Reviews – Jewish Music Report

Written By: Hillel Kapnick

Today I’ll be reviewing a new album released by Trumpeter Lenny Friedman. Lenny has been on the “Simcha Scene” for years and has played alongside many singers and musicians. I had the opportunity to speak to Lenny about his intention for this album and from our conversation the answer is really quite simple. Lenny explained that while the majority of commercially released music is created using advanced editing techniques (Autotune etc.), he has noticed that even live clips released by some tend to be edited as well. He feels that this takes away from the talent one can hear within a “live” album.[Live In Studio recording means that the entire band including vocalist and conductor were together and recorded live and simultaneously-versus-the more prevalent method which is having different instruments, vocalists, and back-up vocalists recording their musical pieces separately which are then edited to work perfectly in time with one another] In this case, Lenny delivers an album that is recorded completely live, while retaining the quality one would expect from a conventional album release. Throughout the album you will hear exactly what the musicians (and singer) sounded like without any electronic altering of notes played, performance, or timing. This album consists of 3 parts, the original songs, the “jam sessions” recorded at Lenny’s children’s weddings, and Trumpet “A Cappella” (We’ll come back to explain that one afterwards). Let’s get started with the review!

Part I

Simchas – the album starts us off with a common thought “A wedding a Bar Mitzvah, and a Kiddush, it’s a Simcha, invitations just keep coming every day”. The Lyrics were written and the music arranged by none other than Lenny himself. This song is sure to have you tapping your foot to the beat while wondering how he could be having the exact same thoughts you do on a regular basis. Featuring powerful vocalist Michael Elias and some instrumental solos by some extremely talented musician friends this album definitely starts off on the right foot!

Bashert – This next song reminds us that whatever happens (at Simchas or otherwise) it is all Bashert. We are led through a number of situations where one may get frustrated, from getting stuck in traffic to being in a dead-end job. The chorus lets us know that everything is part of Hashem’s plan.

Brand New – We arrive at the title track of the album! Just in case you weren’t already aware that this album is different from the majority of other Jewish music albums, this song will remind you that this album isn’t comprised of the “same old songs”. While I do enjoy this song, in my humble opinion at this point in the album I’m not sure the listener needs to be told this since it’s obvious from the approach Lenny took with this album that it is in fact Brand New! Regardless this song is worth having on the album for the trumpet solos alone.

Lipa! – This next track starts us off with a Middle Eastern groove working its way into a Disco. That may just be the best way to start a song written about none other than Lipa Schmeltzer! Not only does Lenny offer his own original songs on this album, that’s right! He went and wrote original lyrics about Lipa! This song points out some of the special traits that make Lipa the superstar he is. This track also features some amazing guitar playing by Bill Nelson as well as some amazing saxophone playing by Ofer Assaf.

Part II

Lenny’s Jewish Jam I – With over 5,000+ views on YouTube, this track was organized by Lenny on the occasion of his daughter’s wedding in 2009. Featuring the “Baal Simcha Band” this “jam” starts us off with the well-known tune “The Place Where I Belong” heard originally on the first “Journeys album”. While this song starts us off, the track takes on a mind of its own as each musician in the band takes a turn at adding a healthy dose of creativity to the original melody.

Lenny’s Jewish Jam II – Continuing in the tradition Lenny started at his daughter’s wedding, Lenny was ready for round 2 at his son’s wedding as well. This “jam” also has thousands of views on YouTube and the number is still growing. Featuring vocalist Shauly Waldner and supporting vocals by “Baal Simcha Band” bandleader Tzvi Goldring, singing a rendition of “Lo Omus”, the track does what Lenny’s jams do best! All the musicians within the wedding band contribute their own unique flavor to the arrangement to take the music to the next level.

Part III

Lev Tahor – You may have been asking yourself since the preface of this review what A Cappella trumpet is. The simple explanation is that the majority of the tracks recording for the next 4 songs are all Lenny on his trumpet as well as playing all the percussion, Lenny created these tracks from scratch and recorded them himself. (He’s creatively using a very liberal definition of a capella-as he is “unaccompanied” by anyone but himself) The first one up is “Lev Tahor” made popular on the first “D’veykus” album.

Eishes Chayil – The next “A Cappella Trumpet” track is Eishes Chayil from the “Oif Simchas and Friends” album. While I’m sure that Lenny plays these songs all the time at weddings, there is no lack of energy when it comes to his playing and he is able to put a fresh twist on each recording as he plays through the songs. In the “live” spirit of the album, all sounds heard throughout these tracks were recorded by one musician (Lenny) recorded on multiple tracks. There is no “looping” (a term used to explain taking a drum beat performed perfectly and “copy-pasting” it over throughout a song to keep it perfectly on time), on these selections.

L’Hashem Ha’Aretz – This next track sounds so unlike the original song that you probably won’t realize which song it is right away. Lenny completely reimagined the arrangement of this song. Between the percussion and the way the horns are all playing their own separate pieces which still work in perfect sync with each other you’ll wonder where you can go to hear this performed live. Keep in mind that due to the way this was recorded, unless you get 7 musicians together to recreate this, you’ll have to be content with this track of the album.

Somewhere – Lenny finishes the album off with his take on a classic American solo trumpet piece. While throughout the album you’ve heard a plethora of different musicians and even a couple of vocalists thrown in, this final track showcases the man behind it all, Lenny Friedman himself. From writing the songs in Part I to arranging and conducting the 2 “jam band” performances, to his original A Cappella trumpet tracks, Lenny has proven himself to be a multi-talented musician.

If you appreciate live, unrehearsed, and non-overprocessed music, and you find yourself wishing that more CD’s would have the “live” energy that you get to hear at weddings and concerts, this is the album for you! Featuring amazingly talented musicians, vocalists, and with a couple twists and turns thrown in along the way, you will enjoy listening to this album many times over.

Purchase the CD here.

Simcha Leiner is perhaps one of the most intriguing artists out there in the Jewish Music industry from a musical standpoint and also from as a regular person. I can’t call myself a friend of his (well I would but my wife said I can’t) but I consider myself an acquaintance and friendly with Simcha. We have sung together (ok so he sang and I watched and tried to lead the band while staying out his way) and schmoozed quite a bit. Many times we put a performer on a pedestal and without really knowing that person personally and it can be quite a letdown if we do meet the performer and he’s not what we imagined he would be like (being in the JM business for many years I can tell you it happens too often). I have met and interacted with Simcha numerous time. He is the same sweet and unassuming mentch now as he was when he was just starting to become famous (I like to call it the Kol Berama discovery).

His musical talents are only out shined by his mentchlichkeit. Now you might ask, if I have such a personal feeling about Simcha then how can I objectively review his album? That’s a fair question to ask, however liking someone as a person doesn’t automatically mean that I will like and enjoy his work and productions. While I don’t think too many performers out there (if any) can do what Simcha can musically, I would review this album the same way no matter who was singing on it. Now getting back to Simcha, he was on a meteoric rise before his first album came out and hasn’t slowed down since. His first album has a number of hits that have become real popular in the JM wedding circuit and Simcha is being flown all over to sing. I was curious to hear how Simcha, together with producer Yochi Briskman, would be able to follow up his debut album with SL2.

The answer is that he decided to make it twice as good as the first! I find this album to be very diverse in styles and arrangements and have been listening to it nonstop. My wife couldn’t believe that I was singing along the first night after getting the album…but then she realized that I had listened to it all day…and yes it’s that catchy! Additionally, I love how the songs are composed by so many different people, and many of them names I don’t recognize. There are so many nice songs out there waiting to be discovered and kudos to Simcha for taking the plunge to discover them. And of course, any time I thought Simcha couldn’t possibly sing any more impressively, he does. I can continue to go on but I think anything more will take away from the album itself. So without any further ado here is my song by song assessment:

V’Ata Marom – Having started out my writing on JMR letting everyone know how much I dislike techno and over time softening my stance, I have to say this song clinches it for me. There is a way to record a techno song and make it so enjoyable that I want to listen to it on repeat. Arranger Yanky Briskman mixes the techno with the right amount of real instrumentation to complement Simcha’s jaw dropping voice and range. This foot tapping and catchy song, composed by Mordechai Brezel, who as far as I know is making his debut in the JM industry, is sure to be a hit at weddings. (Update: I found at least one song that Mordechai co-composed that has been released so technically he is not making his debut).

Kanfei Nesharim – This is what I would call a classic Simcha/Yochi/Yanky song. Composed by Yochanan Gordon, this beautiful sweet ballad is another hartzige song that is sure to be a hit.

V’al Hakol – This song is another techno/disco crossbreed. I have to say that just about every song on this album is catchy and I have to stop myself from singing along as I am working at my desk. Composed by Doni Gross, the arrangements of Yanky Briskman mix in some synth horns together with the regular Danny Flam horn section to create a unique sound. Yedidim International, the choir on this album has some really nice harmonies on this song as well on many others too.

Eishes Chayil – How can it be that I am only four songs into the review and I feel like I am repeating myself? That’s because the album is that good! Another slow, sweet and hartzige ballad that Simcha brings to new heights. Amiran Dvir, famous Israeli band leader and musician, composes this song. Yanky Briskman’s arrangements feature some classic saxophone licks that I really enjoyed. Ending off the song with Simcha singing softly is a perfect ending to a masterpiece of a song.

Bonim – This song, another gem composed by Mordechai Brezel, starts off slow for the first 22 seconds and then takes off as a lebedik Rock song. You can go back to the last four songs to see all the superlatives that should be used to describe this song. There is a lot of techno used on this song, arranged by Israeli band leader and musician Ami Cohen. This will be a song that will be played over and over. I know I would!

Nigun HaChochma – This song has a Kumzitz feel, not only because the simple arrangements feature guitar but also because the catchy chorus is one that begs for participation. Composer Anshi Friedman takes the words of Lekutei Maharan, Yochi Briskman arranges the beautiful song to perfection and Simcha (with some of his own harmonies to boot) adds another dimension to an otherwise beautiful song. (Yes, Simcha doesn’t need a full band backing him…sometimes even just simple chords on guitar do the trick).

Proizdor – Just listening to this song, I can imagine it being a hit song of Metalish. Yes, Jeff Horovich’s arrangements are not on the heavy metal side but the influences are there. Jeff, of course, is part of Metalish and does an amazing job arranging this song. Simcha, once again, has some really cool harmonies. His voice really meshes well when he sings harmony and melody together. This is just another one of the many songs that I can listen to over and over again.

Es Ponecha – I have to say that every time I listen to this album, my respect for Simcha grows and grows. How many singers out there go for the name composers and songs like this, composed by Chaim Davis, would remain unknown to the public. It’s a beautiful and hartzige song that is complimented by Simcha’s sweet and powerful voice.

Zamru – I didn’t think a whole album produced by Yochi could go without a Yitzy Waldner song, and low and behold here it is. This song has an Israeli disco feel to it (that’s not an official musical term but if you YouTube some of the top Israeli bands you’ll see what I mean) and that’s largely because it’s arranged by Ami Cohen. The bass, guitar solo, synth work, and just about everything about this song is just amazing. I have to say I have one tayna on this song. I will need extra kavana davening before tekiyas shofar. V’hameyvin Yovin!

Shalom – Another song composed by Yochanan Gordon, this one is a waltz and further adds to the diversity of the album. The song starts with an interesting horn duet and has a very unique sound. Yanky Briskman is heavy yet tasteful with the string arrangements on this song. Adding an organ solo helps me love the song even more.

V’liyrushliam – Simcha ends off the album with a bonus song. A chazzanus piece originally co-composed and performed by Moishe Koussevitzky. As someone who is not into chazzanus I have to say that if you want to really appreciate how amazing Simcha’s voice is then listen to this song. Ofir Sobol’s orchestral arrangements complement this classic piece. If I had to write one word about this song it would be WOW!

In conclusion, this is a stupendous album and if you don’t have it yet, what are you waiting for!!!! It is available at www.mostlymusic.com, www.nigunmusic.com, and anywhere quality Jewish Music is sold.

We have to remember, aside from being a musician/singer, Ari Goldwag is also a Kiruv Rabbi (www.arigoldwag.com) who provides the listener/viewer with a purpose and message behind every song/drasha. With that prior knowledge, it makes sense that he finally released a album full of English tracks. Each track is like a mashal (parable) which provides the listener with not just a song, but a lesson.

We’ve had sprinkles of Ari’s English songs before; most recently on Am Echad which featured “Don’t Be Shy to Say the words”, “Hashem is always there” and “Yosef”. They were all terrific songs, which is what excited me about the release of an album dedicated entirely to his English compositions.

Without further ado, let’s analyze this album.

As always, I encourage you to reach out to me in the comments or on twitter @sgstudiosdg

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Something Different:

This opener has a great sound to it. It has a soft pop sound and gets the blood pumping; great song for a jog. The lyrics are fantastic and well written. If I’m interpreting the message correctly, the song is about seeing beyond the mundane and finding Hashem in everything which will help you “escape from your sadness” and see the purpose in everything.

Angels Out:

Angels Out has a very calming and soothing sound which serenades the listener. The angels the song is referring to are the Shabbos angels that come every shabbos to visit. At one point in the song “Shalom Aleicheim” which is recited every Friday night before Kiddush is recited. Ari’s son Moshe Dov makes an appearance in this song with background vocals which adds a befitting father & son touch to this song.

Chanukah Lights:

Again, the sound of this song is similar to the opening track which has a pop feel to it. It’s a very short song at 2:40 long which makes it almost seem like a filler track. However, I enjoy it because of its length, as it feels like an appetizer before the meal. Since this album was released a month before Chanukah, it feels timely to add this track, getting the listener excited for Chanukah. BONUS: See the music video here – (http://youtu.be/5oAbhwC8LZI)

Your Smile:

I’m missing something, because I do not have the booklet, so I don’t know who he is singing about in this song. However, this song is beyond gorgeous – a very well done ballad.

Up to You Now:

At first I didn’t like the sound behind this song, but it has grown on me. It’s definitely not my favorite on the album; I don’t think there’s a lot of depth behind it, but it’s a nice soothing listen.

Take Me Home:

Again, I don’t have the booklet so I don’t know if this is an original composition, but it sounds like something out of a Disney movie. It’s a beautiful song and I keep coming back to it, again and again.

Forever Dance:

This may be the best song on the album. There’s something electrifying about this composition and Moshe Dov’s (Ari’s son) vocals. He doesn’t blow you away by any means but his voice has an addictive sound to it.

Teiman, Choices & Live in the Sky:

I’m not a huge fan of these tracks and the album fizzles out for me here. I’m sure other people will like them but the sound behind them is not to my particular taste.

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Track 1-7 are worth the album themselves. No point on paying $7 for them when you can pay $10 and take a chance on the last 3 songs that you may like.

The date: Monday, August 13, 2001.

The place: Camp Romimu, Sackett Lake, Monticello, New York.

It was my second summer at Romimu, and I was the counselor of Bunk Yud Beis, the second youngest bunk in camp’s day camp division. That meant I had a lot of free time on my hands, which was a good thing for several reasons. First of all, I am insufferably lazy. Second of all, I used much of my free time practicing the saxophone and clarinet. We musicians had a small practice room off to the side of the stage where we stored our instruments (a large walk-in closet, really), and I spent countless hours in there playing. That summer the camp’s grand concert featured Shlomo Simcha (ARE YOU PUMPED???????), and I was beginning to prep for Color War, which everyone knew was going to start sometime that week.

During the second week of August, I was approached by the camp keyboard player, who was in charge of the music and video at the camp. He asked if I would be available to play sax at a small, intimate concert for a couple of special-needs campers who were regulars at the camp. The headliner? Some guy named Avraham Fried.

My reaction: Something along the lines of, “You had me at hello”. Possibly with the added sound of me hyperventilating.

A few days later, I was approached again. Change of plans, I was told. The Avraham Fried concert would now be for the entire camp. Three songs (Shalom Aleichem, Didoh Bei, and Chazak), to be immediately followed by Color War Breakout.

The hyperventilating increased its intensity. The practice sessions in the side room went from frequent to constant.

Signs went up. A second big concert in camp? Amazing! And the hottest artist in all of Jewish music? What could be better? Even the too-cool-for-school kids (who knew that Color War had to be coming up soon) were having second thoughts about their skepticism when they saw me frantically practicing the same three songs over and over again.

Finally, it was time for the big night. I don’t think I had ever been so over-prepared for a gig in my life. The only red flag was that there had been no sound check, no dress rehearsal, and I hadn’t seen Avremel yet, despite the fact that I was assured he was going to be on time.

Boys and girls, this is what they call “foreshadowing”.

We were ready. The house lights dimmed. The keyboard played an opening arpeggio, and we all heard it from backstage:

“Shaaaaaaaloim Aleichem…malachei hashareis…”

It was him. Oh my gosh, it was really him. Avraham Fried himself. He was really here. In a green Camp Romimu t-shirt. Long black-ish beard and everything.

After we finished playing our three-song set, I kind of just stood there. I had no idea what was supposed to happen next.

Another arpeggio. “Yiddelach shrait, ad mosai….”

Oh. OK. Sheyiboneh. I knew that song.

“Yiddelach shrait, ad mosai….”

One more…

“Yiddelach shrait, ad mosai, ad mosai, ad mosai, until when will you believe that I am Avraham Fried?”

Wait…what?

“COLOR WAR TWO THOUSAND AND ONE!!!!”

That’s when the beard miraculously started to come off, and the Romimu head staff joined our ersatz Avremel on stage and began to announce our Color War lineup.

The impostor, as you may have guessed by now, was the then-16-year-old Benny Friedman, Avraham Fried’s nephew, who was beginning to get into the music business by doing extremely accurate impressions of his famous uncle. Apparently, the Romimu show was his first ever concert. Looking back on it now, I almost can’t believe I was fooled by the fake beard, but that voice…. Apparently, I was the last person in the room to realize that we were being punked. Oh well.

In the camp administration’s defense, everyone involved in the hoax apologized for not letting me in on the gag—they insisted that the campers needed to see me practicing like a madman in order to complete the illusion that Avraham Fried was really coming.

Here’s the picture Shmais.com ran the next day. I’m the one you can’t see, totally blocked by Benny. Story of my life :-)

(Photo: Shmais.com archive. Left to right: Adiel Hoch, Yekusiel Sebrow, Benny Friedman, my mic stand. Click the picture to enlarge.)

Anyway, that’s my Benny Friedman story. A lot has changed in 13½ years. Benny Friedman has gone from “nephew-of-a-famous-singer” to the torchbearer of the new generation of Jewish vocalists. Unless you were hiding under a rock, you heard Benny’s last original album, Yesh Tikvah, as it took over the world two years ago. Yesh Tikvah was followed by B’nei Heichala, a collection of Shabbos songs released earlier this year. As I said in the review of that album, B’nei Haichala was not intended to be a sequel to Yesh Tikvah—it was more of a creative detour along the way to the inevitable follow-up album. Well, ladies and gentlemen, the inevitable follow-up has arrived. Kol Haneshama Sheli is the sequel you’ve been waiting for.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s be very clear as to what KHS is not. Yesh Tikvah—both the album as a whole and the song in particular—was one-of-a-kind. Even Benny himself knows that the insane popularity and appeal of that album does not come along often, and he said as much to our very own SplashNews at the album premiere. However, KHS has its own unique appeal which makes it special. The 12 tracks were composed by 12 different people, including (among others) Yitzy Waldner, Ari Goldwag, and Shmuel Marcus, so there is something different about each song. Ian Freitor handles most of the music production, and Sruly Meyer is credited as the producer of the album along with Benny himself.

Track 1, “Toda” (composed by Sruly Green, lyrics by Miriam Israeli and Eli Friedman): Benny starts off his new album with a salsa-disco with original words by the multi-lingual queen of Jewish lyrics, Miriam Israeli, the lyricist behind “Yesh Tikvah” and “Am Echad”. The lyrics, which switch between Hebrew and English, describe Benny’s feelings of gratitude towards Hashem for everything in his life.

Track 2, “Im Ein Ani Li” (written and composed by Robert Fitoussi and Yitzchok Bitton): This old-school rock song is an almost note-for-note cover a song which first appeared in 1982, on Isaac Bitton/Raya Mehemna’s album Songs for a Brother. Bentzy Marcus adapted this version of the song for the album, and worked in a violin solo by Chris Woods which is regretfully too short.

Track 3, “Ribono Shel Olam” (composed by Yitzy Waldner): It’s 2014, so you knew that Yitzy Waldner would show up somewhere on this album. This slow ballad includes orchestral arrangements by Leib Yaakov Rigler and backup vocals by the Shira Choir. Its lyrics are from the tefilah before Torah reading on yomim tovim, and the melody really shows off the capabilities of Benny’s voice.

Track 4, “Fulfill Your Tefilah” (written and composed by Shmuel Bitton, additional lyrics by Eli Friedman): This techno/disco track shares some musical styling with “Yesh Tikvah” (for example, they begin with the same synth voice), but this one is in English. This hopping dance song uses some interesting rhyme combinations which don’t work with every accent (fulfill your/every tefilah, answer your/bakasha, we all know/dor vador, am Yisroel/hear our kol), but Benny manages to pull it off and make it sound natural.

Track 5, “Al Tira” (composed by Yisroel Zev Rechnitz): Another slow ballad, this song is arranged by the one and only Yisroel Lamm (of course it was, there’s a French horn in the brass section), and the full orchestral arrangement shines. The Shira Choir provides backup vocals again, and Eli Gerstner recorded and mixed the track in his studio.

Track 6, “Kol Haneshama”, feat. 8^th Day (composed by Shmuel Marcus): The title track of this album is a family production, featuring Benny’s cousins Bentzy and Shmuel Marcus, known to the rest of us as 8^th Day. This Latin-style hora also features an English stanza where the Marcus Bros.’ influence is obvious. All instruments in the recording are played by arranger Eli Lishinsky.

Track 7, “L’hisaneg” (composed by Ari Goldwag): What is it about Shabbos zemiros in particular, and “Ma Yedidus” in particular, which seems to send themselves so easily to waltzes? Taking the question a step further, what is it about 3/4-ballad Shabbos zemiros being composed by Ari Goldwag? Combinig this song with “Kah Ribon” and “Menucha”, Ari is well on his way to his own Greatest Hits album of Shabbos waltzes.

Track 8, “Bum Bum” (composed by Elimelech Blumstein and Ari Goldwag): If there is going to be a successor to “Yesh Tikvah” that comes from this album, “Bum Bum” is it. This track is easily my favorite song on the album—I can easily see it existing side by side with MBD’s “Ma’aminim” as the “rock the house” song at the end of chasunahs, or as a finale to Benny’s concerts. It’s a kind of surfer-rock/pop-rock blend (feel free to disagree with me on the definition of those terms) with a strong guitar part by Avi Singolda, while Yitzy Spinner handles the backup vocals.

Track 9, “Hamalach” (composed by Baruch Levine): Baruch Levine joins the composer parade! This song, which sounds inspired by the old London School of Jewish Song version of “Hamalach”—slow waltz, slightly jazzy, mostly the same lyrics—adds in a stanza with the passuk, “Hiney lo yanum v’lo yishan Shomer Yisroel” (“The Guardian of Israel never slumbers or sleeps”), which seems very appropriate. First of all, both verses are recited in the bedtime Shema. Second of all, I am thinking that the addition of this line into the song may have been inspired by the events in Israel over the last year amid the obvious hashgacha pratis which guarded the Jewish population during Operation Protective Edge. I don’t know, just my theory.

Track 10, “Yesod V’Shoresh” (composed by Pinky Weber): Let’s learn some chassidus together, shall we? The words to this upbeat, bass-heavy rock song are from the Tanya, and describe the basic foundation (the “yesod v’shoresh”) of Judaism: to elevate the spiritual over the physical.

Track 11, “Essa Einai”, feat. Shlomo Simcha (composed by Rivky Brachfield): This song, my favorite slow song on the album, was composed by a twelve-year old girl, Rivky Brachfield of Toronto, who composed this song in memory of her grandfather. Benny is joined on the track by Rivky’s fellow Torontonian Shlomo Simcha (my favorite pure singer in all of Jewish Music, if I may say so myself), as well as Tzvi Blumenfeld of the Yedidim Choir singing backup. Benny’s and Shlomo Simcha’s voices blend together perfectly in a way very few artists could. I really hope this song becomes popular—we need more variety in our chuppah songs and dinner music sets, and it would be a shame to see a great song like this fall through the cracks.

Track 12, “Rak Beyachad” (composed by Eli Klein): I hope you weren’t thinking that we would make it through twelve tracks without an “achdus”-themed song. The man who launched the trend more than two years ago brings it full circle with this driving rock song as the perfect coda to his third full original album.

To conclude: Kol Haneshama Sheli is not Yesh Tikvah—not by a long shot. I almost feel bad for Benny—Yesh Tikvah was such an impossible act to follow, that the inevitable sequel is bound to disappoint some people. I’m here to say: don’t be disappointed. Kol Haneshama Sheli stands just fine on its own merits, and that should be more than good enough for anyone.

There is a segulah brought down in the JMR “OutofTowner” sefer that every time someone plans on writing a number of reviews (or even 1) in a short period of time, that person gets extremely busy and none of them get written. I am not sure what the source for this segulah is, but it is tried, tested and true. Saying that, I am going to attempt to start and complete a review!

Ok, so it’s now 4 weeks later and the segulah seemed to have worked! Now I don’t even remember which album I was going to review when I started but being that there are a number of quality albums that came out in the past few months I have my pick of what to start with…with hopefully more to follow shortly. I decided that the review I’ll start with is going to be on Barcheini by Yehuda Green. I am hooked on this album because of its simplistic sophistication (does that make any sense?) and the beauty of the songs. Going back on what I wrote on the last album Yehuda released, I was not a huge Carlebach fan growing up, although the songs of his that I did know, I loved. Yehuda isn’t going to blow anyone away with his voice but that’s not the allure and appeal of him. His haartz and total embodiment of the Carlebach derech has made him a sought after performer. Without any further ado (and before anything else can sidetrack me) here is a song by song assessment:

Barcheini – This is not only the title track of the album, but this is also one of the many songs composed by R’ Shlomo Carlebach that are on the album. This song is one that I am not sure I have ever heard before but is a beautiful and melodious song. I would say it’s a typical Carlebach song (which I mean as the biggest compliment of course) and Yehuda’s vocals further enhance it. The musical arrangements are simple and set the perfect mood for the song and the whole album.

Reb Shlomo’s Niggun – I am sure you can all guess who composed this song! What else can I say about a niggun that is sure to be a hit at kumzitzes all over. At the end of the song there is a nice guitar intro/interlude that is really nice.

Haneshama – This song, composed by Yehuda Green, and modified by Pinchas Wolf, shows how much Yehuda walks and thinks lock step with R’ Shlomo. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed that R’ Shlomo composed the song. It’s that beautiful.

Dididi Hakol Tov – This song is composed by the legendary Antshie (seriously I really have no idea who he is but his name just screams legendary to me). By now it’s a bit redundant for me to say that the song is a Carlebach style song because that’s what the whole album is! This song is a melodious song that could be played and sung at many different tempos and still be enjoyable. Just one question on the song: what is a dudaleh?

Ma Ashiv – This song is composed by Pinchas Wolf and modified by Yehuda himself. The images that flash through my mind at the word modified are not ones I would associate with songs but I get the point that the composition was tweaked and perfected. The main point is that this song is beautiful and whatever was done to it to perfect it….it was modified perfectly!

Kulam B’lev Echad – This is another song composed by Yehuda himself and is a real upbeat and lebedick song. I really enjoyed the intro featuring an electric guitar solo. On an album mostly featuring slower relaxing songs, this song really hits the spot. One other thing I noticed on this song, which is really featured on the whole album, is the choirs and harmonies.

Ad Matai – This Yehuda Green composition is a haunting and heartfelt song that really puts today’s galus into perspective. It is truly a gem on an album filled with gems.

Nachamu – Some words really don’t fit in a fast song and conversely some don’t fit in a slow song. When it comes to the words of Nachamu nachamu ami, they can really fit into any song. The upbeat vibe of this song really fits with the optimism that we have every year when Shabbos Nachamu rolls around and we hope that the past tisha b’av was the last time we will be sitting on the floor and crying over the destruction of the bais hamikdash. This is a nice song.

Ana Bekoach – This is a beautiful song composed by R’ Shlomo Carlebach. As I have mentioned before, I am far from being an expert in Carlebach songs, but I can’t believe such a song has been hidden from us commoners for so long. The song is greatly enhanced by Yehuda’s vocals and the instrumentation, including a short guitar solo.

Rebbe Rebbe – This Moshe Pomp composition was released a while ago as a single and was actually the song that really had me looking forward to this album.

Tshuasam – Ok so this song is composed by “a holy man.” Real story: he actually is a holy man and wanted to hide his name for personal reasons. The really cool part of this song is that the song starts with the actual audio from the kumzitz in Chicago where Yehuda first heard the song and fell in love with it. Listen to it and you will too!

Meloch – The album ends with a hartzige and chazonishe song composed by the Rebbe (or as Zale Newman once introduced him at a HASC Concert as the Rebbele) R’ Shlomo. This is a perfect ending to an awesome album!

In conclusion, this is another quality album by Yehuda Green. If you have enjoyed his previous albums or even if you have never heard of him but have enjoyed Carlebach style albums, this one is for you! It is available at http://mostlymusic.com/products/yehuda-green-barcheini or wherever quality Jewish Music is sold!

EDITORS NOTE: JMR welcomes a brand new writer, Aryeh Berger with his “One Week Later” review series. We love the concept and we look forward to many great reviews of Jewish Music!

All new Jewish music is overhyped and promoted heavily when it is first released, and the first time it usually sounds nothing short of amazing, but then slowly after a few more listens, you end up putting it in the back end of your hits playlist. This is why I do my reviews one week later, we can tell if the album is nogeah after just a few more listens.

At the weddings I go to, usually sometime after the 1st dance, filled to the brim with different varieties of od yishoma, Siman tov, Mazel Tov, Asher Bara, and other classic jewish wedding songs, people start to feel bored. Sure there’s a nice piece of meat in front of you, but you’re not with your friends on the cool table. After the dinner, when you start to hear those familiar notes of the latest great jewish music hits, you start to get excited and pumped up again. It’s time for the best part of the night (in my opinion), otherwise known as the 2nd dance.

That’s essentially what this album is trying to recreate. Yitzy Schwartz presents to you that great feeling that you felt when you danced to the 2nd dance, with all the people who didn’t leave the wedding yet, in one cd of 23 songs. It’s a fantastic collection of great singers and greater songs, interspersed with the occasional English music intros. On to the songs themselves.

OID OID OID- Avraham Fried starts it all off with Oid Oid Oid, originally sung by Yisroel Williger. I had never heard this song before, but this version of it is really nice. Avremel does a great job on it, the trumpet solo is very good, and the choir is also really nice on this song. I especially like the high part of Oid Oid Oid, this is what a real 2nd dance is right here. The intro to the album is exactly how a 2nd dance should begin as well.

HOOLEH & CELEBRATION- 8th Day comes in to sing their hit song Hooleh off the album with the same name. This version of it is more concert/wedding like, you can feel the loose atmosphere in the song, what with the interesting intro and a “Everyone get up” from the lead singer, Shmuly. This version is also sped up a little, and I feel it’s better like this. Definitely a 2nd dance song. They then continue with a song called Celebration, but it was originally called Yom Huledet (Happy Birthday) by Eden and it was entered into the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel in 1999. It’s an interesting selection, but it’s a cute short song and 8th Day does a great job on it.

ET RIKOD & MI MI- Yumi Lowy enters and here is where the latest songs in jewish music really comes in. He starts off with a great version of Et Rikod, the hit originally from Yaakov Shwekey sung on the album Kolot. It’s a little more yeshivish/litvish than Shwekey’s original and it really makes the song into wedding music instead of Shwekey’s more rocked-up version. Yumi moves straight into his second song, Mi Mi, a great version of the hit from Simcha Leiner off the album Pischi Li. This version is wonderful and here is where I want to tip my hat to the wonderful music of the band on this album The A Team. They are fantastic on this album and i expect to see them at weddings to come.

YOM TOV in DE VUCHEN- Levy Falkowitz, an up and comer in the world of jewish music, sings this song, originally sung by Michoel Schnitzler on the album Yes You Can! Levy does a great job and even though I never heard the song before, I thought it was an excellent selection. It’s a fun, geshmake song.

LO NAFALTI- Lipa Schmeltzer- After a few english music intros, Lipa sings Lo Nafalti originally a song by Yishai Lapidot on the album Vaani Hamanginah. It’s a nice song, although it’s very short and most of it is taken up by the intros and a nigun taken from the song “Na Na Na Goodbye” sung by the choir.

MODEH ANI- A nice nigun by the choir starts things up. Then Beri Weber comes on and sings Modeh Ani. The original is from Oif Simchas off the album Aleichem Vealienu and it is perfect for this album. With this song, the first set ends.

MELECH MALCHEI HAMLACHIM- Benny Friedman sings this wonderful ballad, originally from Eyal Golan from the album Nagat Li Balev (the Mi Shemamin guy). It’s the only slow song on the album, and Benny does a great job on it, making sure very note is perfect, and it really is beautiful. It’s a classic dinner slow song and is played at many weddings.

SHKALIM & RAK ELOKIM & HAKOL SAGUR & ELOKIM SHELI- Avi Peretz- Ladies and Gentlemen, get ready for the sefardi part of this 2nd dance! All kidding aside, these are 4 solid sefardi sounding wedding songs.

Shkalim is from Eyal Golan (again) sang originally on th album Chayil Shel Ahava, and it might just be my favorite song of the Avi Peretz set.

Rak Elokim is by Chaim Yisrael from the album Milim Shel Tefillah and is a nice song.

Hakol Sagur is a song that I remember as Od Yishoma during the Avner’s Special song on Nafsheinu Orchestra’s album called Wedding Of The Century, but a little research shows the original is an Israeli dance song called Hakol Sagur sung by Sarit Hadad.

Elokim Sheli is another nice song from Chaim Yisrael originally sung on the album Sameach Sephardi Dance Mix, and it ends off this set with a great finish from The A Team.

BYACHAD NENATZEICH- Ilai Avidani, the next Israeli child prodigy, sings the song written for the 3 boys who were murdered in Israel this past summer. It’s a gorgeous song about how we need to stand up byachad. He has a beautiful voice, and the song written by Udi Damari has great lyrics. I advise you to go out and listen to the original as well (it was a single released earlier this year).

KEIL CHUS GOALI- Yoeli Greenfield- After a nice bass-filled intro, Yoeli sings this great song that after extensive research, I found is originally from Amit Listvand off his album Shehecheyanu (how Yitzy found these songs is beyond me). I love the Meshorim Choir behind Yoeli, it sounds really good. And it leads straight to….

MR. DJ- Lipa’s back and now he’s singing an Israeli song about DJs playing what simcha really is. It was really another Israeli Dance song called Mr. DJ Superman sang by Sarit Hadad on the CD called Child of Love.

HACHI TOV- Beri Weber sings the new hit song from Shimmy Engel off his debut album Klal. Shimmy has 2 versions on his album, one in English called Ability, and then this version called Hachi Tov. The Hachi Tov version is a little more disco, perfect for weddings.

YEHU HACHODESH- Levy Falkowitz comes back to sing the old Dedi classic. It comes from Dedi’s album, Omnom, and it’s one of Dedi’s best (in my opinion). Dedi is really a classic, I’m very excited that he’s gonna be performing at the Hasc concert next month.

AM YISROEL- After our “Let It Go” intro from the A Team, Meshoerim Choir sings this major hit from Yaakov Shwekey’s latest album Kolot. I’m not sure who the soloist from Meshoerim Choir is, but he’s very good.

IM EIN ANI LI- Yoni Z sings this song from Itzik Eshel off the album Rock Ata Vol. 1. It’s a fast-paced hebrew song that sort of slows down by the high part. Yoni has a great voice and is a very underrated singer.

MERAKDIM- Shragee Gestener sings the oldie from Mendy Jerufi off the album of the same name. This song has made it back into the wedding music circuit ever since it was featured on Beats and is a terrifically underrated song.

BEEZRAT HASHEM- Shragee goes straight into this speeded up version of the original from Efraim Mendelson off his album Hisragshus. The A Team finishes off the set with the hit Queen song “We Are the Champions” played instrumentally and it really closes out the 2nd dance well.

VAFILI BHASTORAH- We are beyond lucky to have this seemingly extra track from Yehuda Green. It’s the amazing hit single from Yoeli Klein translated and sung beautifully. I actually expected it to be on his new album, but it’s on this album instead. Yehuda really shows us the beautiful translation of the amazing words and it made me see the song in a whole new light.

And so ends an amazing wedding….. Oh wait, it was just a cd of a wedding! It really feels like a wedding is happening inside your house, car or headphones. I don’t know who came up with the song selection, as they really came from everywhere (and I had a really hard time tracking each one down), but it was a great cd from top to bottom. This album definitely deserves a spot on your wedding playlist alongside the likes of Beats, 2nd Dance 1, Wedding of the Century, The Wedding Album, etc. It is an amazing selection of songs and I personally thank Yitzy Schwartz for finding all the new and old songs and putting it all together in one place where we can all enjoy it tremendously.

New jewish music is usually overhyped and very exciting when it is first released, and the first time you listen to a new song, it sounds nothing short of amazing, but then slowly after a few days, you end up putting it in the back end of your hits playlist. This is why I do my reviews one week later, usually we can tell if the album is a keeper after just a few more listens.

Ata Imadi is Dovid Lowy’s debut album and the problem with debut albums is that they’re hard to review because the singer usually has a nice voice and good compositions, but there’s nothing to compare it back to, whereas a singer with a long discography, a reviewer can compare the new album to the last album he put out. That being said there is a good thing about debut albums. An early adopter can tell if the singer will be a star and can say to his friends, “you’re telling me he’s good now? I listened to him from the very beginning.”

Nevertheless, let’s get to this album. Dovid Lowy has a rich, young voice and his debut album should be a welcomed addition to your collection. Here’s the song by song breakdown:

ATA IMADI- a fast song with a catchy high part and easy words. You’ll find yourself humming this song to yourself after listening to it. Composed by Eli Klein, it lets Dovid show off his nice voice and is a very solid song to start off with.

ELOKAI- the first time I heard this song, it tugged at my heart. The child soloist is Dovid Pearlman and he has a beautiful voice and harmonizes very nicely with Dovid. The song itself was composed by Dovid Lowy himself, and is a really beautiful ballad. I can already hear this being played during the meal at weddings.

NIGGUN HISORERUS- It threw me off in the beginning, because I was expecting a nigun like I heard on the first couple seconds where Dovid belts out a slow nigun, but then the drums start and the bass starts to rock and the song starts to get faster and the song becomes one of those get up and dance at the kumzitz type of nigunim. Again composed by Dovid, he shows he really has a feel for both fast and slow songs and can put up songs to match the big guns in the kumzitz game, such as Eitan Katz, Yosef Karduner and Yehuda Green. I really enjoyed this song, and it could be my favorite on the album.

MEHEIRA- Composed by Abie Rotenberg, this song is a beautiful ballad. Abie also lends his vocals to the song and if this song gets big enough, it can be sung at chuppahs. It has a very nice high part and at the end, Abie and Dovid combine for a nice duet.

HOREINI- My second option for favorite song, this one has a really nice violin intro, followed by a nice kumzitz-type guitar-strumming song. It was composed by Dovid again, and he again shows his talent for composing songs. The choir was also arranged by Dovid, and they sound excellent on this song.

MA RABU- A heart tugging song composed by (you guessed it) Dovid. This song is a beautifully crafted song, focusing on the beauty of Hashem’s world. Ari Goldwag helps out with the backup vocals for this song. Arranged by Jeff Horvich, who helped out with most of the songs on this album, it’s a beautiful ballad and there is a great music video to go with the song that I advise you watch.

CHAMISHA KOLOS- A hora composed by Eli Klein. Featuring the Shira B’Simcha Choir, this song may not be my favorite of the album, but its definitely in my top 5. It’s a fun song that just asks to be played over and over and on that note, I think I’ll go and replay it……..

V’HAREINU- This song reminded me of V’Haviosim El Har Kodshi a little, but its nonetheless a beautiful ballad composed by Dovid. It features the Moshe Roth Choir and was again arranged by Jeff Horvitch. Dovid gives this song all his heart and it shows. I especially like the part where the flutes come in and the song speeds up. I wish he would have continued that part a little more.

HINENI- The most eyebrow raising song from this album. I can honestly that I’ve never heard a song quite like this one, but I like it. Composed by Dovid, the words come from the Shlah Hakodesh and the backup vocals from Ari Goldwag make this song the amazing song it is.

HASHIVEINU- Dovid composed this song as well (which brings his total number of songs composed at 7 out of 10). It features Yosef Karduner and is a nice kumzitz song that is heavy on the guitar.

In conclusion, this album is definitely one to add to your collection, whether you enjoy kumzitz or if you just want a new singer to listen to. If your an early buyer of jewish music this is also for you. Expect to see Dovid Lowy at a local kumzitz near you pretty soon.

One Week Later: Hakol Letova by Dovid Gabay

Dovid Gabay started in 2006 with his hit album Legabay, which featured Sois Asis, Ma Tovu, Tamshich, and the title track Legabay. 2 years later, we got Omar Dovid, with hit songs such as Hagomel, V’koreiv, Birchos Avicha, The Letter, Zaroh, Don Don, and Nagilah.

Then Dovid came back with his 3rd album Eretz Yisroel, which wasnt quite as good as the other two in my opinion. It featured songs like B’Simcha Tamid, Berum Olam, Ha’aderes, and Vehu Yishlach.

Finally a single 4 years later was put out called Borei Olam and an announcement of a new album followed.

So now we have the album, titled “Hakol Letova” produced by CD Eichler and Sruly Meyer. Great urging 10 songs. Lets review it.

We start with Hakol Letova, composed by Mordechai Brezel. The lyrics came from Miriam Israeli (the Yesh Tikva lyricist). This song is a pumping song that I find myself listening to all the time. It’s got that new wave beat that all these new songs have with the voice fade out and autotune and all that stuff.

The next song, Shir Ha’achdut, was dedicated to the 3 soldiers who were kidnapped and killed by the Arabs last summer. This song was composed by Itai Amiram, and the lyrics are way past my limited Hebrew knowledge. Though I don’t really understand, its still a gorgeous song. The low part reminds me of Shwekey’s Tefillat Kallah.

The third song on this album, Oizer, is a great song, fast and fun, a bit like Borei Olam. It was composed by Dovid Kaufman and contains a lot of the new fun shticks (like what sounds like a guy hitting a bottle throughout).This song could be played at bar mtzvahs all over the country soon.

Next up is possibly my favorite song, Moneh, about how people run and work for money, but don’t realize they’re wasting their time. Composed by Shua Bitton, and produced by Bentzi Marcus of 8th Day, it’s actually a song that’s really up their alley, but I like Gabay singing it as well. Really good song. I love how the Hebrew and English lyrics go smoothly into each other and Dovid does a great job making both languages fit perfectly.

Hamalach is a haunting slow song that includes child soloist Simcha Schachter. It was composed by Rabbi Moshe Rotberg, and although I dont like most slow songs, this song I gave a second listen to.

We get to Nelech, a song that takes 4 different pesukim and connects them (not sure how, they’re all from random place). It was composed by Yitzy Berry, and is a very excellent song. It reminds me a bit like something MBD may sing. Top 5 song on the album, definitely.

V’Nizkeh is a fast song composed by Yoni Alayev. Its about Moshiach and comes from Shachris, at the end of Uva Ltzion. I enjoyed it, but not too much.

Odcha is up next. This slow song was composed by Motty Illowitz, who recently put out his own debut album. It’s a gorgeous song from Hallel, that shows us why Gabay was at the top of this game back in the ’00s.

Track 9 is Osin Teshuva. This song came out as a part of the Inscribed CD and was the hit song of that album, so there was no question of whether to put it out again on this CD. The music is new, I believe, and it was composed by Elie Schwab and is in the Top 5 of the album.

Borei Olam is last. It was composed by Yitzy Waldner and came out as a single last year. There is a great music video for it on DovidGabay.com.

So that is the album. I’ll call it a hit and its interesting that its got so many fast songs. But I advise that you go buy if you ever liked Gabay or even if you didn’t, he’s got a fresh new sound. Check it out wherever Jewish Music is sold.

Twitter: @JMROneWeekLater

Simcha Leiner started his music career with a music video of his song Kol Berama which was dedicated to the memory of the Fogel family of Israel. The video is very touching and the beautiful song was followed by many more singles, such as Mehaira and Mimamakim. These songs were followed by a critically acclaimed album called Pischi Li which featured songs such as Mi MI, Simcha, Pischi Li, Keracheim and Ono Hashem. He recently released a single called Lecha Dodi, and now we are up to SL2. This could be the fastest debut album to volume 2 that I’ve seen possibly ever, definitely in quite a while. It’s a credit to mega-producer Yochi Briskman and Simcha himself along with all the composers of these amazing songs.

The first song is called V’Atoh Marom, composed by Mordechai Brezel. Its a fun fast song that makes you dance. Simcha really utilizes his voice on this song, the high part allows him to get really high. The high part is definitely the best part of this song and this song is in my top 5 for the album.

His next song, Kanfei Nesharim, composed by Yochanan Gordon, is a gorgeous slow song that has a great saxophone solo in it. This is the best slow song on the album and the fact that Yochanan Gordon also composed Pischi Li means that he is the slow song king composer right now.

V’al Hakol, the concert song (meaning the one you’ll hear for a while) was composed by Doni Gross (who happens to put out excellent acapella albums). The lyrics to this song come from bentching, and this song will definitely make you dance. One of the best songs on the album, this was the song on the album that I pressed repeat on quite a few times.

Eishes Chayil is a very nice slow song that I find to be pretty basic and not all that exciting. Simcha still does a great effort, turning in a great performance.

Next up is Bonim, composed by Mordechai Brezel (his second song on the album), is a nice fast song about how no other nation is loved by Hashem more than Bnei Yisroel.

Next is Nigun Hachochma, the Breslov song of the album. This song comes Likutei Moharan, in which R’ Nachman tells us how every song has it’s wisdom. Composed by Anshi Friedman (who is a budding new compose who also composed Da for Levi Falkowitz and 2 new songs from MBD and Avraham Fried), this song is very nice.

Proizdor- The lyrics are from Avos about how this world is only a lobby to the next world. Composed by T. Miller, this song has a fun beat and great guitar solo in the middle of it. Simcha better sing this next time I go see him (pobably pesach).

The following song, Es Ponecha, is a beautiful ballad composed by Chaim Davis. This song is the second best slow song but a great kumzitz song. I can already hear it being played on the guitar as I type this.

Zamru, the Yitzy Waldner song, is definitely a hit. The lyrics are from Tehillim and we recently said these words before shofar blowing. Great fast song, great beat, great voice.

Next is Shalom, a slow song that doesnt interest me much. Its not horrible, just not my taste really.

The last song on the album is V’liyirushalayim. This song is a Bonus track according to the booklet, and for people who like chazanus, its probably amazing. I happen to not like chazanus, but I can still say wow he has a terrific voice and his range is admirable.

SL2 is only Simcha’s second album, but it feels like he was around for much longer. I feel he can give us a bunch more great albums like this one. If you liked Pischi Li, or heard Simcha Leiner at a wedding and liked his voice, pick up this album, it wont dissapoint. Buy it at mostlymusic.com or wherever jewish music is sold.

Here are two questions for you:

1) Do you like the piano?

-AND-

2) Do you like Yossi Green’s music?

If the answer to both of these questions is “yes”, then you should pick up Shades of Green: Pianesque, featuring piano master Mendy Portnoy. Mendy, who also just released an all-piano compilation of Carlebach songs called Esa Einai, is back with this lovely interpretation of fifteen (!) Yossi Green classics in his own unique style.

Like the four previous Shades of Green albums, Pianesque is a compilation of reimagined Yossi Green songs, mostly (but not all) of relatively recent vintage, and including some songs which have appeared on other Shades albums. Mendy’s piano playing is beautiful and solid, with majestic arpeggios and complex chord progressions throughout, and just jazzy enough to keep it interesting without going full-blown Yaron Gershovsky on us. On a related note, the piano is the only instrument on this album, so if you were waiting for the rest of the orchestra to show up…well, keep waiting. What you have here is an hour and a quarter of some of the best piano playing you will hear this year, and that should be good enough for anyone.

All songs composed by Yossi Green

Track 1, “Loy Avoy” (originally from Bein Kach u’Vein Kach by Avraham Fried): One of my favorites to start off the album. Mendy somehow did not include the soaring key change from the Fried original, but he replaced it with a really nice jazz riff at the end of the song.

Track 2, “Plioh” (originally from Pliah by Kuppy Elbogen): I had never heard this song before I heard it on this album, but I am now a fan. This song about Dovid Hamelech’s amazement at Hashem’s world is a gem that needs to be rediscovered.

Track 3, “Yedid Nefesh” (originally from Hold On by MBD): Love it. The 1984 version of this haunting melody was great enough, but Mendy takes it to a whole other level with his arrangement, with the almost Japanese-like feel in the beginning of the melody to the way he adds in his own sweeping solos into the transitions between stanzas.

Track 4, “Koidesh” (originally from Nissim by Shloime Gertner); Track 5, “Vayehi Binsoya” (originally from Leap of Faith by Lipa Shmeltzer): These tracks are pretty much straight-up, if slightly toned down, covers of the originals.

Track 6, “Zechoir” (originally from Emes V’Yatziv by Avremi Roth and Yossi Green): Another song that was under the radar when it was a new release, redone on the ivories.

Track 7, “Uvashoifar” (originally from Letav Ulechayin V’lishlam by Dudu Fisher): Who knew? Yossi Green composed songs for the King of Broadway! Just listen for the arpeggios—it never ceases to amaze me that piano players can move their fingers that quickly.

Track 8, “Shma” (originally from Maher by Yoeli Falkowitz): This song started off as a chassidishe pop ballad, but has been transformed. I particularly enjoyed the fancy little arrangement at the end of the song.

Track 9, “Chavivin” (originally from Kedai by Shloime Daskal): Some songs sound so much better in their reinterpretation, you almost forget their source—and that isn’t meant as a criticism to Shloime Daskal, who has done plenty of his own reinterpretation of other people’s music.

Track 10, “Ain Lecha” (originally from Acheinu by Shloime Dachs): Remember the nineties? Way back when Shloime Dachs used to put out albums? If I remember correctly, this song was popular for around ten minutes in 1998. Kudos to Yossi and Mendy for resurrecting it for this project.

Track 11, “Bar Yochai” (originally from the collaboration album Kedai R’ Shimon bar Yochai, performed by Avraham Fried): This paean to achdus is has had a few releases. As you have come to expect if you’ve made it this far, come for the familiar melody, stay for the arpeggiated chords.

Track 12, “Elokai Neshama” (originally from V ‘ohavta by Dedi): Back in the mid-nineties, I remember comments going in the following progression: 1) “You know that Israeli guy with Yossi Green in the background? With the ‘Tatte’ and ‘Imma’ songs? Pretty good.” 2) “Wow, do you hear his range? He’s really good!” And finally, 3) “DEDI IS A GOD OF MUSIC!!!!!” “Elokai” is from Dedi’s third album, and we’ve heard many re-recordings of it over the years. This one can definitely be added to the rotation.

Track 13, “Vezakeini” (originally from Keep Climbing by Avraham Fried): One of the more recent songs on this album, “Vezakeini” is a song that highlights the long history of collaboration between Avraham Fried and Yossi Green, dating back to Avremel’s first album, No Jew Will Be Left Behind, released in 1980, and still going strong. Incredible, and a tribute to both Yossi’s and Avremel’s longevity in an industry where it is very hard to “make it”.

Track 14, “Yetzav” (originally from V’eirastich by Ohad): Besides for his composing for the MBDs and Avraham Frieds of the world, Yossi Green often helps to launch the careers of new artists, including Dedi, Tzudik, and Ohad Moskowitz. This track is another song that may have slipped under the radar from Ohad’s first album—a nice side effect of having over 700 songs in your repertoire. Speaking of new artists….

Track 15, “Ki Hidlakti” (originally from Bayis Ne’eman B’Yisroel by Sruly Werdyger): …now Yossi is getting the next generation of artists going. Eli Marcus (Avraham Fried’s nephew) and Sruly Werdyger (MBD’s nephew) have both been beneficiaries of Green’s artistic prowess recently, and this track is just one example.

In summary, Pianesque may be the best instrumental offering in Jewish music since Shlomi Cohen’s Breather. In a genre with very slim pickings, Mendy Portnoy and Yossi Green have put together a collection that, while by all means not for everybody, is a very well-done album which is definitely worth your time.

As long as I can remember I have always kept up with the new releases in the Jewish Music Industry. I enjoy new material and when I know in advance when albums are being released the anticipation will grow. When I saw a promo about a new kids album being released by Yerachmiel Begun I was mildly intrigued but not sure exactly what it would be. Not that I personally spend that much time listening to children albums, but since I do have children who do, I am always on the lookout for something they would enjoy. Part of the intrigue was what type of production it would be. Most children themed albums do not have the most sophisticated musical or vocal arrangements, but Yerachmiel Begun is well known to have that sophistication with the Miami Boys Choir. And then I got an email from the big JMR boss….”Hi, would you want to do a review of Benny & Torah Kidz, from Yerachmiel Begun?” Ok so now it’s a challenge. I decided that I would do something I’ve never done before. I would have others do my review for me! How could I accurately review something that’s not exactly targeting my age bracket? I got the album and after listening to it a few times saw that this is an album that really is unique. It is basically a combination of an Uncle Moishy album and a Miami Boys Choir album. The songs (some are original, some classics, and some are today’s most popular songs) have the musical sophistication we come to expect from Yerachmiel but at the same time with words that are catchy and educational. My only issue was that the song lyrics sounded a little too sophisticated for the age kids I thought would enjoy it. So I decided to enlist a veteran preschool teacher (the best out there….if she wasn’t my children’s mother she would have been their official teacher), her students, and my various age children. The immediate feedback I got from my wife was how amazing it was and how her students loved it. Some of the words were probably too hard for the 4 year olds but they definitely got the context of the songs and enough of the words that they would (and still are) be able to sing along. Next, it went into the car. The older children (over 10 years old) really weren’t into it themselves, but my 2 year old twins are so they have a good time entertaining their babies. I never thought I’d have a 2 year old know how to spell (let alone say) Echad…but it’s their favorite song and they can sing along! My 8 year old daughter has also enjoyed it immensely. Yerachmiel and his wife Shoshana write the lyrics and the four boys together with “Benny” (MBC Alumnus Yoshi Bender) do a great job singing and. It’s a well done, thought out and quality children’s album. Really I should stop here because my work is done, but that would be too easy. I will give a brief synopsis of the songs below.

Raise Your Torah Flag is a cute song about Simchas Torah. The lyrics are on the simpler side, which is perfect for the younger children.

Hashem is One uses the tune of Hashem Melech and as I mentioned before is so catchy that children who are barely 2 want to listen and sing along!

Mister Nister is a fun song about someone who does things quietly and out of the public eye but people know and see it anyways.

The next two songs deal with some of the daily routines we go through. Tomorrow is a song about saying Shema at night before going to sleep. Wake Up talks about how we should wake up in the morning and what we do right when we wake up in the morning.

The next two songs focus on Shabbos. The Shabbos Song has the makings of a classic Miami song. The tune, the tempo, and the harmonies. It describes the way everyone rushes to get ready for Shabbos and the tranquility (I think I might have learned that word from Miami’s Shabbos Yerushalayim album) Shabbos brings. The fast tempo gives the song a rushed feel. The Shabbos song uses the tune of the classic Shalom Aleichem and focuses on the menucha and specialness that Shabbos brings.

The Torah Songs is a medley of Torah Tziva, V’samachta, and Hashem is here (see I said there’s a little of Uncle Moishy in this album) with some of their own lyrics added. This medley is also a favorite of my little ones.

Chanukah is a song about Chanukah (that was pretty obvious). The song uses the tune of Old McDonald had a Farm and is very educational.

Mu Rabu/Wonders of Hashem discusses how special this world is and the ways of Hashem.

The final song is about Pesach and getting ready for Pesach.

In conclusion, if you have children, teach children, or want to relive your child years go ahead and buy this album. It is available anywhere quality Jewish Music is sold!

Nevertheless, let’s get to this album. Dovid Lowy has a rich, young voice and his debut album should be a welcomed addition to your collection. Here’s the song by song breakdown:

HASHIVEINU- Dovid composed this song as well (which brings his total number of songs composed at 7 out of 10). It features Yosef Karduner and is a nice kumzitz song that is heavy on the guitar.

Yisroel Werdyger is a very popular Chesidishe wedding singer with plenty of energy and charisma. He comes from the famous Werdyger family of singers. He’s the grandson of Chazzan Dovid Werdyger, the son of Mendy, the nephew of MBD and Yeedle’s cousin .He also previously has put out 3 albums, each loaded with hits.His first album was Bayis Ne’eman B’Yisroel, which had hits such as the title track and Lecha Dodi and came out in 2008. His second album came out in 2010, titled Ashira V’zamra that had the hit song Simcha Shel Mitzvah. His most recent album, Odeh Lkeil, came out in 2012 with the famous Chabad Nigun. Yisroel has also been on all 4 Simchas Hachaim albums.

So now it’s 3 years later and it’s time to review Yisroel’s 4th studio album, Avorcho. This album was produced by Gershy Moskowitz and Yossi Tyberg and was arranged by Shua Freid. It has songs composed by Pinky Weber, Yaakov Yosef Buksbaum, Yitzy Waldner, Motti Ilowitz, Meir Adler, Yanky Daskal and Reb Shlomo Carlebach a’h.

Beruchim– The first song starts off slowly with a nice intro and breaks into a nice slower styled fast song, that takes its lyrics from Hallel. Its a nice song to start with and the choir does a nice background job. Composed by Pinky Weber, this song is a great start to the album.

Ekod– This is the hora song of the album, even though there are a few others on this album as well. I personally heard this song being played at countless weddings just days after the album came out. Yisroel is a great wedding singer with hundreds of views on youtube of his wedding videos for the exact same reason that this song is so good. He delivers in a huge way on this song and it pays off, its that incredible. A top five song on the album composed as well by Pinky Weber.

Meshoich– The lyrics come from the legendary shabbos zemer Kah Echsoif. This song is almost as beautiful as the words behind it, and Yisroel sings it wonderfully along with the child soloist Yossi Weiss and soloist Tzvi Meir Werdyger. Composed by Yaakov Yosef Buksbaum, an up and comer in jewish music composing, this song is a gem.

Nishmas– The first fast Nishmas that I think I’ve ever heard, this is another wedding song. I didn’t hear this one at a wedding, but I saw a video of Yisroel singing it at one. A beautiful, awesome song composed by Yaakov Yosef Buksbaum, who it seems can compose a fast song as well as he can compose a slow one.

Zakeinu– This song was composed by R’ Shlomo Carlebach and the words were put to the song by Reb/Chazzan Dovid Werdyger. This song was originally on Reb Dovid’s album named Zakeinu. It’s a classic Reb Shlomo song, very hartzige, very nice.

Avorcho– The title track is usually the best song on the album and I think that is true here as well. This is also another wedding song, but it’s strength is really the music and the way the high part blends so nicely with the low part. The child soloist is Avrumi Werdyger. This song was composed by Pinky Weber, who I have to say is 3 for 3 on this album.

Keil Erech– The lyrics to this one come from Tachanun. Its a nice slow song, composed by Yitzy Waldner. It gets higher towards the middle, which is probably the best part of the song, but overall a pretty good song.

Ki Hu Amar– This is not my favorite song. Its a slowish song, but its got a bit of a beat. It was composed by Yanky Daskal.

Zchor– A slow song, composed by Pinky Weber. A very nice song asking the Abishter to remember us and return us to the Beis Hamikdash and Yerushalayim.

Tomid– Composed by Motty Illowitz, who recently put out his own debut album, this song is extremely good. It fits well with the whole Avorcho-Bless Hashem theme, as it is also about constantly blessing and giving thanks to Hashem for all He does for us.

Uvenucho– A nice slow song that gets fast at the end. It’s interesting how Yisroel put 4 slow(ish) songs in the last 5 songs of the album. This song, though, has a very nice high part and the choir here as well does an excellent job. The ending as well is beautiful and then it turns into a fast song. The child soloist is Shaya Ferentz and the song was composed by Meir Adler. A fantastic end to a great album.

Now for some new singles that were just released:

Yoni Z: Odeh– Yoni Z’s debut single, is bold, strong and superb. It’s got a mix of Hebrew and english lyrics, and they go smoothly together. His voice is beyond words, and he composed the track himself. The music video is extremely well done, so much so that it’s a bit scary. Well done, Yoni all around excellent job.

Avraham Fried: Hineni B’yodcha– Yes you read that right! Avremel put out another single in anticipation of his new album. This song is incredible, composed by Pinchos Brayer, and should make every fan of jewish music drool over the coming of his new album soon iy”h. Listen to it if you haven’t, you will love it. I know that I have it on repeat on my ipod and even that’s not enough for me.

Yoely Greenfeld: Rachmana Liba Boiyeh– A slow song that turns fast and awesome. Composed by Meir Adler, this is one of the songs off his upcoming album, Zeh, which will be released before Chanukah.

Mendy Worch: Bunim– A newcomer to Jewish music, Mendy Worch has hit a home run with his debut single, Bunim. Co-composed by Mendy and Boruch Sholom Blesofvsky, this song screams classic BSB! Mendy sings it beautifully and is as well releasing an album which I cant wait for.

Chaim Meir Erps (CME): A Tatte Blabt A Tatte– The newest song out there, CME has delivered a masterpiece. I already saw this song being played at a wedding on video. The Yiddish and Hebrew work perfectly together and the choir is terrific as well. Composed by CME himself and arranged by Avrumi Berko, this song should be CME’s big hit in Jewish music. It’s also being played often in my home, and its so catchy that I find myself singing it everywhere. Listen to it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijml4uRp9sU

So in conclusion, there’s plenty of good stuff out there in the Jewish music world. From Yisroel Werdyger’s excellent album (which you all should buy at mostlymusic.com or wherever jewish music is sold) to all these new exciting singles which lead to exciting albums, keep it here on jewishmuiscreport.com and follow me on twitter at @JMROneWeekLater for all your Jewish music news.

Anyone who reads my reviews (when I actually do write one) probably knows that not only do I like to listen to all the new releases that come out but that I have a very wide ranging of music genres that I enjoy listening to. I happen to have a soft spot for albums that are put out under the radar and especially when using their own original material. A few months back I had seen that Dov Levine’s son Yisroel Levine, was working on an album with fellow Waterbury bochurim. It really piqued my interest. The short fifteen second “preview” clips posted on social media helped and so did the fact that Dov was one of my favorite singers when I was growing up. But that’s not what really got me excited. A group of friends singing their original songs that do not sound like the typical yeshivish songs coming out today….that really got my interest. Then they released one of the songs from the album as a single for free, Hashem Melech. WOW! That really got my attention. The rest of the album did not disappoint and I have been waiting ever since to have the time to write up this review. The songs are catchy, arrangements fresh and original (and chock full of guitars), harmonies top notch, and there is a real fun vibe that bursts through when listening to it. Another very cool thing about this album is how the arrangements were a collaborative effort on each song and not just one person arranging the music on a specific song. There is a reason why the arrangements sound like they do! Jewish music superstars Nochi Krohn and Aryeh Kunstler, were joined by relative newcomer to the Jewish music scene, Alex Bodnar, and a number of the lead vocalists on this album to arrange the music.

Below is my song by song assessment:

Ani Maamin- what an upbeat and fun sounding song to begin the album. The song is composed by Yaakov Blatter who is joined by Shloime Liff for the lead vocals. The arrangements feature a lot of rhythm guitar and percussion which gives the song a very laid back but still enjoyable feel.

Gam Ki Eilech- This hartzige ballad is a close as you will get to a main stream song from this album. Yisroel Levine composed the song and he is joined on the vocals with Yoav Nathan, Kalman Mandel, Menachem Rozner and Pinny Schachter. This is a very sweet song that is enhanced by some really nice harmonies and violin solos.

Hashem Melech – You already know how I feel about this song but I can get more specific. First of all, this song really is a microcosm of the whole album just by seeing that it was composed by four people! The song starts off with a sick guitar solo (which have Aryeh Kunstler’s name written all over it), the arrangements build up to even include a brass section and a Ron Bertolet saxophone solo. The vocals, arrangements and harmonies on this song are perfect and amazing.

Psach Libi – This is another solid composition by Yaakov Blatter. The lead vocals on this song are really nice. The violin is featured on this song as well.

Hold On – This is a catchy song with some really cool ukulele riffs and vibraphone/marimba solos. The lesson of the song is pretty deep and very true. Give it a listen!

Ki Avi – This is a somber and hauntingly beautiful ballad composed by Menachem Rozner, who is also one of the main soloists on this song as well. The harmonies are beautiful (have I mentioned that before), the guitar solo and the violin solos are really nice as well. There are so many places on the album where the music stops and they sing harmonies together that are jaw droppingly beautiful. I know, I made that word up.

Yismechu – This song starts with a clarinet solo by the incomparable John Tendy (if you know him from the Jewish music scene you’d know what I mean). This song is very relaxing to listen to.

Mishoich – A classic Kumzitz song, this song is composed and sung by Yoav Nathan. The vocals are nice, the harmonies are even better, and the guitars on this song….well you get the picture.

Min Hametzar – I have a special place in my heart for people singing and performing their own songs. This song is composed and sung by Pinny Schachter, and he plays piano on this song as well. It is a beautiful and hartzige song. The addition of the English words add so much meaning to the song.

Oseh Shalom – Yisroel Levine composes this upbeat song and he along with Pinny Shachter are the main singers on this song. The musical arrangements on this song consist of guitar, bass guitar and drums but they are in no way simple. The harmonies are once again top notch.

Elokai – This is another beautiful song on an album full of gems. This song, composed by Sruly Rubin, who also is one of the main singers on the song (see a trend here?). Beautiful vocals, beautiful harmonies, and beautiful music!

Stay With Me – the title track of the album is saved for the twelfth and last track of the album.

It is another Yaakov Blatter gem and I think all the compliments from earlier songs could be applied to this song as well.

In conclusion, if you enjoy Jewish music, this album is for you. The wide ranging styles of songs on this album are sure to be enjoyed and played over and over. It’s been on my playlist since it came out and I am enjoying it more and more with time. The album is available at http://mostlymusic.com/products/mesivta-of-waterbury-stay-with-me and anywhere quality Jewish Music is sold!

relax3

Yochi Briskman’s Project Relax 3

Featuring Simcha Leiner and Baruch Levine

I took a long hiatus from reviewing, but it was not at all for lack of good music coming out… When I started reviewing on JMR I was a single college student, and now I’m married with a 2 year old. I generally listen to Uncle Moishy all day, but my very opinionated (in the best way) daughter has started requesting my music, so I am cautiously optimistic that I am going to be able to add some variety to what I regularly listen to , in the form of all the great stuff that has come out recently.

Baruch Levine and Simcha Leiner both have brand new albums on the market right now, and they are already shaping out to be big hits and for good reason. But that doesn’t mean that the album they collaborated on this summer should be lost amongst all the other big hits. For any fan of Baruch Levine and/or Simcha Leiner, this is a must have. And virtually all fans of good Jewish music fall under that category.

These two singers are seemingly very different. Simcha Leiner has a big powerful voice and an unbelievable range. Baruch Levine sings at a higher octave and has a gentle feel to all his songs. But they blend seamlessly. I guess good singing is good singing, right? And they both are so full of heart and passion. They’re so genuine. It works really well. After each song, I felt myself saying, “Wow!”.

You already knew that Yochi Briskman was a masterful arranger, and this album confirms it once again. Everything on the album is done intelligently– the song selection, when exactly each singer comes in, how much to use choirs (relatively little). Music traditionalists will appreciate that there is no techno or rock on this CD whatsoever.

For many of you, most of these songs won’t be entirely new. But these are new versions and arrangements, and even a Baruch Levine song is totally different when he is joined by Simcha Leiner, as is a Simcha Leiner song when he is joined by Baruch Levine. The new versions are more than worth a listen.

For those of you not familiar, let me explain what exactly this album is. Its a collection of 25 tracks, almost all of which were big hits in the Jewish music world in the last few years. The tracks range from 1:02 to 3:01, so all of them are shorter than any song on a typical Jewish album (but you get 25 of them!) . Every five songs or so blends into the next to create a continuous melody, with the last song in every melody being more up tempo and like a miniature finale. The entire album has a more laid back feel– hence the name. Yes its relaxing, but its not all very soft and very calm songs like I frankly expected.

1. Modim
An excellent choice to start off the album, this song rightly was chosen to be the namesake of Baruch Levine’s fourth album (Modim) . Right away we see how majestically these two very different singers blend together .

2. Keayal
This song starts off with an adult choir and leads into a children’s choir. 1:45 Simcha Leiner, one of my favorite notes from the entire album. Just wow.

3. Tefillat Kallah
Made popular in Yaakov Shwekey’s hit album, Kolot, this sped up version still (somewhat) keeps the Sephardi pronunciation from Kolot.

4. Ve’yiyu Rachamecho
This Eli Beer song is much less Carlebach, but equally heartfelt. The choir is used perfectly here and there are some great harmonies, especially int he last 45 seconds of the song. One of my favorites.

5. Kol Berama
I think its safe to assume we all know this song, right? Most of us were introduced to Simcha Leiner through Kol Berama, which still makes me cry every time I hear it. This is one of my favorite songs of all time. I wish this version were a bit longer (1:51). I could’ve used 5… or even 10… minutes of it. It is also sped up, as its sort of the “finale” of this group of songs, and I wish it started out a little slower like the original version.

6. Kesser
Kesser starts out a new track with a slightly Hasidish feel, which means of course it is full of heart. It is incredible how in this track , as well as many others, Simcha Leiner and Baruch Levine manage to keep the feel calm and relaxed while injecting so much power. I did not know this song before, but I am now browsing the selection of Hasidish choir CDs online… I love it.

7. Melech Malchei
Speaking of power… Melech Malchei starts out soft, and builds up to be incredibly powerful. Again, the last 30 seconds, just wow.

8. Bitchu
One of my favorite Baruch Levine songs of all time…perhaps my favorite. If you haven’t heard it, Bitchu mixes Hebrew with a little bit of English to convey the message of trusting in Hashem. This song really makes me feel like a child with Hashem holding my hand. I know that’s incredibly cheesy, but its the only way to get across how touching this song is to me.

9. Koach
An exceptionally moving song you might have heard by Yedidim Choir (if you haven’t , there is a video of the entire song, and it’s a must see/ listen), Simcha Leiner and Baruch Levine do this track justice. The Yiddish mixed in with the Hebrew, all begging Hashem to give us strength, makes it even more emotional. Definitely one of my favorites.

10. Lcho Dodi
I actually first heard this tune on Baruch Levine’s “Touched By A Niggun”, in a really moving story about an (spoiler alert?) Arab moved by Lcho Dodi who finds out he is a Jew and descendent of Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz. But anyway, this is a nice smooth melody from Baruch Levine himself.

11. Pischi Li
Pischi Li, one of Simcha Leiner’s songs from his first album, starts out the third group of songs. It was one of the best songs on Simcha Leiner’s hit album, and again, this version is worth a listen.

12. El Hanaar Hazeh
If you haven’t all heard the original version of this song right now, please immediately go buy Rabbi Shlomo Yehuda Nechnitz’s Shir. Not to downplay this version at all, because it also gets a big “Wow” from me. Incredibly moving composition that literally brings tears to my eyes (again?)… One of my favorites of all time . Another song I wish were 5 or 10 minutes long.

13. Besheim Hashem
I can’t say enough about the song choice on this album. Besheim Hashem was probably my favorite song on Benny Friedman’s Yesh Tivkah. This song shows off how dynamic these two singers really are. Who would have thought that Simcha Leiner, with his power , could sound so gentle and calm when he sings the “lie lie lie …” , and Baruch Levine rises to match his power.

14. Yesimcho
Yesimcho deservedly gained incredible popularity via Yaakov Shwekey’s Cry No More. Yes, the song was written for Yaakov Shwekey, and he did it brilliantly, but when you listen to it here it seems it was written for Baruch Levine and Simcha Leiner.

15. Shomer
Originally sung by super talented Israeli child star Uziah Tzadok and on the aforementioned Shir in honor of the three kedoshim Gilad, Naftali, and Eyal, this song gains a whole new dynamic when put in new hands.

16. Umocho
With Baruch Levine’s Umocho we start out the fourth group of songs on the album. It sounds a bit stripped down from the original version, at least for the first half when it really picks up tempo. A great song before, and still a great song.

17. Hishbati
A more upbeat song but still true to the feel of the CD, the choir is featured prominently in this song.

18. Rebbe
Another Carlebach-like song… this time from Yehuda Green… re-imaginged Yochi Briskman style. I don’t know what it is about Yiddish. I don’t understand it most of the time. But it adds an extra layer, when done the right way (as it is here, and makes the song seem so much more genuine. Well done by Yehuda Green and well done again by the Briskman-Levine-Leiner trio.

19. Hastureh
I honestly don’t know where this song originated. I first heard it on Beri Weber’s (name of album), which I reviewed, and I immediately loved it and still listen to it very frequently. I then heard it on the radio sung by someone else. I eventually was told that it was as “yeshiva” song— how was I supposed to know that? So I still am not sure of the origin of this song, but I love it anyway. Its perfectly suited for a duet, and as we have already established, so are the voices of these two singers. Another gorgeous, somewhat haunting track, though the tempo is picked up quite a bit, so its less haunting.

20. Assarah Bnei Adam
A sped up version of Yaakov Shwekey’s song from Kolot, this one also uses Sephardi pronunciations. I love this arrangement and think I actually prefer the sped up version.

21. Keracheim
A gentle, soothing, and yes, relaxing song to start out the last group on the album. This song was also on Simcha Leiner’s debut album and is one of the most moving on the album (which is really saying something).

22. Ata Horeisoh
Of all the lyrics you can find in Jewish music, these are amongst the most powerful in my opinion. This is one of the songs on the album I want to play over and over and moves me every time.

23. Veseoreiv
Another beautiful composition from Shir, and though I love the original version, it is fascinating to see what different hands can do with the same composition. Again, I love both versions.

24. Birchos Habonim
Birchas Habonim, from Ohad’s III, is heard at Jewish weddings everywhere, and rightfully so. Simcha Leiner and Baruch Levine do it justice, and their voices along with the words and melody get another “wow”.

25. Da Lecho
Well, this song isn’t really relaxing, its more fun and upbeat, but it works well as we end with a bang… so when is Project Relax 4 coming out?

By Yitzy Stern

When listening to this album, there were many things that struck me, so I decided to set them all out in a full blown review.

I would like start by writing a few thoughts about the album overall, and then I’ll go through some of the songs that stick out to me. (I don’t feel the need to comment on every single song, saying things like “Oh, so this song is also just out-of the-world awesome”. If I have nothing specific to say, I’ll save you the trouble of having to read it.)

First off, just a note about the cover. Usually, when an artist chooses to create an elegant cover, the flashiness generally suffers. There’s something about this cover that defies that generalization. While the cover is extremely neat and elegant, it still sticks out in the crowd. I tried scrolling through my itunes albums, and every time, this cover catches my eye. I don’t know why it happens, but try it and you’ll see what I mean.

While producing a Baruch Levine album, I’m sure that a big focus is to create variety. Baruch, as most great artists do, has a certain style, and to keep the same arrangements and genre would seem repetitive. It seems to me that Yochi was indeed very successful in giving us a wider array of styles on this album then what we have ever seen on Baruch’s previous albums, as I’ll expound on shortly.

While my personal favorites on Baruch Levine 4 (Modim) were U’mocho and Shifchi, the biggest hit internationally was definitely Uforatzta. It was Baruch’s first song that had musical programming. Seemingly building on that success, this new album has two songs with programming, tracks 3 and 7.

One more point before I move on to individual songs. I can’t put my finger on the precise cause, but something about this album reminds me of Baruch Levine’s second album, Chasan Hatorah. I had flashbacks to different songs on that album throughout my listening to this album. Maybe some songs are similar, or perhaps the atmosphere is comparable, I honestly don’t know. It’s just a sensation that I experienced. Now on to the songs.

The first track, Vayehi Beshurun, is a great opener. It has that chant-like quality that makes the song stick in your head, but with a lot more musical substance to it. It’s nothing like the color war songs that have been commissioned to serve as opening tracks on some recent releases. It has much more sophistication. Baruch also incorporated a short staccato sound bite in English, “When we stand together then that day will finally come”, as has also become commonplace recently (as in Odeh from Yoni Z and Toda from Benny Friedman), though Baruch has already done this before it was in style, in his song Bit’chu on his third album (“have faith in Hashem, just trust in Hashem…”).

Track 4, Boee B’shalom, has an interesting twist. It seems tohave been done in a way that evokes an old fashioned feel. The word Boee is pronounced Bo’ee, not Boy’ee, as is Baruch’s standard Havarah. The choir also has that retro sound. This song would have fit perfectly on a Dveykus album.

Track 5, Yom Zeh, has the old style Shabbos Zemiros quality, but it has a real modern streak running all the way through. Whether or not this song will find its way to Shabbos tables around the world, is, as always, completely dependent on Si’atta Dishmaya(many great songs get nowhere, and many songs that we all wrote off are commonplace), but I definitely look forward to trying it by my Shabbos table.

Track 6, Umishefa. Baruch’s most successful song of all time is arguably Vezakaini off his debut album. He included this similar style song on this album, complete with a beautiful child vocalist and similar heartwarming lyrics. One caveat though is that the lyrics are not really conducive to being sung at Chuppos (they refer specifically to the Mitzva of Teffilin).

Track 9, Ashrei Mi, got me very excited. For the first time ever, Baruch Levine has a song that was arranged by Yuval Stupel. (I might be wrong, but it may in fact be the first time Yochi ever had a song arranged by him.) For those of you who are unfamiliar with Yuval, I’ll give you a general synopsis. Yuval is pretty much Avraham Fried’s unofficial producer. He helps him pick songs, and he oversees all his Israeli events. Although he’s still quite young, he has already developed a style that has proven itself to be very well liked. He’s most known for his compositions for Fried, Kach EsSheli and Kama Tov Shenifgashnu, but his arrangements have really enhanced Fried’s songs. Alei Katen Sheli, Ani Choshev Aleichem, and most recently, Yerushalayim Shebaleiv, all display his trademark flair. (Yuval can be seen at some of Fried’s recent concerts, as the band conductor. See “Live in Israel.”) Yuval did a marvelous job on this song, removing it from the almost timid genre frequently associated with Baruch’s songs, and giving it a bold yet pleasant feel. He really gave a new spin to the classic Levine atmosphere.

The final track, Kum Hit’halech, features guest vocalist Yonatan Razel. When listening to the song, it’s no surprise why Yochi chose this song for Razel, due to its unique Razel feel, but even so, the song still resonates Levine from every note. At most it can be called a Levine-Razel hybrid. But a beautiful song overall.

There was one thing missing from this album, for which I have had hopes of it perhaps appearing. On Baruch’s second album, Chasan Hatorah, the CD ended with a track entitled Baruch Levine Classics. It included five of Baruch’s songs, some of them well known and some not, which were already sung by other singers. It was a great opportunity for us to learn some of Baruch’s nicest songs that just didn’t get picked up their first time around. As each of Baruch’s subsequent albums were released, I held my breath thinking that perhaps there’ll be a Baruch Levine Classics 2. I even had my own list of songs that I thought would be perfect for such a compilation. (My list included “Ohavti” from Shea Rubenstein, “Shir Haparnasa” from Ohad 3, “Retzei” that was sung by YisroelWerdyger on Oorah’s Shmorg, “Shabbos Hayom Lashem” from Gertner 2, and my all-time Baruch Levine favorite, “Yigdal” from Shloime Kaufman’s Ahavas Tzedaka.) Alas, it has not come to fruition. Maybe next time. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll be next time.
It goes without saying that all the opinions expressed here are solely those of myself. You disagree? Hit the comments or send me your thoughts. You can reach me at YitzySternSi@gmail.com .

Simchas Hachaim 4 Review
One Week Later: Simchas Hachaim 4- An All Star Album

I must admit that I never heard a Simchas Hachaim album before. Not the first album nor the second or third. I don’t what I was thinking, because after hearing the fourth version of Simchas Hachaim, I have to say it, I’m hooked!

Simchas Hachaim is a classic all star album, produced and keyboard by Avrumi Berko, and vocals by Mendel Werdyger, Yisroel Werdyger, Benny Friedman, Sheya Berko, Yumi Lowy, and Yedidim Junior.

The Yedidim Choir and Junior Choir join the already stacked group of talent to make this album filled to the brim with potential. Let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint!

There are 5 sets to this album: Torah Medley, Freilach Medley, Chabad Medley, Lebedig Medley, and finally, the Hora Medley. Here’s the song by song:

EITZ CHAIM- Yisrael Werdyger starts off this album with a slow Eitz Chaim intro, followed by the actual song. This song comes from Shir, and that means it’s a Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz composition. It works very nicely with the adult choir and children’s choir singing harmony and backups. Great song to start off the album.

BATORAH- Sung by Benny Friedman, this song originally comes from the Eli Hertzlich debut album Chosson Domeh Lamelech. It was composed by Dudi Kalispell and is a good song to continue the Torah Medley.

YESH BATORAH- This song first came out on the Dirshu album, sung there by Shlomie Daskal. Composed by Moshe Mona Rosenblum, it’s sung on this album by Sheya Berko who does an excellent job on it.

VENISMACH- Sung by Mendel Werdyger, this song was composed by Abie Rosenberg, and is quite good. With this song, the Torah Medley ends.

HAREINI MIZAMEN- Composed by Isaac Honig, this song begins the Freilach Medley. It’s sung by Benny Friedman and is a pretty good song.

FREILACH YIDDEN- Sung by Mendel Werdyger, this is a great nigun composed by Yom Tov Ehrlich. A fantastic song on the album.

AHALLELO- This song is making it around. Sung by Yuma Lowy, originally from Skver, it’s a favorite of mine. I like Yuma Lowy alot. He’s got a terrific voice and it really shows in this song.

YUMTIRI- This could’ve really been called Nigun, but it’s still a good song. It’s sung by Yisroel Werdyger, and originally comes from Yehuda Green.

TISHIOSOM- Another song from Yehuda Green, this one from his latest album, Barcheini, this purim song is sung by Sheya Berko and ends the Freilach Medley.

NIGUN AVOD- To start off the Chabad Medley, (one) ofthe most famous Lubavitchers, Benny Friedman, in a nigun that I love. I really like the energy that Benny brings to the high part.

ASHREINU- Sung by Sheya Berko, this is an Ashreinu that I’ve never heard before, but it’s very good.

NIGUN KILEMENOVITCH- Sung by Yisroel Werdyger, I’m not sure where this nigun comes from but my guess is Chabad being as its the Chabad Medley. It’s a nice nigun.

DARKECHO- Sung by Mendel Werdyger, this is another nice Chabad type nigun, and with this song, the Chabad Medley ends.

AL ACHAS- Time for the Hora Medley. Which Hora doesn’t include the now classic song from Yeedle, Al Achas? Well, here it is to start us off. Sung by Sheya Berko, originally composed by Dudi Kalish, this is a great version of the song.

MAI DEHAVE- I never heard this song, but I’m in love with it! Sung by Yumi Lowy, it was originally composed by Dudi Kalish (again).

HABET NA- Sung by Benny Friedman, this song is good, and Benny singing it makes it that much better. Composed by R’ Shmuel Brazil, this song continues the Hora.

CHASIDIM VEANSHEI MAASEH- Not a big fan of this song, sung by Yisroel Werdyger, it’s a little dry to me. Composed by Meir Adler.

VEYASMIENU- A nice little filler, sung by Mendel Werdyger, originally from Belz.

ZEH HO’OIS- This song is a favorite of mine, so much so that I started playing it on Fridays. Sung by Benny Friedman, composed by Yossi Green, this is an excellent song and I’m a big fan. This song ends the Hora Medley (on a high note).

LEFICHOCH- This song starts Lebedig Medley. Sung by Yisroel Werdyger, this song, composed by Chaim Barnet, is great and is a good way to start getting Lebedig.

RIKUD OD YISHOMA- Sung by Mendel Werdyger, composed by Meacham Irnstein, this song doesn’t get any attention from me.

SHEYEHEI HAKOL- Composed by Moshe Mona Rosenblum, you don’t get a much better song than this. Sung by Yisroel Werdyger, this song is amazing and I replay it over and over.

ANI MAAMIN- A nice song to finish off the album. Sung by Yumi Lowy, and composed by Skulen, it’s another good choice for a song and was sung very well.

In conclusion, if you are a fan of all star albums, then this is one you should pick up from wherever you buy your music from. Even if you are not though, this album has a lot of fun songs to dance to and should be worth it to check out.

One Week Later: Yiddish Nachas- Yossi Green

In today’s review, I will be implementing a hash tag ranking system at the end of each song review. It’s a scale of 1-5 with Hit being the top (5), followed by Very Nice (4), Solid (3), Pretty Good (2), and Not Great (1). These are just my opinions and of course, you may have your own and I welcome your criticism and objections in the comment section below.

Today’s album is Yiddish Nachas- Matonah Toivah, by Yossi Green. Yossi composed all the songs and they were sung by the Yiddish Nachas choir, a group of chasidish children with gorgeous voices.

Hiskabtzi- A favorite on the album, the song is gorgeous and was recently used as the gimmel theme song in Israel for the elections. The child soloist is Sruly Lauder, who has a gorgeous voice. #Hit

ATOH KODOISH- A nice, rocking slow song, with the words taken from Shemonah Esrei. The child soloist is Yoeli Hirsch. #VeryNice

EIN KELOKEINU- Yossi Green sings the song in the first part and then the choir sings the end to him. A nice funky nigun. Sruly Laufer is the soloist. #Solid

RIBONO SHUL OILAM- The soloist on this song is Avrum Chaim Green. He hits all the right notes in this beautiful song. #VeryNice

MATONOH TOIVAH- The title track of this album is funky and cool with a techno type theme. The song has very interesting lyrics, from Massachusetts Shabbos and including some Yossi’ own lyrics. The soloist is Avrum Chaim Green again and this is one of the greats on this album. #Hit

MOGOIN AVOS- This song starts with a chazanus of Mogein Avos and then Sruly Laufer, the soloist on this song, starts a slow song with a piano background. Then the chorus, which reminds me of Kah Echsof, is sung by the choir. #VeryNice

HATOIV- A nice fast song, taken from the words of Modim. The soloist is Sruly Laufer again. It’s the classic type of fast song and I’m very into it. #Solid

ZECHOR AHAVAS- Have to say I was expecting a fast Hora here, but nonetheless it’s still a good song. The soloist on this song is Moshe Yida Eckstien and he has a gorgeous voice. #VeryNice

KI LECHO TOIV- A Hora song with a bongo type of beat. Soloist is Sruly Laufer, and there’s an interesting mid involved as well. #PrettyGood

ADERABA- I loved this song but I think it may have grown a little long in the tooth. Still, this is a good version of the original Yossi Green composition. #Solid

All in all, a very good album with a few hits and very solid songs interspersed in between. It’s a very good album and if you like children’s choirs, then this is a great album that you should definitely have in your collection.

@SPLASHNEWSUSA: “Wow! Pretty good for a new guy”! This statement sums up most of the comments I’ve heard since this great album found its home in many homes across the country. “Dovid Hamelech” by Eli Marcus is indeed an album produced with a mark of quality. An album produced with a determination to give us solid songs which we will enjoy wherever we may be and for people of all ages. Kudos to the producers Shai Bachar and Nir Graf. How can an album have so many good songs? Well, take a look at the composer. Yup, it’s the man from Sea Gate, Yossi Green. Yossi continues to be a force in the JM world and his sea salted soul does not cease to delight on this album. Did I recently develop an ear for poetry? I’ll continue to monitor this development. This well balanced album has all kinds of surprises and you are sure to find a favorite. Which songs are my favorites? Read on to find out!

Sheyiboneh- The album starts off with a great Chabad style horah. The theme in this song is asking for the Bais Hamikdosh to be rebuilt quickly in our days. The melody coupled with this lyric makes it a happy song of hope. Yossi Green doesn’t take long making his presence known on the album. We hear his bridge at 1:53. Nice arrangement throughout and I especially like the blend of horns. Great album opener! 4 out of 5 stars
Rofei Nemon- This stunning slow song starts off with only the soft vocal of Eli before being joined by piano and then acoustic guitar for the high. The music interlude is interesting and features what I believe is a harmonica or something of the sort. The drums come in the second time around along with strong vocals and nice harmony in the high. Eli’s vocals really impress toward the end of the song basically starting from 3:35. He ends off sounding like his relative Benny Friedman. 4 out of 5 stars
Dovid Hamelech- You know sometimes you get to a title track, and it’s a major let-down? Not this time! This song is one of my favorites on the album. Really catchy chorus. I like the electric arrangement that’s got cool stuff through the whole track without getting out of hand. At 2:50 we get a bridge that freshens up the song before the last high. It’s also in this bridge where Yossi Green opens the door while Eli is recording and wants to join the fun for a second. Or so it seems. Want a driving song? You got it with Dovid Hamelech. 5 out of 5 stars
Kol Torah- This song comes from a midrash saying that by Har Sinai the world heard the first ever Kol Torah from Hashem Himself- “Anochi Hashem Elokecha”. The track starts of really slow and then at 1:45 the Yossi Green beat kicks in. Listen and you’ll know what I’m talking about. You might need to listen to this more than once to appreciate it. It’s got a laid back sort of feel. He ends of the song with a vocal that could easily be Lipa Schmeltzer. It’s not. All in all, this song is vintage Green. 3 ½ out of 5 stars
Mazal Tov- Yeah! This is the song you buy the album for. The music arrangement in the low and high parts contrast really well which keeps it exciting every time you listen. You will like the song as soon as you turn it on. 5 out of 5 stars
Chavivi- I believe this song is in the salsa genre. Pass the chips. This is a song when you want to chill and need some music in the background. Not my favorite song but it definitely adds flavor to the album. Mild or Hot? You decide. 2 ½ out of 5 stars
Av Harachamim- Really nice intro made up of a piano, guitar, and percussion blend. This is a three part song and is like a classic Jewish slow song with a subtle more artsy arrangement. I would have liked to hear a little more music and a beat in the high part like a more classic song but that just my opinion. 2 out of 5 stars
Osios- Really funky song that I can’t stop humming to myself! The intro is so random and has nothing to do with the song that follows. That makes the song even more awesome because I love the unexpected. The lyric comes from the sefer Megaleh Amukos- who I happen to be a descendant of. Leave it to Yossi Green to find words for songs where no one else would ever dream of looking. You may be familiar with the lyrics in the high part as they are more famous and come from the Zohar Hakadosh. This song includes many Yiddish lyrics as well; explaining that we are “tied” to Hashem and the Torah. Love this track! 4 out of 5 stars
Look Inside- This song is composed by Eli Schwab who is starting to make his mark in many albums as a fantastic composer. To be honest I did not like this song to begin with but really started to like it more with every listen. In fact when I was too quick to make my voice heard that I wasn’t a fan, I really started to get bombarded by music aficionados; most notably Yossi Zweig. Yossi, you may not be completely crazy after all. The song is really fresh and different. Don’t get thrown off by the Yiddish! 3 ½ out of 5 stars
Keili Machzik- A solid, more typical fast song. It’s a classic Jewish rock with heavy electric guitar riffs throughout. There is also plenty of flute which is interesting for such a song and I like it. The beat picks up for a bit at 3:10 before Yossi’s background vocals join in for the ending. 3 out of 5 stars
Yishtabach- This really nice slow chazzanus style song starts off sounding like an old record with old-time chazzanus. This shtick was also on Lipa’s “Likro Es Hahallel” if you recall. The low starts with Eli backed up by a full choir and is followed by Yossi Green. Now this is interesting because Eli and Yossi take turns singing but Eli sings with a Litvishe Havaarah and Yossi with a Chassidishe Havureh. It is a brilliant idea and turns the song almost into a combination of cultures. A nice way to end the album. 3 ½ out of 5 stars

–Two 5 star songs and three 4 star songs- That’s what I call a solid album.

Shout out to those that are still reading this and shame on those who switched back to their cell phones after just 2 lines. Ha! As always feel free to leave any comments below or email comments to splashnews.jmr@gmail.com Of course we welcome you to join us on twitter for all music news, updates, and quick reviews- @SPLASHNEWSUSA Thanx for reading and stay classy.

Very few Jewish artists are active for long enough to release thirty different albums. Fewer can take credit for composing virtually every song on all thirty of those albums. However, Yerachmiel Begun has done it. In the thirty-eight years since the release of Victory Entebbe featuring the Miami Choir Boys (who were actually based in Miami at the time), Yerachmiel Begun…and the Miami…Boys…Choir!!!! (shout that repeatedly in your best Nachum Segal voice—trust me on this one), have been a constant presence in Jewish Music. The choir has served as a launching pad for multiple Jewish solo artists, including Yaakov Shwekey, Shloime Dachs, Nochum Stark, Yitzy Spinner, and Ari Goldwag.

As I have written before, I grew up idolizing the members of the choir, and MBC albums were a constant part of the soundtrack of my youth. One By One, published in 1995, was the first CD (as opposed to cassette) I ever owned, and the stretch of eleven albums from 1984 (B’Siyata D’Shmaya) to 1995 (Miami Experience V) remain the longest streak of quality albums released by any Jewish artist—ever.

It’s been four years since the release of Miami’s last full original album, Mi LaHashem Eilai, and Yerachmiel has finally released a new studio recording, Ut Ut. I can’t emphasize enough how impressed I am–Yerachmiel’s still got it. It’s amazing that nearly four decades can go by and basically the only things that change are the outfits in the cover picture (candy-cane-striped hats are out, white blazers are in) and the fact that strings are exchanged for synths (a process that started in the ‘90s). All twelve (not a typo!) songs on the album are recognizably Begun compositions, but they don’t sound recycled. The soloists are all incredible, and AutoTune in the studio (if any is used at all) is tastefully hidden and not noticeable.

One change from the MBC of the ‘90s is the adult choir. Instead of the “Miami Voice Symphony” backup choir (which hit its peak in the “Hagaddah” sequence at Miami Experience IV in 1994), the adult choir is the Miami Alumni—15 former members of the choir who come in for backup duty, as well as getting a song of their own. Of course, given that this is the Miami Boys Choir we’re talking about here, there is one adult whose presence is a constant: you will hear Yerachmiel’s voice in the second half of almost every song of the album—but you already knew that, right?

All songs composed, arranged, and conducted by Yerachmiel Begun.

Track 1, “Ut Ut”: The title track starts us off, and it’s pretty much what you would expect. An orchestrated synth-string intro, the choir coming in gently accompanied by the bass drum, escalating into a disco which you can imagine ending every MBC concert for the foreseeable future. An interesting note—the Yiddish lyrics in the bridge (“Kumt shoin shell arain, freilach zol men zain…”) will sound instantly familiar to any long-time Miami fan, as they were featured in the opening track of the 1993 album It’s Min Hashamayim.

Track 2, “Leibedik”: Leibedik is definitely the word. A pumping techno/rock wedding-themed song, this song will get the kids dancing quickly, especially when the Yiddish chorus kicks in. Lomir alle tantzin indeed.

Track 3, “Boi Kallah”: Keep count of the wedding songs on this album, there will be a quiz when we’re done. Our first slow song, this one has it all. Think “Nekadeish” combined with “Meheirah” and you have the right idea.

Track 4, “B’Simcha Rabbah”: An old-school-style Miami hora (think “L’maranan V’Rabanan” or “D’vei Haseir”) with a 21^st-century disco beat for the chorus. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like the kids were being told to sing differently for this song, especially for the second verse (“noyrah, noyrah sehillos…”)—I don’t know, maybe more yeshivish? Maybe it’s just me.

Track 5, “Tzur”: This is a medium ballad which slowly builds in intensity as it ends as a full-blown disco. It’s very nicely arranged and features three soloists who obviously know what they are doing

Track 6, “V’shum”: We’re only going to deduct a half-point for reusing lyrics twice on the same album (“v’shum na’avadcha b’yirah…” is also a line in Track 1) because I am assuming, based on no information whatsoever, that Track 1 and Track 6 were recorded several years apart from each other and were arranged independently of each other. In any case, this is a rock song which lends itself to some very creative arrangements at concerts.

Track 7, “Invei Hagefen”, feat. The Miami Alumni Choir: The grown-ups get a track to themselves! Composed in honor of the wedding of Chananya Begun last fall, “Invei” is a song I can actually see becoming popular at weddings in the near future. The alumni featured in the song are all very talented, and their voices blend nicely, whether they are singing as a choir, in duets, or as solos.

Track 8, “Sameach” (Also arranged by Chananya Begun): This song is one that I can see becoming a fun dance number at concerts, but that’s around it. Also, were we supposed to hear Yerachmiel counting out the beat (3 minutes in)? I did enjoy the funky bass arrangements and key change at around the 2:20 mark in the song.

Track 9, “He Will Answer Us” (Lyrics by Tzippi Shaked): I do not use the following sentence lightly: This song is the best English Miami song since “Sunshine”. Instead of the entire choir, this song features only three soloists: Orie Shaked (imported from Miami Mizrach), Dovid Pearlman, and Tzvi Simchon. I predict that in five years, after all these kids have aged out the choir, the solos for this song will become the most hotly contested parts for future concerts. A simply amazing song, and by far the best song on the album.

Track 10, “Lo Bashamayim He”: I think I found the spiritual successor to “Lo Yisa Goy”. This rock song is that good, especially the impeccably arranged bridge at 2:42. If that can pull it off live (and I have no doubt they can) that will be even more impressive.

Track 11, “Pitchu Li” (Lyrics also by Chaya Adler): Another unfortunate side effect of a Jewish album taking four years to make is the possibility that someone else will come out with a song that has a similar title and a similar sequence of notes as a crucial place in one of your songs. So, please, do me a favor everyone, and do not compare this song to Simcha Leiner’s “Pischi Li”. The similarities are there, but I wouldn’t make much of them, as the rest of the song is totally unique and totally amazing. I love the words, the arrangements, the jazzy accompaniment at the 5:20 mark, the soloists, everything. One minor gripe I do have is me being a grammar nerd: The lyrics in the second line of the low part should be “banai yakirai”, not “b’ni yakiri”, as the midrash being quoted is Hashem talking to the Jewish people in the plural. Whatever.

Track 12, “Kol Kol Kol—The Day Will Come”: And the answer is…five wedding songs! For those of you who guessed correctly, please come to the bandstand to pick up your winnings. This song is a great valedictory to a very well-done album, summing up the themes of simcha and geulah in a great orchestral rock arrangement.

In summary, some albums are worth the wait. I’m glad that Yerachmiel was able to tide us over with some material since the release of Mi LaHashem Eilai, but neither When the Siyum Calls nor Miami Mizrach was a full original album. Ut Ut has been a long time coming, but with any luck it will be the catalyst that helps keep the Miami Boys Choir in the first tier of Jewish performing groups for years to come.

Lenny Friedman “Brand New” Review

OutOfTowner reviews Simcha Leiner-SL2

Review: Ari Goldwag – The English Album

Something Different:

Angels Out:

Chanukah Lights:

Your Smile:

Up to You Now:

Take Me Home:

Forever Dance:

Teiman, Choices & Live in the Sky:

Shimon’s Review of “Kol Haneshama Sheli” by Benny Friedman

OutOfTowner Reviews Barcheini by Yehuda Green

One Week Later: 2nd Dance 2

One Week Later: Ata Imadi- Dovid Lowy

One Week Later Reviews Dovid Gabay Hakol Letova

One Week Later: SL2 by Simcha Leiner

Shimon’s Review of “Shades of Green: Pianesque” featuring Mendy Portnoy

OutOfTowner reviews Benny and the Torah Kidz

One Week Later: Ata Imadi- Dovid Lowy

One Week Later: Avorcho by Yisroel Werdyger Plus New Singles Reviewed

OutOfTowner reviews Mesivta Of Waterbury – Stay With Me

JustaFan’s Review of Project Relax III

GUEST REVIEW OF BARUCH LEVINE 5 – BANIM ATEM

One Week Later: Simchas Hachaim 4- An All Star Album

One Week Later: Yiddish Nachas- Yossi Green

SPLASHNEWS-Review of Eli Marcus-“Dovid Hamelech”

Shimon’s Review of “Ut Ut” by Yerachmiel Begun and the Miami Boys Choir