Golem–Homesick Songs
Homesick Songs. New album features songs about old-world cities, towns and countries. It features gypsy songs sung by Annette Ezekiel…. but this is music for the younger generation, being edgy, sexy and very vibrant. The Washington Post said “GOLEM produces the sort of music you’d expect if the shtetl were filled with punks instead of peasants.”… That gives the idea pretty well… it’s Jewish, it’s cool, but even though it’s about Europe, probably not for your bubbe. A look at the website will tell more info about music stores where the CDs are being carried. http://www.golemrocks.com
Ars Choralis, a non-profit organization of 48 amateur singers, will perform “Music in Desperate Times: Remembering the Women’s Orchestra of Birkenau”
Carl Nelkin, an amateur singer and lover of Jewish music in Ireland, has released a new CD of songs of ghettos and camps in World War II. Nelkin combines Irish and Jewish sentimentalities to these songs of the Partisans and Ghetto, all sung in the original Yiddish. The booklet contains the translations into English along with the texts in Yiddish, along with some nice accompaniments. It is hoped that this type of recording should encourage other small communities of Jews to share their creative works. Carl had released his first album “Irish Heart Jewish Soul: Favourite Irish and Jewish Songs” in 2003. For more information about the CD, go to 
A terrific picture by Jean Fruth of Cookie Segelstein, klezmer violinist, graces the front cover of Hadassah Magazine this month with a feature article on traditional klezmer music, written by George Robinson. There are lots of photos including Cookie, Josh Horowitz, Stu Brotman, Andy Statman, Alicia Svigals, Pete Rushefsky, Joel Rubin, Michael Winograd, Yale Strom, and others. George does a good job of explaining the branch of klezmer that focuses on traditional folk and how it differs from other groups. Cookie, Josh and Stu have a group called Veretzki Pass, which is an amazing group, especially to hear in person. It might be noted, as his article touches on the topic of sources, that we owe a debt of gratitude to klezmer musicians such as Josh Horowitz and Bob Cohen for years and years of dedicated research in Europe on recovering as much authentic music as possible.… 
Several times in the last year (or so) there have been concerts for women based on the album by Talia Applebaum Flashes in the Darkness. It deserves another look for the humour, fun, a bit of blues, a little jazz, a bit of funk, but mostly American folk. Talia is writing about the stuff of her chosen life with the Breslov Hassidmi, and the way religious devotion permeates her life, blended into ‘the everyday.’ The music gives a window into that world –that Talia obviously relishes– for the rest of us. All music and lyrics are by Talia, including blending English and Hebrew with an all female accompaniment. Occasionally the melody and words don’t quite make it, but most often they do, and music cleverly wraps into the lyric.The best piece, (or maybe better to say, the one more universally related to all Jews’ experience), is “Perservere” with arrangement and piano by Shana Friedman, which could fit into any Jewish denomination’s repertoire.… 
SoulAviv has produced a CD of the same name. The vocal group is located in Santa Barbara, CA. Members are three women: Erin Berkowitz, Jamie Green, (vocals and percussion) and Liat Wasserman all singing with Rob Raede, vocals and guitar. The recording features music aimed at “tikkun olam” or making the world a better place… featuring the sounds of gospel, soul, reggae. Additional tracks include a number of original songs by Rob Raede featuring Jewish themes. The album’s vocal focus is energetic and highly entertaining. Some of the songs are “standards” recorded many times, such as “Wade in the Water” and “Rivers of Babylon/One Love” which joins a traditional gospel tune to Bob Marley’s hit, or “Oh Had I a Golden Thread by Pete Seeger.… 
Song is the Pen of the Soul—An Interfaith Interchange
On Sunday, November 22nd at 3 p.m. celebrated Russian cellist Yosif Feigelson