Short concerts from celebrated Jewish musicians representing a broad range of styles, heritages, and histories
Episode 1: New Moon Rising
Release Date: June 1, 2022
New Moon Rising is trio of powerhouse female voices in Jewish music. Their original spiritual music is filled with lush, powerful harmonies interwoven with violin, mandolin, and guitar. The audio from which will be released as a debut album this summer.
Program: “The Other Side of Fear” by Elana Arian, “Dodi Li”, by Deborah Sacks Mintz, “What If” by Chava Mirel, “Sunrise Nigun”, by Deborah Sacks Mintz, and “Oseh Shalom” by Elana Arian
Episode 2: Mostly Kosher
Release Date: July 6, 2022
Mostly Kosher, the acclaimed Jewish cultural revival band radically reconstructs Judaic and American cultural music through ravenous klezmer beats and arresting Yiddish refrains.
Program: “Et Dodim” (Hebrew), “Hail to the King” (English, Ladino), “Go Away” (English), “You Slay Me” (English, Yiddish, Hebrew)
Episode 3: Neta Elkayam
Premiere Date: August 3, 2022
Neta Elkayam, world-renowned Israeli singer of North African music who connects the spirits of her Moroccan Jewish mothers to audiences around the world. With musical production by Amit Hai Cohen, the duo creates an intimate and energetic sound, melding music from the Moroccan Jewish repertoire with jazz melodies, as well as rock, pop and other contemporary influences. Presented in partnership with Jews in ALL Hues.
Program: Khal L3ayun / Black-eyed beloved (English, Judeo-Moroccan Arabic), Muhal Nensa / I will Never Forget (Judeo-Moroccan Arabic), Shitafon / Flood (Hebrew), Muima / Mommy (Judeo-Moroccan Arabic)
Click Here to see the song list with full credits, and explanations.
Episode 4: Tsvey Brider and Baymele
Release Date: September 7, 2022
Episode 4 features a collaborative performance by two groups, Tsvey Brider and Baymele. In various combinations, the two ensembles perform original, stylistically diverse compositions of Yiddish poetry in addition to music of Jewish eastern Europe. Members of the ensembles are Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell (vocals), Dmitri Gaskins (accordion, piano), Matthew Stein (violin) and Misha Khalikulov (cello).
Episode 5: Andy Statman
Release Date: November 2
Episode 5 features a performance by the grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist master of klezmer and bluegrass, Andy Statman, who is joined in this session by Jim Whitney on bass and Larry Eagle on drums. Together the trio takes viewers on a spiritual musical journey of klezmer, bluegrass, jazz and more.
A cross-country partnership between the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) on historic Independence Mall in Philadelphia, and the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music (Lowell Milken Center) in Los Angeles, generated this new online offering. Both presenting organizations are committed to inspiring in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience. This season’s episodes were filmed at The Weitzman, against the striking backdrop of Independence Hall, and in UCLA’s beautiful recording studio. Read the press release to learn more.
