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March 31, 2002

Release party for the Afro-Semitic release recording, Middletown, CT, Apr 1

8:30 p.m. on Monday, April 1 at the Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main Street in Middletown, CT, (860) 347-4957. The new CD features Chevan and Byrd with the Afro-Semitic Experience playing an array of original pieces, sacred music, klezmer, and sacred music by jazz composers. The official release date for this recording is April 5, but we will have albums available at this event. Please join us if you are anywhere in the Connecticut area. Matzo will be served and a freylekhe down home time will be had by all!!

March 24, 2002

Klezmer Music: From Underground to Outer Edge

Class taught by Lev Liberman (The Klezmorim): Klezmer -- Eastern European Yiddish instrumental music -- emigrated to America circa 1910, went underground in the Great Depression, and re-emerged in the 1970s. We will explore klezmer music's timeless appeal through rare recordings and live musical demonstrations -- tracking the genre's evolution from Ukrainian village bands to the postmodern avant-garde. Reading and discussion topics will include: mad genius clarinetist Naftule Brandwein; influences of Roma (Gypsies); the dark ages of Catskill kitsch; dynamics of the klezmer revival; today's trailblazing stylists in neo-klezmer fusion and Euro-roots retro.

New CD by David Krakauer released in France

The Klezmer Madness CD entitled "12 Tribes" was released in France on March 15th. It is available from the French Amazon.com. It will be released in the USA in late 2002 early 2003. Early reports on the CD, and on the current Klezmer Madness tour indicate that this will be quite exciting.

Passover music and more

The latest reviews include Lori Cahan-Simon's secular Yiddish Passover song, a SoCalled Hip Hop seder, Nefesh' debut album, 'unplucked,' a delightful album by Israeli band, Tea Packs, 'your life in a lafa,' and Jewlia Eisenberg's latest effort, an avant gardeish, mostly a capella piece based on the writings and diaries of Walter Benjamin and Asja Lacis. A mediation by singer between two lovers. A 'Trilectic.'

March 9, 2002

Cantor Isaac Algazi: Sweet Singer of Israel

New release Rubin/Ottens Jewish Music Series Wergo:

Cantor Isaac Algazi: Sweet Singer of Israel Ottoman Jewish Music from the Early 20th Century, SM 1622-2, Available on 6 May, 2002; probably will be available 8 weeks later in US. Rabbi Isaac Algazi (b. 1889 Izmir/Turkey, d. 1950 Montevideo/Uruguay), the "Sweet Singer of Israel", was one of the most outstanding cantors of the Turkish-Jewish synagogue. One of the leading Turkish-Jewish intellectuals of his time, Algazi was the first to establish the art of solo cantorial singing in the public prayer of Sephardi Jews, influencing 20th century Sephardi cantorial music throughout the world.

Cantor Isaac Algazi: Sweet Singer of Israel (new release Rubin/Ottens Jewish Music Series Wergo)

Cantor Isaac Algazi: Sweet Singer of Israel Ottoman Jewish Music from the Early 20th Century SM 1622-2 Available on 6 May, 2002

Rabbi Isaac Algazi (b. 1889 Izmir/Turkey, d. 1950 Montevideo/Uruguay), the "Sweet Singer of Israel", was one of the most outstanding cantors of the Turkish-Jewish synagogue. One of the leading Turkish-Jewish intellectuals of his time, Algazi was the first to establish the art of solo cantorial singing in the public prayer of Sephardi Jews, influencing 20th century Sephardi cantorial music throughout the world.

The Turkish-Jewish tradition combined religious Hebrew texts with Ottoman art music. It can be traced back to the vital role of Jewish musicians at the Arabian courts before the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian peninsula in 1492. Developments such as the reciprocal influence between Jewish musicians and Turkish dervishes, the masters of Moslem chant and the makam (Turk. = mode), can also be found in the interpretations of Algazi. These are characterized by a nasal voice quality, a preference for the high register and falsetto, and emphasize vibrati and virtuosic changes between the registers.

The recordings were mostly made in Istanbul from 1925-1929. The material consists of chants of the High Holidays and the Sabbath, as well as religious and secular songs in Judeo-Spanish (Ladino). The accompanying instruments are mostly oud or kanun which were played by the foremost instrumentalists of that time. It is therefore not surprising that Isaac Algazi "Effendi" recorded for almost every European record company in Turkey, including the German Odeon and British Columbia labels. In the 1930s there was not a single Jewish household in Turkey with a phonograph which did not possess recordings of the singer, and the non-Jewish Turks admired the cantor with the high "woman's" voice, considering him to be one of their greatest musicians.

This production contains 25 of Algazi's finest recordings, selected by Rubin and Ottens from the original double cassette and book production by Edwin Seroussi, "Mizimrat Qedem: The Life and Music of R. Isaac Algazi from Turkey" (Jerusalem: Renanot Institute for Jewish Music, 1989). The recordings, which are available for the first time on CD, have been digitally remastered by Christian Zwarg.

The accompanying text booklet contains an introductory essay on the Jewish Music Series by Rita Ottens and Joel Rubin, and explanatory notes to the life and music of R. Algazi by Edwin Seroussi of the Jewish Music Research Centre at Hebrew University.

A co-production Schott Wergo Music Media GmbH/Jewish Cultural Programming and Research GbR in cooperation with Renanot Institute for Jewish Music With the kind support of the PRO MUSICA VIVA Maria Strecker-Daelen Stiftung

Note: the US distribution of Wergo normally lags about 8 weeks behind Europe, but this is now available from www.amazon.com.

For more information on the Jewish Music Series and other publications and activities of Joel Rubin and Rita Ottens, we invite you to visit www.rubin-ottens.com.

Choral Concert in the Jewish and Christian traditions "Psalms"

The first CD produced by AMJ - the Friends of Jewish Music - is the live recording from the remarkable concert given on March 11th 2001 at the Geneva Conservatory, Switzerland.

The first CD produced by AMJ - the Friends of Jewish Music - is the live recording from the remarkable concert given on March 11th 2001 at the Geneva Conservatory, Switzerland. It brings you:

the choir of the Russian Orthodox Church, dir. A. Diakoff
the vocal ensemble "Henri Milstein", dir. H. Milstein
the "Polhymnia" choir, dir. R. Szekely

These three choirs, representing the Jewish and Christian traditions, interpret each their own repertoire, but also twice join together to perform works by Salomone Rossi. The programme includes great liturgical works from the jewish and christian traditions, and compositions from Salomone Rossi; George Malcolm; Zoltán Kodály; Bernard Reichel; Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

A deeply moving occasion, where the spirit of tolerance and spiritual communion are transmuted into music.

You can listen some tracks at www.amj.ch/WPR10313.htm The CD with 28 page illustrated booklet (french/english) can be bought for CHF 28.- or EUR 20.- or USD 20.- (mailing costs included) at www.amj.ch/AMJ-CD001e.htm

Albuquerque Academy Klezmer Camp July 8-12, 200

>Featuring internationally acclaimed tsimbalist and accordianist Josh
Horowitz, from the group Budowitz, and renowned Holocaust educator and
fiddler Cookie Segelstein, this week long class is open to anyone who can
play simple tunes on their instrument. You do not have to read music or be
familiar with Klezmer style. We encourage both solo players and existing
ensembles to participate. Class will run daily from 9 AM until noon, with
both instruction and practice time. $200.

Featuring internationally acclaimed tsimbalist and accordianist Josh Horowitz, from the group Budowitz, and renowned Holocaust educator and fiddler Cookie Segelstein, this week long class is open to anyone who can play simple tunes on their instrument. You do not have to read music or be familiar with Klezmer style. We encourage both solo players and existing ensembles to participate. Class will run daily from 9 AM until noon, with both instruction and practice time. $200.

The week will conclude with a student concert and a concert by Cookie and Josh.

This weeklong workshop could be a great start or end to a southwestern summer vacation or a vacation unto itself.

Registration begins online Saturday, March 2 at www.aa.edu/summerprograms.htm. For more information contact Danny Packer at (505) 828-3361, or packer@aa.edu.

Although we are not setting up any formal arrangements for housing, we can offer a bit of informal advice. In addition, the school has a rustic cabin, located in the foothills of the beautiful Sandia Mountains, a few minutes drive from the main campus. Call about this if you're interested.