Between Heaven And Earth: Music Of The Jewish Mystics

Andy Statman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 21, 1997)
• Original Release Date: 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Shanachie
• ASIN: B000000E41
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,939 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #79 in Music > Folk > Jewish & Yiddish Music
  • #86 in Music > World Music > Middle East > General
  • #86 in Music > World Music > Middle East > General AAS

Track Listings

1. Maggid

2. You Were Revealed

3. Adir

4. Chassidic Waltz

5. Yonah

6. Reb Nachman's Deveykus Niggun

7. Purim

8. Tzamah Nafshi

9. If Not For...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing change of pace, August 30, 2000

By 

Rabbi Yonassan Gershom (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Between Heaven And Earth: Music Of The Jewish Mystics (Audio CD)

Most albums of Hasidic music tend to focus on the rapidly-paced "table bangers" designed to get your adrenaline going. Not so with this album. Statman and crew have chosen some of the slower, more contemplative Hasidic tunes, and rendered them in a soul-filled cross between klezmer and modern jazz. The result is meditative Jewish music that is definitely not the usual "new age" pablum.

In their original cultural context, these tunes are sung orally, usually without instrumental accompaniment, because the use of instruments is forbidden on the Sabbath and festivals. Instead, the singers sit around the table, using their voices to improvise complex harmonies and variations on the basic tunes. Sometimes the tunes have words, but more often, they are made up of meaningless sounds such as "ai-ai-ai!" that, precisely because they are wordless, can contain all possible meanings of the heart. The result is a sort of verbal jazz that reaches deep levels of the soul.

Such music is known in Hebrew as a "devekus niggun" (D'VAY-kuss-NEE-gun), which means, loosely translated, "A sacred tune for connecting with God." What Statman has done here is to translate that oral devekus experience into instrumental music. And it really works! As I listened to this album, I was carried back to my own deepest experiences around the Shabbos table. There are only nine pieces on this CD, but each is long enough to really get into the music, the same as when we sing them around the table. This album truly conveys the inner spirit of Hasidism.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Soul!, March 6, 2000

By 

L.J. Lietaert Peerbolte (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Between Heaven And Earth: Music Of The Jewish Mystics (Audio CD)

This album is really a favourite of mine. No easy listening, no swinging. It's full of subtle and spectacular ensemble music. Statman's clarinet reaches out to unknown heights and the combination of styles is really moving. Improvising on well-known Hassidic themes, Statman and his musical friends create a new genre: mystical music with body and Soul! Unlike so-called 'New Age-music', that usually lacks any depth, this album combines the old with the new.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb jazz based on an unusual tradition, September 19, 2002

By 

greg taylor (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Between Heaven And Earth: Music Of The Jewish Mystics (Audio CD)

I think the reviews by Jason Verlinde and Rabbi Yonassan Gershom are accurate as to the feel and value of this music. I mostly want to add some technical stuff that may be of interest. The quartet is Statman on the clarinet (he has a beautiful yearning tone) and mandolin, Kenny Werner on the piano, Harvie Swartz on the acoustic bass and Bob Weiner on the drums. Bola Fleck (banjo), David Grisman (mandolin) and Scott Lee (bass) put in guest appearances.
When I first heard the first song on this record it reminded me a lot of the first song on Moodiology by George Garzone. Werner also plays on that excellent album and on both albums he is in fine McCoy Tyner form- playing piano of great spiritual power and beauty. Other than Statman, Werner is the main instrumental presence on this disc.
Statman on clarinet is wonderful. He doesn't so much tear up the changes as work with the melodies. When you have melodies of this beauty it is a wonderful approach.
One reviewer found this music to be too new ageish. Maybe but I think in that case he has heard a lot better new age music than I have. I find this album to hold its own against anything I put it up against on my CD changer. Right now I am playing it with masses by Palestrina. I have played it up against Leila Josefowicz, Anouar Braham and George Garzone (it is apparent that Statman is not the player that Garzone is but then how many are?). Each time I play this CD I find new things to hear, new beauty to enjoy. These guys play this music because they love it, they feel it to the bone, it cuts to the heart of how they see the world and, I suspect in Statman's case as well as Palestrina, it is part of an ongoing conversation with God. How often do you get to hear music played with that much heart? It may not speak to you but it is definitely worth a listen to find out.