Inaugural New Orleans International Jewish Music Festival
April 1 and April 2. Mark those dates on your calendars. Maybe even book a flight to New Orleans to attend the event! Out of towner tickets are only $50 for the entire two days. The first ever New Orleans International Jewish Music Festival is happening in only a few short weeks. And it’s going to be a great line up: Neshama Carlebach, Rebbe Soul, Moshav Band, Sam Glasser, The New Orlenas Klezmer All Stars and much more. To learn all about it, read this flyer: http://www.hiddurmitzvah.org/neworleans/media/pressrelease.pdf
Come support the Jewish community of New Orleans and at the same time bring some great music back to the city.
Debbie Friedman has released a new CD “As You Go On Your Way: Schacharit –The Morning Prayers”. This just released CD has a combination of Debbie’s compositions and melodies to the liturgical texts of the Shacharit, the morning service. Some of the songs on the album are new, but many were composed as long ago as 1972. In a way this retrospective is a perspective piece. The “traditional” repetitions, for example are where the text is more traditional (for example, in the Amidah, the Imahot are included in the non- traditional setting.) The album helps the listener integrate the familiar tunes of Friedman with some chanting of segments of the service. Friedman states in her album “By praying we can understand how each Bracha, each blessing, helps us build a balanced and grateful life.
Vera Lozinsky has a new Yiddish CD out, Wunderweg –Wondrous Way. She has a luscious, rich voice. Vira is a pleasure to hear, along with such superb interpretive powers. Log into her 
Ilana Cravitz has released a new book exploring traditional klezmer music. It’s a teaching guide, accompanied by a CD, and helps the student delve into the style of klezmer playing. Seckund and bass parts pull out for handy playing with friends. Cravitz explains bowing techniques, includes a brief history of klezmer, and the modes of each piece. Each of the sixteen tunes has a listening track to help learn performance technique. She also gives suggestions for effective variations and interpretations from the written score. In the appendix is a helpful chart explaining the dance style that goes with the various tunes, a Yiddish glossary and pronunciation guide, a bibliography and a discography. She also gives helpful suggestions about arranging melodies in sets, or groups of tunes that will work well together without a break.… 
The music world involved in the revival of Jewish national music or recovery of early twentieth century art music of the first order will be dazzled by the new critical edition of Leo Zeitlin’s Chamber Music published by AR Editions, and edited by musicologist and professors Paula Eisenstein Baker and Robert S. Nelson. Texts are presented in original Yiddish, Hebrew, transliterations and English translation. 
Matthew Lazar, Conductor
