Micha Gamerman - Music Video

Video of my good friend Micha, a very talented singer who just released his debut album. Recorded in Rio de janeiro, this is a spinoff of the Gummy Bear song but it's an easy wedding song hit. Also nice to see Ohad in a music video, he rarely goes for it.

Yossele Rosenblatt

Guest post by Milken Music Archives

Music researchers often point to the great voice and expansive style of Yossele Rosenblatt when explaining cantorial music's influence on American Jewish ritual and worship since the early 20^th century. Rosenblatt was recognized as one of the foremost tenors of the early 1900s, both in Europe and in America. Through his compositions, style and dedication to authentic liturgy he inspired audiences and, in doing so, helped to define Jewish liturgy in America. 

Even today, the Lowell Milken Archive, a leading force in American Jewish Music features Rosenblatt as one of the early dominant elements of American Judaism. Many of his most famous pieces, including Ram Venisa and Yevorech, are to this day extremely popular and often times heard in many synagogues around the world.

Yossele Rosenblatt had already built up a reputation as a superb Hazzan in the Ukraine, Germany, Hungary and other Eastern European Jewish centers when he immigrated to the United States in 1912. His arrival occurred during the period that millions of other Eastern European Jews were crossing the Atlantic to make new lives in America. Rosenblatt's "hazzanut" -- cantorial music -- was embraced by these Ashkanazi immigrants who were reminded of the traditional styles of worship of their homelands when they heard Rosenblatt singing.

Rosenblatt himself was strictly Orthodox and his music, as well as his personal behavior, reflected this commitment to traditional Judaism. He was a sought-after performer in many synagogues and Jewish venues though he held to the principle of never performing in a secular setting. Simple people, both Jews and non-Jews, sat together with the rich and famous for a chance to hear Rosenblatt's incredible voice which included brilliant cantillations and an ability to hit high notes at high speeds. He projected a structured, metered style which continues to influence cantors of all Jewish traditions till today. One of his best-known and most-loved techniques involved allowing his voice to break in the middle of an arrangement to convey the emotion of the piece.    

On more than one occasion Rosenblatt expressed his belief that his voice was a gift from God which Rosenblatt would use in His service.

Simcha Leiner's Video

Leiner has already a hit song - Kol Berama - and he now released a second song with the same concept. I rarely comment on individual songs, since I like to review a complete work like a CD, but both Kol Berama and this song showcase Leiner's style and good composition skills. Both songs stand out, while in the other hand the next thing to do is to get a top producer and work on a proper album. Mimamakim is not very well produced but it shows the potential of this song - add some good choir arrangements, a better instrumentation and holding back from excessive screaming he will soon be in the right track to fame. He has a great voice, great composing skills and an unusual range.

Benny Friedman’s Yesh Tikva Review

Benny Friedman’s Yesh Tikva is out and it’s easily one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Alongside Yossi Green’s 8th Note, his first album was in my opinion the best in the last 5 years, so he did raise the bar very high from the very start. The big question is if this album is as good as the first, and although I usually leave the answer to the end, the answer is no - the first was better, more groovy.

But the more important question is not whether this album is better, worse or as good as the first - the question is if the music is good. So here we go.

Yesh Tikva - Benny released not long ago the single Mi Shemaamin Lo Mefached and this song follows the same concept. It’s in Hebrew, folksy and I specially like the subtleness of the bridge in 2:22. It’s a cute song; the ending was poor. ****

Haboicher - I would rather choose this song as the album’s opener. Energetic, original and in line with Benny’s style. It’s always nice to see Spinner doing the vocals - I’m a big fan of him - and Benny nailed it with the modulation note in 2:07 and with the subsequent improvisational skills. *****

Beshem - A powerful, subtle composition, this song is what I label “alternative JM” style. I’m happy to see Benny going for it and also letting the composer sing, which adds to the song’s authenticity. Rigler’s arrangement is perfect  - actually, all is perfect until the modulation, when Benny goes for the higher octaves. I think that was the wrong decision - I would keep the mellow, low key feel of this song until the end. That’s a common problem in Jewish Music - the lack of restraint (think Eli Gerstner) and the urge to rock every song to its limit. Lipa’s Achron Choviv (Meimka DeLipa) is a rare example of a song done with the proper restraint, when Lipa did let the song shine without too much screaming. Benny overdid it here but the song is excellent. ****

Maale has a unique first part and a lot of room for improvisation; its not a blockbuster but a very pleasant and well-rounded song. I thought Benny’s vocals were fantastic here, specially in the composition’s first part. Kunstler’s acoustic guitar-centric arrangement really helped set the mood of this song. ****

Shalom Aleichem - interesting intro, with two traditional Friday-night tunes. I like this song a lot, the only throwback is the fact that MBD came out with a solid Shalom Aleichem not long ago so it’s a little difficult to give these lyrics another chance. But if you do, you will enjoy the song’s great vocals, energy and arrangement. ****

Mamleches is a very simple catchy slow song -  but I do feel like the composition reaches no real momentum; it seems to go in circles, if you know what I mean. I think that it would’ve been smart to a add a bridge niggun to create a more solid structure. As it is, the song is missing something. Musically speaking the song is well arranged, and the choir is sublime.. ****

Ivdu - a good mid tempo song, the first part is not really original however it blends well with the second part, which I’m almost 100% sure it was the part of the song composed by Benny (whoever knows the facts please speak up!), as it really sounds like his groove (the song was co-composed with Y. Eliav, who probably did the 1st part). I felt Benny could have done a better job in the vocals and I would specially point out that would be smart to switch to Mizrachi pronunciation somewhere in the middle of the song in order to change the No No play to Na Na. As it is, the No No shtick gets overused. ***

Dor Acharon is a song I don't get. I did understand what Benny was going for in the other songs, and although they are not really blockbusters it’s clear he was trying to recreate the unique sound he successfully created in his debut album. However this is a Hillel Palai-ish midtempo song like the ones that  were sung in each and every album for a few years after Yeedle’s hit song Ato Bonim- it was “in” then but now is not. So it’s like going back on time, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but the composition is very weak - I see no connection between the words and tune, and the “dor acharon” repetition doesn’t makes sense to me. Add that to very simplistic vocal arrangement and harmonies, plus the long 5 minute count and you have the full picture: this is a pointless song and should’ve never been here. *

Vahaviosim is the album’s grooviest song, a beautiful piece by Waldner, who in my opinion is today JM’s best composer after YG. This type of song showcases Benny’s strengths and is to me on par with what we heard in his first album. Freitor’s arrangement is superb, one of the best I’ve heard lately, and the vocal arrangement concept is interesting but could have been a little more subtle, and this lack of subtleness is costly in the song’s end, which is terrible. Except for the ending, this is a 5 star song. Very well done! *****

Dawn of Mashiach is a risk taking song. Very demanding for Benny, he really does his very best to bring this song to life. Although it’s not my style, the song is good and well-rounded, with special mention to Spinner’s genius vocal arrangement in 3:46 and Benny’s Matisyahu-ish freestyling - great idea. But the song drags and is too long, 5:40. *****

Berachamim is a song that was released as a free single some year and a half ago. I’m a big fan of Ari Goldwag’s slow compositions, going back to Ethan Leifer’s album which featured two of Ari’s masterpieces and Ari’s own albums - I pretty much bought all of his musical works just for his slow songs. Berchamin is a blockbuster song, from beginning to end, and Ari was smart to do it together with Benny, who brought star power vocals and transformed this song into a classic. Ari’s vocals are not bad, but with Benny this song went to the sky. I can't give enough compliments to the song's overall production, arrangements and vocals. *****

Bottom Line: Although not a home run like his debut album, Benny’s second CD is very good and with great production value. Until very recently I always had Benny and Lipa as the two strongest innovators in JM, two singers who push the envelope and try to deliver new material and originallity. Lipa is clearly ahead, at the top of his game and not afraid of doing every single idea that comes to his mind (see my review of his latest album). But Benny is also up there too and this album was worth my money.

Tablet Magazine's Article on Yossi Green

Hat tip to my good friend M.Jacobs.

One evening last month, under a ceiling visibly weighed down by a library of over 10,000 books, Yossi Green, one of the most prolific and talented composers in the world of traditional Jewish music, performed a kumzitz. Part VH1 Storytellers episode and part campfire singalong, the performance was for a 40-strong gang of jittery, somewhat inattentive 18- to 21-year-old yeshiva bochurim. Green, who speaks in the style of Don Corleone and dresses in designer shoes and glasses, played with genuine spirituality and, ever the entertainer, molded his reactions and songs to the audience’s desire for a more jaunty experience. They wanted to sing and shout, and Green obliged them.

Though you might not know it, even a cursory look at the contemporary Jewish music scene reveals Green’s comprehensive influence. He is the composer behind the stars of contemporary Orthodox music, with its ecology of popular songs, including those of Mordechai Ben David (“Anavim, Anavim ^[1],” “Rashi’s Niggun,” “Da’agah Minayin”), Avraham Fried (“Aderaba ^[2],” “Tanya,” “Yerushalayim Oro Shel Olam,” “V’Zakeini”), Yaakov Shwekey (“Ata Shomer,” “Yedid,” “Ki Hatov”), Dudu Fisher (“Akeidat Yitzchak,” “Kaddish ^[3]”), and Lipa Schmeltzer ^[4] (“Wake up Leap of Faith,” “Kaveh”). Green also works closely with many of the rising talents of the current generation, including Shloime Daskal, Shimon Craimer, Shloime Gertner, Shloime Taussig, Shragee Gestetner, and Cantor Yitzchok Meir Helfgot. His eighth album was released this summer. Green’s acolytes treat him like a visionary genius, underappreciated in the wider Jewish community.

At a time when right-wing rabbis ban large concerts—given the prominence of singers, Green’s genius is both essential to his community and imperiled. In many religious communities, music plays a central role in spiritual life. But in the Hasidic communities, music plays a more pronounced and foundational role, given the mystical and spiritualized bent of Hasidic thought. A song gives shape and voice to the innermost feelings on the whole of life. It is one of the greatest paths toward divine intimacy. In the Hasidic world, composers serve as singular creators of conduits to the divine through their music, no more so than in the niggun, a wordless, ambling, often unstructured melody that travels across souls. A niggun, in all its emotional strength, offers an unparalleled meditative opportunity to connect not only to the divine, but to the rabbi and others in the room. At times, important Hasidic rabbis will personally request a melody from Green. “The challenge to the composer at such times,” Green told me, “is to attempt to understand and access the depth and the reason beyond the request, using this as the ultimate inspiration and direction for the new composition.”

Green is also known beyond the confines of the Jewish scene. His audiences have included dignitaries, royalty, and leaders, in performance venues such as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Any attempt to place him on any larger musical map runs into numerous problems, which stem from the different roles that music is perceived to fill in a religious and a secular society. Stylistically, Green ranges freely across musical genres. He feels comfortable in styles as varied as jazz, classical, gypsy, and samba. What distinguishes Green’s vision of Jewish music from secular music is his sense of religious meaning. He finds little room for the cynicism or even the playfulness of today’s music. For Green, anything other than an outpouring of the most intimate details of his soul would stray from his vision of a higher purpose, which he finds anywhere and everywhere in the contemporary musical landscape. A proud Satmar, his ability to cherish the Beatles, or to refer to Pavarotti as “divine,” or to fawn over the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein, speaks to the overwhelming power of art on his sensitive soul. Before Green, Jewish music either entailed a rambling niggun sung by Hasidic masters, or the more classic verse and chorus of Shlomo Carlebach’s folk-infused style. Moreover, previous composers tended to rely heavily on the well-known poetry of the Psalms, rarely straying for personal lyrics or arcane sources. In this sense, Green views his music writing as both an act of Jewish learning and prayer.

In fact, the only person who belongs in the same conversation as Green is the complex figure of Shlomo Carlebach ^[5], whom Green loved and learned from in the twilight of Carlebach’s life. Green can tell Carlebach stories for hours, but perhaps the one that fully captures their relationship is one Green told only at my behest: At some point in the 1990s, Green walked into a kumzitz at a hotel in the Catskills, Carlebach honored the young composer by prophesying that in the time of the Messiah Green’s music would be used as the soundtrack to usher in the redemption.

***

The Orthodox world bears a necessarily ambivalent relationship to art and artists; the imperative that all life serve as worship of God must limit the mind and vision of an artist like Green. His work can be imagined as a potential threat to the fabric of any sort of ordered society. Singers have the ability to stoke a range of complex emotions, but they are limited in writing songs, which tend to focus on religious inspiration. Performances stay away from the garish without any hints of sensuality. Lipa Schmeltzer, who is forward-looking for a Hasidic singer, courted intense controversy for his 2008 concert at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden. His charity show, which was billed as “The Big Event,” garnered reproof from the right-wing newspaper HaModia, in an editorial signed by numerous rabbis, which included “a serious prohibition to attend or perform,” adding that it is “forbidden to hire these singers to sing at any party, celebration or charity event.” Schmeltzer canceled ^[6] the concert because of the pressure, and the Israeli charity, which finances weddings for orphans, lost $700,000.

Green is no stranger to this Orthodox love-hate relationship with music. He grew up in a strict Satmar family that barred instruments in their home and fostered a sense of fear and guilt over fire and brimstone consequences of any deviance or sin. Yet he also easily acknowledges the importance of his mother on his musical development. He described her to me as a beautiful, stately woman full of grace. “We were not wealthy at all,” he said. But somehow she “made sure that we were beautifully attired, tables were impeccably set, meals were creatively prepared and presented with flair, and our home was appointed with the nicest furnishings.” Significantly, Green recalls how his mother bought any and every record she could find. Consequently, Yossi listened to Beethoven’s Fifth and the soundtrack of Camelot, a play he knew before he could define the word musical. He felt that God implanted a homing beacon in his soul that spoke only in the language of melody.

At the age of 12, on his free Thursday nights in Borough Park, where he grew up, Green sat at a local YMHA with his long payos dancing down his head, watching neighborhood laypeople from the range of religious and nonreligious backgrounds learn Shostakovich’s famously challenging Fifth Symphony. He would steal snatches of time on a friend’s melodica, his first instrument, to play and teach himself music, creating his own idiosyncratic system of notation along the way. At the age of 17, as a yeshiva student in Manchester, United Kingdom, Green recalled hearing the first secular song to make an impact on him: Roberta Flack’s version of “Killing Me Softly,” out of the stereo of a red convertible. This moment, he said, launched Green on his composing career. His first composition, the enchanting Kol B’Ramah (“A voice is raised”) was built off Flack’s version of a soul tune.

To truly understand Green, though, you must listen to his music. Take his masterpiece, “Tanya ^[8],” for example. Written in July 1985 and popularized by Avraham Fried in 1988, this hit signifies a rare sort of experimental endeavor that represented a new direction in Jewish music. The lyrics were taken from an esoteric aggadah, a legend in Tractate Berachot that relates a somewhat unprecedented anthropomorphic—and borderline heretical—story. On the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur ^[9], at the most sacred time of the day—when the high priest enters into the holy of holies—Rabbi Yishmael, who according to rabbinic tradition was later martyred ^[10] in a horrific manner by the Romans, tells us in that innermost sanctum he spoke to God through a mysterious angel named Akatriel, literally “the crown of God.” God, in a shockingly tender personified manner, requests a blessing from Rabbi Yishmael. Without hesitation at the absurd idea of a finite human blessing the Infinite, Rabbi Yishmael blesses God that his mercy may overcome his strict sense of judgment; God nods his head in assent.

This rare Talmudic gem confounded generations of commentators, leading them to sterilize the more controversial yet humane aspects of the tale. Mystics moved the anecdote into the hazy realm of divine emanations allowing true understanding only to the initiated, while rationalists sapped the story of any of its tenderness in churning out a simplistic lesson about the virtue of a righteous life. Green resuscitated the more human component of the legend through his melody of many parts, shifting rhythms, alternating styles, and abundant use of symphonic instruments. The song begins with a trembling minor tone mimicking the fear engendered by the proximity of God’s immanence, a holy fear brought upon by the immensity of his task. From there, once Rabbi Yishmael begins his blessing, the song turns into a jaunty tune in the major key meant to convey the joy of God’s intimacy with Man. Yet, ever attuned to the fluctuations of the religious experience, Green cuts back and forth between the mood of mercy and the mood of judgment, between trembling and rejoicing, to create an experience of the tortuous path of religious life.

A lover of lyrics, Green scours the endless world of biblical and rabbinical literature to find phrases and stories that require both experiential and intellectual engagement. After he finds his lyric, Green sits at his piano crafting a melody that fits the tenor of the words. Once he creates the basic skeleton of his song, he thinks of a specific singer to deliver his melody and together they work on arrangement and execution. Though he creates a song in mere minutes, it can take up to two years to perfect his compositions.

In a sense—though the ever-optimistic Green would disagree—he finds himself in the wrong era of Jewish life. In the pre-Holocaust generation, composers held a sacred place in the hierarchy of Jewish society. Composers represented a singular connection to the deepest spiritual realm of music, one venerated by the great Hasidic rabbis, and mythologized in legends. Today, Green must often curb his prowess as a thinker, historian of music, and storyteller to fit into the mold of his culture. When asked about his inability to fully display his boundless spirit, Green explains that he no longer feels slighted by the gap between his potential and its reception. Seeking intimacy more than fame he takes pride and consolation in the few that do understand him.

Nowadays, Green cares less about the flashiness of his performances at the Metropolitan or Paris opera houses and more about a chance for connection and personal expression, from hosting a roomful of billionaire oligarchs together with Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar ^[11] to child survivors of cancer and their families. On his latest album, released ^[12] in August, titled Shades of Green III: Hartzik, Green now sees himself as a chosen and blessed conduit to the beauty of the divine song that permeates the world.

When I visited with Green recently, he stayed up past 1 in the morning, showing no signs of flagging, alternating back and forth between the piano and a stool against the wall, talking about music and Judaism. “One need only remove ego out of the equation,” he said, sagely, right before we parted, “to tune in to the divine muse.”

Lipa's Leap of Faith Review

To my great surprise, more and more JM albums continue to find their way into Spotify and Lipa’s latest Leap of Faith is up there now, so I have no excuse not to write a review now. The big downside is not having access to the album artwork, which means I can’t really know all the details about the composers, arrangers and all.

Chatzotrois - Not really groundbreaking, this song is pretty much a conventional and sounds a little familiar, probably because of the trumpet-filled arrangements a la Yisroel Lamm. The song does get more interesting after 3:00 thanks to Lipa’s great improvisational skills but the song itself is average and much too long. ***

L’Olam - this is probably the first JM song to use Portuguese and Dutch in its lyrics - tudo bom? tudo bem? - meaning all good? all well? (yes I speak Portuguese). This is one of Lipa’s signature lighthearted songs and although I have not much to speak about in terms of musicality, I do appreciate the risk taking and his efforts to make this structure-less song work. Reminiscent of Shlomo Simcha’s multi-language song (forgot the name) with even more languages.****

Yigdal - Beautiful Yeshivish song, just enough interesting to stand out and be memorable. The first and second parts mesh well, and the choir arrangements are subtle, smart and add a lot here. The actual arrangement is rather boring and could be more interesting - again it sometimes brings us back to Moshe Laufer-ism but all in all this is a solid slow song. However the song could stop at 5:00, sparing us the last minute of boring piano solo. ****

Kvodo - Best song so far, from beginning to the end this song is complex both in the vocals and arrangement. The choir is perfect, again subtle and smart as it should be, enabling Lipa to interpret this song marvelously. This is Lipa at his best and the lyrics choice is ngood too. *****

Vayehi quickly topples Kvodo as the best song so far, a song that is musically groundbreaking with a lot of dissonant notes and a package of perfect arrangement, choir and interpretation by Lipa. He is somehow equally comfortable singing a slow Yeshivish, a funky feel good song and an unusual composition like this one - great versatility. This song reminds me of Yossi Green’s chant song in his last album Hipsh (review here). Special mention to the falsetto at 3:40 and on, which closes the song well. *****

Hang up the Phone should be viewed in Youtube, where the video has a staggering 150,000 views so far.

For this song Lipa has been called the Jewish Lady Gaga in the web, among other comparisons, and nothing describes this song better than Jewish Pop, something we rarely see out there. This song normally would get many Cherem’s but after the Big Event fiasco, Lipa seems to be vaccinated and ready to explore his musical instinct. For the whole package and for the Chassidish twist at 2:40 this is a 5 star song. *****

Vedabkeinu stands in stark contrast with the previous song with its distinctive Chassidish feel. Almost like saying “don’t kill me for Hang up the Phone, here is a normal song”. Bottom line, not really anything special here. **

Yeled Katan - unusual to see a Chassidish guy like Lipa singing a Hebrew song a la Yishai Lapidot. Lipa is all over the place! 4:10 is a really good moment of Lipa, a great vocal shtick but this song seems to mimic Aleh Katan of A. Fried, without the same success.

Leap of Faith - great song name, this falls into the typical Lipa Yiddish song, a genre that is not really my cup of tea. **

Rochel - boring slow song, with a theme that was explored so many times by the likes of Shwekey (journeys), Shloimy Gertner (rochel), London Boys Choir and others. **

Mizrach - another song which should be viewed in Youtube (here). Great concept, very catchy song and a well crafted video. Bingo. Special mention to the Michael Jackson-ish “Ah” sung between Mizrach/Maarev etc..*****

Shul - Didn’t really get the point of this song *

Clearly Lipa’s music continues to develop his skills and grow musically. He is popular, cool and his music is distinctive and innovative. And even more important, he doesn’t seems to be afraid of the skeptists and the Kanoim who find modern music an abomination. He is a risk-taker and if you know me I always say this is the single most important attribute in a performer. This album is as good or better than Meimka DeLipa, with very solid 11 songs and virtually no “fillers”, those pointless songs most singers fill theirs albums with to get to the holy 10 song mark.  Even though I heard it for free in Spotify I will buy a copy soon. Why? Because I want to own this album. It’s really good.

Lipa's New Video

Without any doubt, Lipa today is what's really cooking in Jewish Music. He is cool, original and fearless and as seen in this video, that's a powerful combination. Lipa broke out from the Yiddish-speaking niche a long time ago and today he goes out of this way to appeal to everyone everywhere, with a much bigger reach than the previous heavyweights, namely, MBD Dedi Shwekey and A Fried.

Yishai Lapidot used to always be the crazy guy in the block and still remains very popular specially in Israel but Lipa is more exotic and possibly crazier, with a potential to literary be the biggest thing in JM in the past decade - and it looks like he is not far from that now.

I will be reviewing his latest album sometime soon so stay tuned.

Lipa's Hang Up the Phone Video

I will be the first one to admit I was late getting to Lipa's boat, but every year that passes it becomes clear how big of an impact he's having in Jewish Music and how that has propelled him to become the #1 singer today.

While his music is too pop for my taste and, for the most part, not really singable, he's undeniably extremely original and not afraid of breaking new ground in music. This video is a great example, with a clear Lady Gaga feel to it but still original, somewhat heismish, and stylistically cool.

That's very rare in JM; actually, almost non existent. MBD, A. Fried and Shwekey always stayed away from this commercialism which is so present in Lipa's career, but people seem to appreciate it and follow Lipa's every next move. While Shwekey has become boring, Lipa has managed to bring a fresh air of creativity and coolness to our ears (and eyes). Litvish boringness vs. Chassidic heimishkeit. Granted, both Shwekey and Lipa have a very strong following but Lipa is clearly more original and more musical, often times composing very unique songs and also performing the way he did in this video. It's the first time I've seen this kind of dancing in JM and it comes in a good time - kudos.

I never did a review of Meimka DeLipa, but that's an album that I'm listening a lot lately. While I still think his Yiddish songs are too niche-focused and take away from his appeal, I fully appreciate his boldness and musical talent, which is evident in this album. He's not afraid of using unusual, dissonant, scales and he is very into building a story for every song. Almost every song has a beginning, middle and end - remarkable. My favorite is the rock song Mizmor Letoda, a true masterpiece he composed by himself.

Spotify and Jewish Music

Now available in the US for a few months already, the much hyped Spotify music platform offers what is the very best Jewish Music subscription out there now.

Spotify has a freemium model - you can actually listen everything for free but for 10usd a month you have mobile access and no ads. I opted in without knowing that there was such a large selection of JM in it - really surprising.

You can find there A. Fried, Ohad, MBD, Gad Elbaz, Chaim Israel, Shlsheles, Chevra, Carlebach and even some lesser known singers like Gershon Veroba, Menachem Phillip and many more.

Notable exceptions I noted were Yaakov Shwekey and Lipa but I'm that will not be for long.

All in all, the ease of use of Spotify plus all the JM content is irresistible - you can use it in your PC, iPad, iPhone and Android.

For many years it seemed like Jewish Music would eventually have to succumb to the iTunes model, although the JM producers did their best to prevent that. But now it's clear to me that the real game changer is Spotify, with its cool social-sharing featuers where you can share your playlists with your facebook friends.

MBD's Kisufim Review

Yes it has been a while since my last review. But MBD's last album is a great excuse to write again, and I went ahead and downloaded the album from Mostlymusic's website, the first time I used their service. By the way, their website is working well and the process of buying was easy although I would suggest a Facebook Connect option as I hate signing up for anything these days (disclaimer: I have no connection to Mostlymusic and I payed for the album from my pocket)

To the album: it is MBD's last album and I deep inside don't want to be harsh on him and I do hope it's a good one.

The first two songs, Shalom Aleichem and Menucha have a lot in common, for the good and for the bad. Both songs have a "folkish" sound, have pleasant but forgettable arrangements, have Zemiros lyrics and are not really melodical. I would not put these two songs back to back as he has done here but I believe it does sets the tone and it shows what MBD is aiming for - authenticity. They remind me very much of MBD's Kumzitz Album which had this same concept and was very succesfull. These two songs don't have the same impact because they are not hits and are rather forgetable but at least it was well produced and it did set a very specific mood from the start. ***

Al Kein is a sad slow song that has a weak first part but that gains momentum in the second part, which doesn't follow the traditional "low first part/ high second part" setting that we know so well. The arrangement and adult vocals are as good as the first two songs but those who know me know how much I dislike these child solos. I do like soft child solos like in 4:55 and onwards but the child solos before that were unnecessary and in my opinion are counterproductive, specially in a sad song like this one. ****

Shomrei is a great composition from Rav Kalish that has a great arrangements, both instrumental and vocal. Here I don't mind the children singing - it fits in the mood of this song - and this unpretentious song is reminiscent from the songs introduced by MBD in Efshar Letaken, like Gevald for instance. *****

Hazkiri is the second slow song of this album and although the first part is ok, the second is really weak. The song is well arranged but otherwise unnapetizing. Wondering what caught MBD's attention here. **

Tzemach tzemach is a simple, refreshing niggun that is perhaps one of the strongest pieces of this album. It's a kumzits song that was very well arranged and all vocals are well balanced and pleasent to listen. Not a hit but this song is about pure relaxation. ****

Anim zemiros is reportedly a song from the Rebbe but honestly never heard it before. It's a nice composition and i specially like how the words in the second part don't particurarily fit well in the bars - it makes the song unique and differrent. Nice ending too, with a sweet falsetto from MBD. *****

The Chabad niggun is nice and very "traditional" but we had that covered with the tzemach tzedek niggun. I think it's positive to have one niggun in an album but two is just too much Dragging the album to the boring side ***

Hashiveini has unnoriginal lyrics and the compositon is very weak, so MBD needed some magic to make this song fly. Mission not accomplished and this song is an unnecessary "filler" in MBD's farewell album *

Nichsefo is the typical Moshe laufer song - Midtempo, easy to sing and not particularily original. But it's fun and interestingly, not arranged by laufer. I guess they wanted to maintain the folk feel that we have throughout the album, something laufer would probably not do if he were to be the arranger. ***

Kisufim is a yiddish song composed by mbd himself with Lipa lyrics. The tune is actually ok but it has no climax, leaving us with the feeling that something is missing. I guess it's more about the words....***

Simchas toireh - see Chabad niggun comment above. By now it's pretty clear MBD is going to a strange direction here. Nothing wrong with the niggun but it's just flatly boring and not only this adds nothing to the album, it actually takes a lot away from it. And the arrangement here is below the quality of the rest of the album. *

Ani maamin. Worst possible choice of lyrics, unnecessary child soloist and nothing new.
Yibone. Actually a great classic i did not mind to hear again. But what's the point of squeezing two distinct songs in one track?

Impecably arranged by M. Hershkovitz, Ashreini is another song composed by MBD and it features among the best in the album. I wish we would have more of those.

Bottom line, do I like this album? I prefer to put it like this - I don't dislike it. The arrangements are simple and groovy, with a common theme: strings, more strings and a great choir. As a result, Kisufim does have a very unique sound but the problem is not the production. I think MBD played too safe and tried to say goodbye with a Kumzits album that is not as good as the Kumzits album. The album lacks innovation and courage, two things that that every album should have and that could have made this album a masterpiece. That's why I didn't like this album too much. Efshar letaken was much better.

With that said, my big kudos for MBD for giving us so many great moments throughout his remarkable Jewish music career.

Continue or not to Continue

Even tough I'm pretty much retiring from this blog, it keeps getting very good traffic without any effort from my part.

I'm spending all my blogging time in my Safrut blog but this one continues to keep steam somehow.

As much as I like to review and comment about the Jewish Music scene, I'm unsure there's still a need for it today. So I pretty much get discouraged to spend time writing, listening and buying the latest JM gear.

Which leads me to the big q' - to continue or not to continue?

Ohad 3 Review + Video Songs

I've been wondering if I should review Ohad 3 or not... The album is out already for quite some time - perhaps I should review something else.
Meanwhile, I've come across two videos:

I've heard Shwekey's brother a few times but he seems more rounded this time; he evidently took voice coaching classes and he sounds better now. The song is quite weak, forgetable although the lyrics are sung in a different way than the usual Mi Adir. He starts with the last part and if not for this lyrics change I wouldn't even bother to watch it - I don't listen to Mi Von Siach/Mi Adir songs anymore. Got sick of them.

Which brings me to another Music Video, this time by Yossi Green.
 The contrast is evident - the lyrics. Yossi Green can spend months until he finds the right lyrics for a song, and he ultimatedly did find a great set of lyrics for this song. The lyrics alone propel this song to another level and YG knows how to play with the lyrics and interpret them. But I'm afraid he is alone; most of the songs I hear are still old lyrics battered again and again. Mi Adir/Mi Von Siach and Halach Hagoel are perhaps the most overused lyrics, and even Ohad 3 unfortunatedly had a Mi Von Siach - a waste of time in an otherwise interesting album.
The tune is interesting, changing the tempo very smoothly between the second and third part of the song, and the vocals are very good - first time I hear these fellows. YG has mastered the composition process like no other JM composer in the past decades, a real blessing for JM fans.
And unlike Yosef Chai's video, this video is novel - it is a real story. Somebody comissioned YG to compose a song for his Bar Mitzva son and the video illustrates the process. That's new, original and fresh.

jpost: iTunes categorizes Jewish music as ‘Christian & Gospel'

By MICHAEL FREUND 18/09/2011 Apple's online music store does not have a separate category for Jewish and hassidic melodies.   Apple Inc.’s popular online digital media outlet iTunes classifies many of the most well-known Jewish performers and their albums as “Christian & Gospel” material and does not have a separate category for Jewish melodies, The Jerusalem Post has found. Albums by Avraham Fried, an Orthodox Jew, with titles such as Yiddish Gems Volumes 1 & 2, My Fellow Jew and The Baal Shem Tov’s Song all appear under the “Christian & Gospel” category. Other songs of his appear under the heading “World.” Similarly, Mordechai Ben- David’s collections Just One Shabbos and Yerushalayim Our Home, as well as songs such as “Yom Tov Medley,” are all listed as “Christian.” And the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s album Shaarei Shabbat – Songs and Blessings for your Jewish home” which includes the song “Am Yisrael Chai” (“the People of Israel live”), is included in the Christian category. Music for Jewish children and cantorial works by Joseph Malovany of Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Synagogue are also not exempt from Apple’s unusual classification system, which deems them to be Christian. Contacted by the Post, Fried expressed astonishment. “Why would they put Jewish and Hassidic music under the ‘Christian and Gospel’ category? It makes no sense,” he said. “I don’t understand where they are coming from and what the point is of doing this,” Fried said. “I would hate to think this is an attempt to bury Jewish music under a Christian or Gospel label.” Repeated requests for comment to Apple’s corporate headquarters in California and its UK branch went unanswered. Fried said Apple should change its policy and create a Jewish grouping. “It is time to have Jewish and Hassidic music stand on its own,” he declared. “It should have its own category and be called by its right name – Jewish music.” Apple’s iTunes is said to be the largest online music and video vendor in the world. In February 2010, the company announced that more than 10 billion songs had been purchased and downloaded from the site since its inception in 2003.

Review of Shades of Green 2

If there's one genre of album I never buy, that is what I call "Chazora Albums". Falling in this category is a plethora of wedding albums, remix albums, project next albums that are easy and cheap to produce. I don't buy those because there's nothing new there - it's basically a double charge for songs you have paid for already.

Shades of Green series is a notable exception. First, it has YG's production standard, which is far higher than the average album out there. But more importantly, it's a testament to Yossi Green's remarkable career, coming straight from him.

Shades of Green 1 was good, I would say 6 on 10. There wasn't much new in the songs and it was just plain "Chazora Album" albeit with a very good production.

This time it's different. The production in #2 is somewhat more sophisticated and it enables Yossi to innovate more than before. Almost every song has a cool shtick, featuring Yossi Green's interpretation of his own hits - instead of a tired review of his songs we have totally new versions of his hits.

Shades of Latin - interestingly, YG decides to tweak his iconic Sephardi-style song into a latin sound. It's a nice try but I think the song loses all it's identity with this tweak and it becomes a weak latin song. Ohad's Gedola Shiro is also an unlikely candidate for a latin song but it worked better, and as usual, YG shows off his exceptional harmony skills with a dissonant note at 4:00. Novel and cool. ***

Shades of Motown - Hu Iftach is not among Yossi best hits and I wouldn't have chosen it for this album. It doesn't blend in the Motown style at all. Happy Days does, but overall there's little innovation in this shade. **

Shades of Dance - that's where the album changes gear. The arrangement is clearly Shai Bachar (I think) and the two songs are perfect for this Dance theme - no tweak this time. But although the songs are well done, Yossi has little room to innovate here, as the original songs had pretty much the same vibe and even more energy, thanks to Gertner and Wald's superb vocals. ***

Shades of Hipsh - the funky arrangement gives YG room for shticks - I love the one in 1:30 and 4:20. Nice concept. ****

Shades of Rock - The arrangement, I believe from Lamm, is weak. It's the traditional JM rock beat, the one we have heard countless times in the past decades and that's a dated kind of rock. Trumpets, saxophone should have no place there and I wish Yossi would dare to turn this into a heavier rock song. *

Shades of Baroque - Chesed VeEmet is probably one of YG's most relaxing and sweet songs, and Yossi brings the song to the next level with clever arpeggio vocal arrangements. Tzomo, if my memory serves me well was released by Yossi Rose in his first album (which didn't sell well but was quite good). I don't rank it among Yossi's greatest hits but it's ok. Lamm's arrangement is again weak, specially towards the end of the song, but YG carries the song well and smartly.***

Shades of Debka - great shade, showcasing YG's aptitude for middle-eastern songs. I wouldn't have used flutes and clarinets in the arrangement - why not keep it Arabic style? The vocal arrangements are very smart and cool, this is one of the best segments of the album. I wish that Yemenite rabbi from the 8th Note would be back here for a special appearance. ****

Shades of Blue - clever intro, tweaking Wald's original song. This Ani Maamin is from YG's most powerful songs and I'm happy he went for some solos opposed to using his choir the whole time. The arrangements has little from blues, and this song in general is not blues. But the second song is interesting, coming from Nissan's album. Few people bought Nissan's album but this song is a gem, and I always wondered why Nissan didn't succeed. YG makes this song really special, even better than the original and makes justice to this dark-horse song. Very strong shade *****

Shades of Soul - soul? If that's what they were shooting for, it failed. **

Shades of Chant - This is the album's best moment, a truly revolutionary Shade. From beginning the end, this shade is legendary, turning two of YG's most tired songs into some sort of byzantine chorus songs. This time the execution of this shade was flawless, and YG sounds better than ever in the chorus parts. This is the direction I keep wishing JM will go, and credit must be given to the arranger - it's not Lamm and it doesn't sounds Shai but it could be him. Everything in this song works, it's the complete package and that alone was worth the 25 dollars I was charged for this album (yes, I overpaid). ***** plus

Shades of Yiddish - ***

Shades of Accapella - interesting premise as we rarely see YG venturing into accapella and it was smart to bring more voices, I was afraid YG would do a Eli Gerstner shtick of one man acapella work. The arrangement by Mo Kiss is very good, but the AKAPella soloist in Min Hameitzar does not nail the song, lacking Shlomo Simcha's power that we saw in the original. Even YG's solo sounded better than the other soloists, so that is a letdown. If you ignore the soloists, the song is well built and I love how YG comes out in this setting, specially in the unusual modulation in 4:15 - I loved it ****

Shades of March - I don't know this march.. not a fan of it. Not memorable, not as creative as YGs usual compositions. The English song is cute **

Always on Call - quite a surprise! Nice vocals, nice song and nice cause.

Shades of Green 2 is better than 1. There's still lots of room for improving and I would dare more with the arrangements next time. And I would make it more 8th Note-ish - why not bring guest singers for every song, a la Gideon Levine? I would still keep YG's vocals as this is about his legacy but one bar here and there could be sung by guest singers. Nice album; special mention to Shades of Chant - wow!

Pessach Video

It seems like people feel like we need new shtick videos every Chag these days. While some are definitely interesting and creative, others like this one fall sort. He can actually sing and has a pretty sold voice, but why mix Sole Mio and Pessach? Corny.

A Jewish Star Videos and more

Video: performers




Video:
Interviews with judges and contestants


So... A Jewish Star is over and a day later we know who won - Piamenta Jr - with a very energetic performance. Did he deserve it? Looking at all the performances, this was the only listenable piece. The rest was subpar, very very weak and mostly off tuned.

What is clear is that well produced auditions masked the real voices of the auditioners. They are all at best average voices, and that's already a compliment. Next time the auditions should be voice only. Let's be real.

In a more positive note, this edition showed that anyone, ANYONE, could have been standing there. Yes, you also. Maybe that will encourage more people to submit videos.

The lack of interactiveness hurt this a lot, since only the people who attended te show were actually part of it. The unfortunate souls who couldn't make it had no connection to it until today. Didn't anybody think of making a live feed over the web?

In any case, shkoiach to Piamenta Jr who did feel confortable in stage much like Binyamin Moshe last year. We already have a pattern of Israelis doing well in the contest and that's no surpirse - Israeli Jewish Music is far more interesting the mainstream today. Israeli seem to have more chutzpa to do their thing without being afraid of standing out. That's great for music.

The Finalists are here - A Jewish Star

A Jewish Star Season Two - Finalists from COLlive.com on Vimeo.

Well, many surprises made into the next stage and many very talented contestants were left behind, but it is what it is.

The more edgy contestants are Weinstein and Menkes, but it's interesting to note that neither of the two have special voices - their strength is in their original compositions. And that's ok.

Now I can't understand how Hillel Braun and Piamenta made it through. It will probably remain as the mystery of this century.

In any case, A. Fried was as always on the ball and consistent, albeit less aggressive than last year; Peillin does have value as a judge as he knows what to look for in a performer. However Eli G was surprisingly popcorn-ish, very superficial and way too afraid to say anything undiplomatic. Is he the Paula Abdul of this show? He has the experience and pedigree to be there but I really hope he steps up his game in the live show.

All in all, this show is very lukewarm and I hereby call again for a different formula for next year. Let the judges choose and then the public. The current formula forced the judges against the wall, as they have no say in who will be the top 10 and they could only bend their head's down and agree.

The judges should be more in the spotlight! The video above was OK but far from being a immersive entertainment section. If done it correctly, this show has the potential to be a blockbuster.

A Jewish Star vs American Idol

A Jewish Star will soon move to the next stage, and VIN released a list of the more popular contestants.

As the show moves on, one thing is clear - the voting system is tricky. Why? let's first look at American Idol's system, which was the inspiration for this show. In American Idol, a panel of unknown judges judge hundreds of thousands of contestants around the US, choosing the more interesting auditions. This always includes bad contestants, who will be later be made fun of. But aside from these, the contestants who pass have good voices. In the next stage, they appear in front of a panel of star judges, like Steven Tyler and J. Lopez this year, who will choose the ones they approve. Only in the next stage - stage 3 - the public kicks in to pick their favorites.

A Jewish Star's format is very different - the "public", that is, registered voters, solely decide who will pass to stage 2. Some commenters have raised valid questions:

anonymous says:

January 21, 2011 at 12:17 AM

Just because these guys have lots of friends to vote for them, doesn’t make them a good singer! They should be judged by their voice and talent (by the 3 judges), not by the amount of votes they got because they are popular. This is not supposed to be a popularity contest! There are others who should to be on this list and some on this list that shouldn’t!!! I hope others agree with me!

Reply

• lets be real says:

  January 21, 2011 at 3:55 PM

  I agree, the judges should choose the top ten.

I partly agree with Anon. I would put it differently - why do you need the panel of judges of the public will be choosing who will pass? However, the public should be involved as this is the secret of American Idol's success. So who should decide - public or judges?

I think that it should be more like American Idol - the top ten should be chosen be the panel of experts and only in the next stage the public would pick their favorites. The current voting system leaves an open door to weak contestants who can find a way to arrange backing from the voting "public".

I would like to stress that I was from the early enthusiasts of this show and I still think it's a great idea. But there's room for improvement and I believe my criticism is constructive. A few golden contestants were left out and with this other system I think they would have very good chances of going to stage 2.

Eli Gerstner and Aidelkeit

From ajewishstar.com:

"When asked what qualities he looks for when he auditions choir members, Gerstner said: “Good voice, stage presence and the most important factor – aidelkeit.”

“A child who performs must be a Baal Midos. It won’t work any other way. People don’t want to see a boy with an ego. The ego comes through in the voice.”

So a good voice is not all?

“Exactly. We turn down so many kids who try out for YBC who have amazing voices but lack in Aidelkeit. Take Avrohom Fried, for example, he has an amazing stage presence without the ego. And look where he is…”"

I am an early Gerstner fan who jumped off the boat when he started his child choir career path. Until then I bought every single CD he produced, the good ones and the weaker ones. Overall, I liked his music and contribution to Jewish Music. With that said, I was a little confused by the interview above. He signaled the importance of Aidelkeit for the audiences when speaking about boys choir but brought an example from Avraham Fried's way of being.

But if Eli subscribes to the importance of Aidelkeit as seen in Avraham Fried, why doesn't the same standard applies to adult performers (Chevra is not exactly in the Aidelkeit field)? Should they all be "aidel" as well or the argument only goes as far as child choirs are concerned?

Well I believe ego is most often good for music. It's hard to define what kind of ego Eli is talking about, but in adult soloists, I like when they have personality as it adds flavor to their compositions and public performances. Take Lipa, Dedi, Yishai Lapidot, Adi Ran - all them have positive "egos" which make them extremely entertaining. After all, that's what singers are - entertainers. Avraham Fried is also an entertainer but with a whole different, most subdued, no-ego, style. And that's also appealing to many.

Now take child soloist. Eli says he will refuse the very best soloist just because he has ego; or if I understand him correctly, just because he has a strong personality. Why? Because there's a code which was created in the Children's Choir world - they should look all the same, sing all the same and smile at all times. And be aidel.

Doesn't that sound funny to you? Boys Choir are not entertaining; the are just cute (to some). That explains why Eli refuses egos - they stand out from the cute standard. Even if they have the best voice ever.

That goes out to prove that when it comes to Boys Choir, music comes in second place. First is about fitting in the stereotype. With this kind of backstage, it's no surprise that no good music comes from there. It's an institutionally flawed system. Kids are not meant to entertainers. Adults are. Lipas are. Dedis are. Children are not; they are just cute.

A Jewish Star: The Fourth Judge's Impressions - Part 2

We clearly have many more contestants this year and this has impacted the show a lot. The biggest challenge now is not only sing a song well but to find a way to stand out from the others. This requires a good voice, obviously, but it's as important to choose the right song. And even when you choose the right song you should make it special and different. In light of this contestants like Baruch Naftel, Elie Norovitz and even Gershon Shapiro did a pretty good job but this year I don't think it will be enough - there's too many people. And it's all about standing out. Avrami Cohen is a great example of a smart audition. I'm happy we are going this way as this will make the competition more.. err.. competitive.

But the best so far is Mendel the Shoichet - I can't forget that one. Here are the latest:

Avrami Cohen - Very original audition, with a jazzed up version of YG's Beshoo. He is Kol Zimra-ish and I think will go through. *

Benny Gammerman - Another innovative audition that stood up from the rest. Like Mendy Sheichet, Benny is back and stronger and both seem ahead of Gershon from last year's contestants. The song is pretty much from the Israeli JM camp and it's fresh and groovy, not to mention the interesting lyrics. I think eventually JM will have more and more of these kind of lyrics (Shuli Rand is one of the pioneers) and I hope this audition gets the green light.*

Elie Norovitz - I think it wasn't a good song choice for him - the first part was way too low and it eclipsed the rest of the tune, which did have good moments and good notes.

Motti Hershkovitz - good voice, this audition was quite good. I like him but, again, I don't know if he managed to stand out enough. Reminds me of Yeedle a bit.

Daniel Joshua Gerlich - this guy will polarize opinions around him. This kind of auditions will raise eyebrows for virtually all US listeners but will surely have a following in Israel. The dragged singing is perhaps a little exaggerated but overall this song has character. Does he look a bit crazy? Yes. But the crazy singers can be the best. Think Lipa, Adi Ran - the crazier the less they care about the standards and the more original they are. I don't think he will pass because he doesn't fits in the Avraham Fried/Gerstner music world but I'm very happy to see him compete.

Tzvi Russel - it's a good example of the danger of being too much into your own song. Took a big risk by singing his own song and considering that this song is bad, he had no chance from the very start.

Ilan Eckhart - sings a beautiful song from Six13, a band I follow closely. Good voice, lots of potential, but is this the kind of guy Fried/Gerstner will appreciate and pass? Don't think so.

Edan Hanouka - slightly better than Flusberg. Couldn't watch till the end.

Motty Reizes - what caught my attention was the composition. The song is far from perfect but it has some interesting shticks and I think Motty has potential to be a composer.

Mordechai Levovitz - seems to be a pro singer - can these compete?

Marcos Askenazi - he is on ajewishstar's channel on youtube but is not on the site. Is he in or not? Confusing. One of the better auditions - great interpretation, vocals and musicality. If he is competing, I would place him as a favorite. *

A Jewish Star: The Fourth Judge's Impressions

Last year I was afraid none of the judges would dare to give honest opinions - bad or good - about the contestants so I wrote a long post with blunt assessments of each and every A Jewish Star contestant. I turned out to be wrong as Avraham Fried took the post of the Simon in the show and was even more confrontational then me - kudos to him and I hope he keeps the same mindset this year. Anyways, in case you liked what I had to say lasy year, here are my comments about this year's contestants. I marked my favorites with a *.

Just a note - I just bought Binyamin Moshe's song in a Jewish Star's site and it simply rocks - the song, the vocals, the choir and the arrangement. Just for that A Jewish Star was a success, as it really produced a great star.

Another note - I will not comment on the Jr contestants. I'm against the Jr competition because it can expose the kids to embarrassing situations that will be forever public on the web. Adults are free to do whatever they want, and if some decide to make a fool of themselves online, hey, that's their life. But kids? This is a result of the Children Boys Choir craze that is so poignant in Jewish Music, unfortunately.

Ratzon Gholian - he does reach very high but I always say: it's not about reaching high, it's about how you reach the notes. And his high notes are too thin, shaky and strident. Shwekeyism, and that's a very annoying ism.

David Ackney - I love this video. The Simple setting allows David's tune and voice to stand from the crowd. The interplay of "Na" is smart (although already explored by Yossi Green in his composition to Kol Achai) and it fits well in this Breslov atmosphere - it was just missing the Na Na Nachman! *

Natie Grossnass - the Brits are so verbose! What I like about this one is that this is exactly what an audition should be - just sing a little of what you like and let the judges decide if you are good. This year pretty much everyone decided to follow the steps of last year's winner and come up with an original song in the audition. They should do like Natie, who did it simple but perhaps just enough to go through. Go cousin! *

Baruch Naftel - Nice "open door" into idea, and professional recording. He was on tune throughout the song, and clearly had a good time making this video. Also some funny moments thanks to the scarf throw and the "dorm mess" snap at 4:40. He needs voice coaching - his singing is still too raw but I do see potential in him, with the condition that he stops trying to copy Shwekey's shticks!

Aron Holder - right from the start you hear that he has a very distinctive low voice. I think a voice like his will do good to the finals. *

Yaakov Flusberg - DOA

Hillel Kapnik - he recorded this video in the same place as Boruch Naftel, which leads me to speculate that he was the guy in shorts in Naftel's vid, but going to the point - great composition! It has great potential for harmonies and with a professional producer this song could actually fly. His voice didn't stand out much but he didn't compromise the song and came out good. Weird wink at the end ... whatever. *

Menachem Weinstein - Menachemyahu? Matisyahu is clearly his inspiration and rap is his genre - nothing wrong with that. I like the song a lot, and he really did well with nice vocals, harmonies and arrangement. He will go through, although I'm curious to see if A. Fried will nod to a rapper in this show!

Mendel Markel - back from season1, Mendel gives another shot for his Jewish Star bid. Hands down, the best audition this year; both the vocals and tune were exceptional. And to achieve that with a simple setting - couch, guitar and no auto-tune - wow! *

Yehuda Tenenbaum - No singing technique, weird diction and very many off tune moments. Will not pass.

Ezra Lejbik - very over-the-top, kvetchy and terribly off tempo. I do like his voice, but he needs a lot of framing.

Shmuel Plotke - I liked the originality of the video - it was a cool setting. That's what's good about it.

Zalman Levy - this was interesting. I see a good potential in him, specially as a lyricist. Good English lyrics are a rarity in JM and from the start he is better than most lyricist out there. The question is if this will be enough to captivate the judges.

Aron Behamou - ok the video wasn't mixed properly but I like the song - it's different, original and complex. His vocals are a bit sloppy but I think it's part of the charm of this song. I really wish he will pass. But it will be a long flight to the show! * (the dark horse)

David Hershkovitz - clearly very into the song, but still an amateur. Maybe next year he will be more ripe.

Shmuel Morgenstern - related to Shalom Morgenstern? Wow, it has been years since I heard from him - I was actually one of the few who bought this under-the-radar Yossi Green CD. It would interesting to have a Chassidich guy in the show but I don't think he stood out.

Gershon Shapiro - this video was very well done, specially the video mixing. Gershon put a lot of effort in this video, however I still don't see his vocals standing out. But the song was original, the video was top-quality, so he might very well go ahead this time.

Abraham Cooper - very heimish atmosphere with the fireplace and banjo, but the composition is below par... sorry.

Nachas Baldinger - he seems to be a pro singer, so I don't know how this falls with A Jewish Star's rules. But his vocals are good and even if he doesn't go through this is smart advertisement. Is that Newmark in the keyboard?

Dan Dabbah - the video was so bad that it almost neutralizes what's good about him. Good voice but no stage presence; I don't think that is the profile for a show like this but, hey, his vocals are good.

Shimon Atlas - Great Avrumie Flam song and good vocals. But it's weird to submit a wedding video.