Recomend me some Jewish music!

Fassa Albrecht · #1 07-08-2011, 02:55 PM

I've become rather interested in Jewish music recently thanks to a friend of mine and I was hoping that someone on here could make some recommendations for some specific English-language Jewish music to listen to.

I've so far been listening to Debbie Friedman, Schlomo Carlebach and Neshama Carlebach, the Kinderlach and some of the traditional stuff like Ein Kelokeinu (There Is No-one Like Our God) and Durme Durme (Sleep, Sleep).

Anyone know of anything else I can give a listen to? Some female singers would be good.

hover · #2 07-08-2011, 02:57 PM

Welcome to Yom Hadash : 877-496-6423

my good friend John D. plays drums in the band.

kesslari · #3 07-08-2011, 03:09 PM

Authentic early Klezmer - Naftule Brandwein. None better. As a fretless bassist, I don't aspire to be half the player Jaco was - I aspire to be 1/4 the player Naftule was

. Amazingly expressive.
YouTube - ‪Naftule Brandwein - Nifty's freilach‬&rlm;

For humorous Klezmer-based parodies of popular American songs - Mickey Katz. He's the Spike Lee of Jewish music. Crazy Klezmer breaks in yiddish-ized parodies. Totally nuts. I grew up listening to Mickey Katz, and had no idea that it was Klezmer - my parents (trying to assimilate) never called it that.
YouTube - ‪Mickey Katz - Sixteen Tons of latkes!‬&rlm;

For modern Klezmer - do a search. Klezmatics rock. Many many more.
YouTube - ‪the klezmatics-araber tants‬&rlm;

For modern Sephardic - Judy Frankel does some lovely stuff.
YouTube - ‪Judy Frankel (1943-2008) - Adio Querida‬&rlm;

And for some nice contemporary "Jewish World Music" instrumental stuff, my friends in Davka make some really nice music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbNXlz3CmxE

And I'll throw in my own instrumental Dona Elizabeta, because you asked.

Combination of Ladino, Ashkenazic, Spanish and North African influences.
Folk In A - Acoustic Music with Soul

Oh, and for 40's style swing like the Andrew Sisters - the Jewish equivalent was the Barry Sisters.
YouTube - ‪Tumbalalaika - The Barry Sisters - Yiddish Love song‬&rlm;

That oughta get you started on many of the subgenres. There's also Chassidic music as a subgenre - Shlomo Carlebach could be classified that way. There are some good collections of Chassidic music festivals. But it's not really my bag so I can't give much more guidance than that.

Fassa Albrecht · #4 07-08-2011, 03:11 PM

Thank you to both of you.

JimK · #5 07-08-2011, 03:19 PM

One of my favourite bands-
The Hasidic New Wave
Hasidic New Wave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kinda like early Weather Report/Bitches Brew meets Jimi Hendrix.

All avant NYC Downtown players.
The bassist & the guitarist are from The Screaming Headless Torsos...

JimK · #6 07-08-2011, 03:25 PM

...and Fima Ephron's solo album, Soul Machine.
Ephron is the bassist in the HNW & The Torsos.

John Zorn may also have some stuff in a Klezmer vibe....check out Masada.

And check out The New Klezmer Trio.