas at Austin. His doctoral dissertation is entitled The Cantillations and Religious Poems of the Jews of Tangier, Morocco. Cantor Tasat has toured Europe with world-renowned Dr. Robert Shaw and has participated in international festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. Dr. Tasat has appeared in numerous opera productions including Le Nozze di Figaro, All Impressario, and La Traviata, and has drawn worldwide critical as well as audience acclaim. After attending Ramón s Cantata Ebraica concert, Rabbi Samuel Weintraub remarked, “Ramón Tasat is a gem.…
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Folk group “Tapuah beDvash” was created last year in Israel from experienced and popular musicians of Israel. P.Levin – string player- soloist of Israel chamber orchestra (Tel-aviv). U. Chernishev – guitar player- musician in jazz band of Tel-aviv. A. Egorov – double bass-balalaika player, musician in Bar-Ilan orchestra of east music. V. Fridman- popular player of national wind instruments. A. Geyko- The leader of the group and compositions’ writer play of ethnic wind and percussion instruments. The concert program of “Tapuah beDvash” is formed on Jewish folklore with elements Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Moldavian, Greek and Turkish folklore. The peculiarity of this group distinguishes it from klezmer music in that there are not only traditional instruments (string, guitar, clarinet, small drum), byt the musicians use many other interesting ethnic instruments (wind instruments- koval, fluer, Akkorini, Sopeli, Volinka, Halili, and drums- Darbuka, Lojki, Buhalo, and many others).…
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Robert Braunschweig, director. Bernard San, Chazan. Language of site: German. The amazing thing about this website is that they’ve digitized their standard repertoire to make it available to their members. You can view or print from this digital music collection at their website. Website includes a schedule of their concerts and synagogue work.
http://www.synagogenchor.ch/
Adriaan Stoet, violin & Tjako van Schie, piano. “Shtil, di nakht iz oysgeshternt– Yiddish music from the ghettos and concentration camps” is the name of their CD. It has selections such as Peat Bog Soldier, Es Brent, Yisrolik and other Yiddish and European songs from WWII and the Holocaust.
http://users.castel.nl/~schic02/yiddish.htm
A small klezmer simcha band. Let by Henry Shapiro of Swissvale, PA. Contact information and brief sound sample on website. Contact: klezmer@henryshapiro.com
http://www.henryshapiro.com/klezmer.htm
Noah Solomon and C Lanzbom are the two artists behind Soul Farm. They first met in Israel in Modii m (founded by the late Shlomo Carlebach) in the 1990 s . They began performing together in Israel with their own band and also accompanied Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. After a few years, they moved to NYC where they formed the group Inasense which later became Soulfarm. The website features clips of music, photos, CDs for sale and news of their activities. The albums they have made include: Monkey Dance, Unwind, Live At The Wetlands, Scream of the Crop, Butterfly, Live in Berlin, The Ride, Get Your Shine Box, and Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares.
http://www.soulfarm.net
Independent record company located in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area dedicated to bringing the finest in Contemporary and Traditional Jewish Music. So far, only one record listed on the site.
http://www.songofsongsmusic.com/
Performed in CD called: Solomon & Socalled’s HipHopKhasene. Sophie Solomon’s website includes information about the CD, photos, writings, and information about the performers. Audio clips also available.
http://www.digitallisallstars.com/index.html
Tanja Solnik sings traditional Jewish lullabies in Yiddish, Ladino and Hebrew.
http://www.tanjasolnik.com/
Canadian Singer-songwriter, centered in Toronto. Involved primarily in the popular and folk music field, Soberman produced an album as tribute to his father, Cantor Morris Soberman, reproducing melodies particular to his families’ tradition. He also completed an entire CD which encompasses Jewish prayers, entitled “Searching for My Voice”.
http://www.sobermanmusic.com
American singer. Peri Smilow is singer/guitarist who performs synagogue and other religious music in a contemporary setting. She has also taken part in the Freedom Music Project, which features freedom music from the traditions of both Jews and Blacks. Peri Smilow, located in Boston, tries to repair relations between the two groups by putting activity and actions together. “Sign of the Dove Music” is Peri’s record label. To buy direct from Peri’s label: P.O. Box 3083 Cambridge MA. 02238
http://www.perismilow.com/
From Minsk, Belaurus.Ethnomusicologist and klezmer clarinetist. Leader of the “Minsker Kapelye” klezmer ensemble. In 2004, graduated from the PG school of the Belarus State Academy of Music (Music History Dept. with a Ph.D. dissertation “Klezmer Tradition as a Phenomenon of Eastern European Jewish Culture”. At present, teaching ethnomusicology and history of music at the Academy and the National Musical College, Minsk.
http://klezmer.narod.ru/
A French Yiddish band which features: Richard Schmoucler (violin); Christian Briere (violin); Ana Bela chaves (viola); Laurence Allalah (cello); Bernard Cazauran (double-bass); Philippe Berrod (clarinet); Iurie Morar (cymbalum); Laurent Boukobza (pianist). Six of these artists are also members of the prestigious Orchestre de Paris. Their performances are very popular and obtained support from many artists including Christoph Eschenbach, Ivry Gitlis, and Jo Amar. Their first CD “Un Violon sur les Toit de Paris” achieved good reviews with excellent arrangements of traditional standards. The group is more widely presented on their website which includes a discography, bios of the group members, sound clips and a video interview with Richard Schmoucler (in French). Extensive publicity pdfs are also available with lots of information about the group and its programs.…
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Arnie Singer, singer-songwriter has put together a website and CD Soul Encounter. Part of the Manhattan Jewish experience. Religous, liturgical. Music in the renewal-popular style, with some more “traditional” Carlebach tunes. Singer is soloists at the Manhattan Jewish Experience on the West Side. 137 W86th St. (between Amsterdam and Columbus)in New York City.
http://www.soulencounter.com
A very interesting group of 3 Breslev Chassidim, who tour the US and Canada widely, but live in Sfat Israel. The instrumentation is two guitars and one violin. The have two recordings “Be Happy” and “Fresh Air”. They also sing. To sample some music, http://www.judaism.com/display.asp?type=music&uniqueTitle=95571 on real audio.
http://www.simplytsfat.com/
American. Composer and pianist. Internet executive. Born Rochester, New York in 1955. MBA from the Harvard Business School and summa cum laude, the University of Michigan, with a BS in Industrial Engineering. Released several albums including “ShabbatJazz”, “From Broadway to Hollywood”, “Hanukkah and all that Jazz”, and “Zoom Gali Boogie”. “Mr. Simon has appeared numerous times at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Merkin Recital Hall in New York, and at he Concord Resort. He has performed his jazz interpretations of Jewish music at the U.S. Senate and for the Ambassador at the Israeli Embassy, at one of the Inaugural Galas for President Clinton, as well as at concert halls, jazz clubs, synagogues and community centers throughout North America.” Website includes a biography, list of recordings and reviews.…
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Shtreiml is a group founded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and features the 10-hole diatonic harmonica, piano, accordian, drums, and bass. The group mixes klezmer and hasidic music as well as jazz and ‘gypsy’. The vocalist is Abby Rosenblatt. The website features biographies, some clips of music, reviews and some contact information.
http://www.shtreiml.com
A Chicago based simcha band which performs around the midwest area. The band considers their orchestrations and style updated. The site lists contact information, a history of the band and a list of their repertoire.
http://www.jewishbands.com/
“Lead by Clarinetist/Saxophonist Dave Shulman, this vibrant group of young, jewish and non-jewish musicians, having met at the Royal Academy of Music and whose various nationalities include French, Danish, Scottish and English, have teamed together to bring you a lively, eclectic range of klezmer music.” Website includes bios and contact info.
http://www.shleppingmishpacha.com/
Good things are happening in the midwest…. A new young a cappella ensemble called Shircago is out there performing and recording. They have a CD called “Striking a Chord”….produced in year 2000, coming out of “the first-ever Jewish a cappella festival based in the Midwest.” A Cappella groups are very popular on college campuses today…. these exuberant young people are combining some fun with Jewish music.
http://shircago.net/
An 8-voice semiprofessional chamber choir, which performs Jewish liturgical music in Montreal (and beyond?)has recently been formed. Shir Hamaalot has been around for about a year, and gave a first concert at Montreal’s Shaare Zion Congregation in June 2003. Since then they performed at two other synagogues, and took part in a commemorative concert for September 11th at McGill’s Anglican Theological College. For info, call Jerry at 514-737-6600, or email: shir_hamaalot@canada.com
Led by Matthew Lazar, Founding Director and Conductor, and Beth Robin, Pianist/Accompanist, the chorus performs sacred and secular music in Hebrew, English, Yiddish and Ladino. SHIRAH was formed in January, 1995 as a regional chorus specializing in the performance of the full spectrum of Jewish music. Its roster includes a multigenerational blend of amateur and professiional singers from the northern New Jersey/New York metropolitan area. SHIRAH performs regularly at the JCC on the Palisades and has been featured in many concerts in the United States and Israel, including Avery Fisher Hall, the New Jersey and Bergen Performing Arts Centers in Newark and Englewood and the Colden Center, featuring the World Premiere of “The Scroll” by Dov Selzer with the Queens Symphony. SHIRAH also performs annually at the North American Jewish Choral Festival and was featured in the Opening Ceremonies of the JCC Maccabi Games in East Rutherford at the Continental Airlines Arena.…
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Tufts University’s Co-ed Jewish A Cappella put together several CDs including: Man, Woman, and Shewitz which sold out, Transliteration (2005) and Zoozin’ (2006). The group has been featured twice on the BOCA compilation CD’s. the group is available for appearances. For more information, visit the website:
www.shirappeal.com
Musicians from Moshav Amirim in the Galilee, Israel have grouped with others to create Sheva. “As a group whose members come from different religions and different paths, we respect the cultural and traditional origin of each and every person. Jewish, Muslim, and Christian musicians from Semite religions join together in creating the music of Sheva.”
http://www.sheva.org/
Sheera Recordings, the duo of Ilene Safyan and Margie Rosenthal, has a website about their group, philosophy and recordings. They work extensively with children and have been enthusiastically received. These women are excellent educators as well as Jewish music performers.
http://www.sheeramusic.com/
Cantor Terry Horowit (vocals, guitar), Marcia Bronstein (piano), and Wendy Morrison (accordions, whistles, concertina, banjo, vocals). The trio, formed in 2002, specializes in Jewish liturgical and inspirational music in Hebrew and English, and some original compositions of Cantor Horowit.
http://www.shalsheletmusic.com
Harel Shachal is a faculty member at the New School Jazz and Contemporary Program, where he is the Director of the World Music/Middle Eastern Ensemble. Harel studied composition at the “Rimon” school for Jazz and Contemporary music in Israel. He’s a performing musician who blends jazz, klezmer, middle eastern and other influences. He plays soprano saxophone, Alto saxophone, the G-Clarinet (Turkish Clarinet), the Zurna and the Ney http://www.harelshachal.com/index.html
Simcha Band. Features Avraham Solomon and Kol Zimra. Also features the NCSY All Boys Choir. A portion of the proceeds of the recording benefits NCSY. Website includes some photos, credits and a single album sample.
http://www.shabbascomesalive.com/index.html
Israeli pop singer and entertainer. She performs internationally and sings in several languages including Swedish, Hebrew and Ladino. The website has only 3 clips, a few photos, and is a bit spartan on information, but her voice is very strong and pleasant, and there is contact info.
http://www.einatsarouf.co.il/einat/
Seeds of Sun, a jazz improv Quintet from Israel performs widely throughout the US and Israel. The Kennedy Center Millenium Stage performance held in November, 2002 has an online video of the performance. Their concerts feature contemporary jazz and arrangements of popular Israeli music.
http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=SEEDSOFSUN#
Schnapps is an Australian Jewish “function” band which performs Jewish music in the style of Avraham Fried, Yehuda Glanz or the Miami Boys– as well as contemporary music in general popular and jazz styles. Their web site is, well, “attention-getting-with-Australian-humor.”
http://goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au/~isaac/schnapps/
According to the website, Satlah’s music is “a unique blend of jazz, world music and avant-garde with a strong Jewish/middle eastern flavor.” The band, based in New York City, has a new CD called “Exodus” recorded live at Tonic in New York’s Lower East Side, and a first CD called “Satlah” which features John Zorn as a guest artist. Satlah is an Israeli slang term… John Zorn is producing their music on the Tzaddik label. In the past year, Satlah has performed at the Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, Poland, the Klezmer Express Festival in Verona, Italy, the MIMI New Music Festival in Marseilles, France and at a concert in London along with John Zorn for BBC Radio. They also performed at the Chicago Cultural Center through the Israeli Consulate and the Washington D.C.…
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Safam is a vocal group that’s been around for years. What’s nice is, they continue to write new music, primarily in English. Yet, Safam has reached the point where you can now get “greatest hits” albums. In the world of Jewish music, this is some sort of milemarker few ever reach. The Safam website has many online clips of music from a variety of their albums, old and new, a clear and simple chart with listings of upcoming concerts, songbooks, CDs and biographies of the performers.
http://www.safam.com/safam/
Sabbath Hela Veckan is an instrumental sextet based in Sweden with members from Sweden, the US and Finland. Formed in 1989 their repetoire is “a musical and visual experience in Klezmer, Gypsy and east-European music.”
http://www.sami.se/art/pbothen/homee1.htm
Jewish band in Austin, Texas, led by Mark Rubin, an okie living in Texas. The first CD was Flipnotic Freilachs. Mark’s biography and discography appear on his website. He’s also a member of the Youngers of Zion band with Hank Saposnik, and is a regular member of many klezmer bands. He’s recorded widely with a wide variety of musicians in various genres.
http://www.markrubin.com/rubinchik.html
“Joel Rubin is Assistant Professor of Music in the Performance Program at the University of Virginia. He attended the California Institute of the Arts and received a BFA in clarinet performance from the State University of New York at Purchase (1978). His principal teachers were Richard Stoltzman and Kalmen Opperman. Rubin holds a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from City University of London (2001). Rubin is an internationally acclaimed performer of Jewish instrumental klezmer music and hasidic music. In addition to performances with traditional musicians such as the Epstein Brothers (USA) and Moshe Berlin (Israel), he was the founder and clarinetist of some of the most internationally respected klezmer ensembles, including the Joel Rubin Jewish Music Ensemble and Brave Old World. Rubin’s fifth solo album, “Midnight Prayer”, came out in 2007 on Traditional Crossroads.…
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Israeli band weaves “spiritual lyrics with Latin, African and Middle Eastern grooves” comprised of six members living in Israel.
http://www.revalsheva.com/
The Reuben Jewish Jazz Duo is Nehama and Shimon Reuben, husband and wife professionals in Jewish music, for harp & piano. They perform traditional Jewish music, liturgical, and new compositions. They have produced several albums between 1997 and the present, and travel throughout Europe to play in festivals. They will appear in Prague at the Jewish Music Festival in summer of 2000 and on national French TV for the 2000 millenium celebrations. Shimon recently recorded a new double album CD piano jazz solo “Yom Yeroushalayim Blues”, 25 compositions Nehama composed for harp solo and just published “Rhapsodia Ivria for harp” by Editions Combre – Paris. CDs are for sale at www.fnac.com
shimon-reuben.jimdo.com
Rock star of the Reform/BBYO/Hillel movements, Rick Recht concertizes widely throughout the United States. “Recht also won the 2001 American Zionist Movement and 2000 American Jewish Festival songwriting contests.” According to his website, he has played at over 70 Jewish camps. Recht has amassed a huge following in the teen/20-something community. He has albums, “Tov”, “Shabbat Alive” and “Free to be the Jew in me” and he composes on commission for camps and Jewish venues. His website states: “His contribution to the Jewish music world marks the birth of a unique blend of pop, radio-friendly music with Hebrew, Jewish text, and social responsibility.” But there doesn’t seem to be any question of his growing popularity.
http://www.rickrecht.com/
“The exciting six-piece, world beat band, featuring vocals, balalaika, guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, and exotic percussion, plays material from their three CDs plus traditional and new songs.” The band members are Bruce Burger (all things with strings); Tim Bolling Percussion; John Waller Drums,Percussion; Lyn Rose Vocals.
http://www.rebbesoul.com/
David and Shira, a singing duo, perform in the New York area in Concerts featuring Broadway Classics, Opera, Cantorial, Yiddish, Israeli and Original compositions. Cantor David Presler has been serving congregations for the past 25 years as Cantor/Educator and is a Doctoral Candidate in Jewish Education and Administration. David’s Jewish Jazz CD entitled “Time for Moshiach” can be heard at www.davidpresler.com. Shira Flam, Soprano, has numerous credits performing off Broadway, in the Yiddish Theatre as well as in professional opera. Her sweet energy and exquisite high notes always touch the hearts of our audiences! David and Shira sing duets such as Fiddler’s “Do You Love Me”, The opening of Marriage of Figaro and Falling in “Love is Wonderful”. Please visit them on You Tube by typing in “David and Shira”, choose Hawaii performance.…
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The amateur,joint a capella group of Columbia, Barnard and JTS students.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/jsu/pizmon/index.html
Yossi Piamenta performs hasidic music on electric guitar. His background and training appear to be in rock and jazz.
http://www.zstarr.com/piamenta/
The Phil-Ron-Chor is the only mixed Jewish choir in Switzerland. It has members from the 4 Jewish communities in Zurich., i.e. religious, Orthodox, Liberal and Reform. The Choir gives concerts in synagogues, concert halls and churches. For more information, contact:
Edy Pluznik
c/o Lunetta AG
Hohlstrasse 612, CH-8038 Zurich /switzerland
E-Mail: pluznik@lunetta.ch
Pharoah’s Daughter, is a band featuring Basya Schechter, Tracey Love-Wright, Martha Colby, Jen Gilleran, Jarrod Cagwin, Tomer Tzur, and Benoir. The website features press reviews of concerts and their cd’s. The links lead to places to purchase the cds. The new music blends Jewish traditions with world beat music.
http://www.pharaohsdaughter.com/
Ensembles “IL CIMENTO” is a professional Baroque ensemble from Germany, directed by Matthew Peaceman, that gives specialized performances of the extant Jewish music of the 17th and 18th Centuries. For example, Hoscha’na Rabbah in der Synagoge von Casale Monferrato 1733 in January, 2005, or Hoschan’ah Rabah in Casale Monferrato in 1732, Performed in the Choral Synagogue of Moscow in 2002. Matthew writes: “The cantata to Hoschan’ah Rabbah was an attempt of the Jewish community in Casale Monferrato, Piémont in the 1730’s to expand its own musical horizons within the Jewish context and at the same time to reach out to its non-Jewish neighbors by incorporating musical styles of the latter with the liturgical content of the former.” The ensemble has also played the Ester Oratorio by Lidarti.…
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Vanja Cvelbar has a band, The Original Klezmer Ensemble, in Trieste, Italy, that has released two CD’s:Klezmatic Tantz and Halleluja. Contact information on the website.
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/173/the_original_klezmer_ensem.html
“Oi-Va-Voi represent the cutting edge of new wave klezmer. Their unique sound infuses the traditional music of Sephardi Jews, Transylvanian gypsies and the Ashkenazi shtetl with the dub and breakbeats of urban London. Odessan freylekhs, Yemeni devotionals and Macedonian wedding tunes explode effortlessly into drum and bass driven tracks. Hip young Londoners, Oi-Va-Voi are the subject of a recent international documentary film showcasing the best of contemporary British culture. They have recorded original music for film, theatre and BBC2’s South Bank Show. The eclecticism of their music means klezmer Voi-style is not a musical sacrament played only in hushed auditoriums. Oi-Va-Voi’s musical wanderings have taken the spirit of klezmer to club nights in Amsterdam, to New York’s avant-garde jazz scene, to Robert Wyatt’s Meltdown at the Royal Festival Hall and to Antwerp International Festival of Jewish Music.” Contact:INFO or bookings
http://www.oi-va-voi.com…
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“Octava” is an Israeli vocal ensemble with 12 amateur singers. Located at Haifa, Israel. Repertoire includes various types of music, classical, Folklore, Jazz and light music.
http://www.geocities.com/octavaensemble/index.htm
Husband and wife duo based in the Washington D.C. Area, telling stories and singing songs. Renee is a storyteller and juggler and Mark is a cantor and musician. Mark and Renée present Artist-in-Residence weekends at synagogues throughout the United States.
http://www.jewishstorytelling.com/
“Holland-based NIKITOV is an acoustic ensemble that plays Yiddish songs and Klezmer accented by the rhythms and sounds of Gypsy Jazz and East European folk music. Called “one of the best of the new Yiddish folksong ensembles” (klezmershack.com), the band members combine their ideas in producing a unique approach that harnesses the drive and energy of these related musical traditions while capturing the emotion and depth of the Yiddish text. Featuring the stunningly beautiful vocal interpretations of Niki Jacobs backed by a powerhouse group of creative instrumentalists, Nikitov has performed throughout Europe and the United States since 2000.” The site has bios, photos, schedule, cds and reviews.
http://www.nikitov.com/index.html
Hungarian band formed in 2001 mixing “traditional Jewish music (klezmer, sephard, folk-sacral) with jazz and and free-improv elements.” Members of the band:András Párniczky: guitar; Kristóf Bacsó: alt-, and szopran saxofon; Péter Nagy: bass; Csaba Gavallér: drums, derbuka;Featuring: Dániel Váczi: sopran saxofon; János Vázsonyi: alt saxofon. They perform in venues around Hungary and in festivals around Europe.
http://www.nigun.hu
Summer camp rock singer. Band pages have photos, music clips and schedule of appearances. Artist-in-residence at venues such as Kutz Camp and Wild Acres for summer 2004, and traveling throughout US at camps.
http://www.jewishrock.com/index2.asp
Dan Nichols and Eighteen. CD “It Was You”. Website features songsheets of the music, tour dates, photos, schedule, and a press kit.
http://www.jewishrock.com/index2.asp?lrf=10
A sohisticated website introduces the Neshoma Orchestra of Cedarhurst, New York. Celebrating 20 years as a band performing “at weddings, dinners, Bar /Bat Mitzvahs, and organizational/corporate events worldwide,” the orchestra is an exemplar of the American Yeshivish and Modern Orthodox style of music. The group boasts a large number of instrumentalists and vocalists, although there are no individual bios on the website. Neshoma Orchestra has records with many top concert artists in the Jewish field. Michael Sojcher and Elly Zomick are the leaders of the group. Neshoma website audio clips include a choice of mp3 or Real Audio. The current website features their CD “A Heimishe Simcha,” with a mention about the upcoming album called “Neshoma @your Simcha”. Contact information includes their address: 420 Central Avenue Cedarhurst, NY 11516.…
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Located in Southbury, Connecticut, this band serves the local communities surrounding Waterbury.
http://members.tripod.com/NefeshBand/index.htm
Superstar in Israel, Shuly Nathan’s sweet and crystal clear voice was recorded in one of the most famous songs of all: Naomi Shemer’s Jerusalem of Gold. Born in London, but arriving in Israel at age 2, Shuly Nathan’s albums are both in the folk and pop-Israeli idioms. Today her new CDs reveal a mature artist whose voice is as wonderful as ever. Her website contains a brief biography, some photos, links to her new albums on CD Baby, and contact information.
http://www.shuly-nathan.co.il/
As part of the University of Judaism campus, the Nashir Choral ensemble performs Jewish and non-Jewish works. The Jewish music portion is primarily arrangements of Israeli tunes, liturgical works and compositions by Jewish composers.
http://www.uj.edu/studentlife/media1.html
Singer for Azamra, a movement of the Breslov Chassidim. CD “Shirey Ahavah veEmunah: Songs of Love and Faith”. Website has biographical information, photos and sound bites. “The Azamra Institute is dedicated to the dissemination of Torah spirituality, healthcare and healing through educational programs, quality publications and Internet outreach. Founded in 1986 by Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum, the Azamra Institute is an independent non-profit organization incorporated in Israel, the U.S. and Canada.”
http://www.azamra.org/HTML/naftaly.htm
Rahel Musleah was born in Calcutta, India, the seventh generation of a Calcutta Jewish family that traces its roots to 17th-century Baghdad. Through her multi-media song, story and slide programs, she shares her rare and intimate knowledge of this ancient community s history, customs and melodies. Ms Musleah is a graduate of Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. She is a member of the Authors Guild; the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Jewish Press Association. She sings with the Zamir Chorale and Shirah, the Jewish Community Chorus of the JCC on the Palisades, in Tenafly, NJ, both under the direction of Matthew Lazar. She has received awards for her writing from the American Jewish Press Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Sephardi Literary Contest, the Society of National Association Publications, and the General Federation of Women s Clubs.…
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