Customer Reviews

With Every Breath: Music of Shabbat

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At our house, we like to put on some music on Friday afternoon as we get ready for Shabbat (the Sabbath), and I'm always looking for something new and inspiring. I had never heard of either this CD or the synagogue that produced it, and there were no online samples to listen to here, but I thought to myself, "Why not?" and put it on my Wish List anyway. Sure enough, somebody bought me one, and all I can say is, thank you, thank you, thank you!

The words to the songs come, of course, from the Sabbath liturgy. When I first played the CD, I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few Sephardic arrangements included. There's a mantra-like version of "Hiney Matov" based on a Sufi motif, a Turkish "Yigdal," a traditional Sephardic "Eyn Kelohenu," and a beautifully-chanted "Ki L'Olam Chasdo." That last one is Psalm 136, which, if you look in your Bible, is a long list of lines praising God, alternating with "For His lovingkindness is forever" ("ki l'olam chasdo" in Hebrew). Now, if you read this psalm in King James English, it sounds boringly repetitious. That's because it wasn't mean to be read in "Protestantese," it's supposed to be joyfully SUNG in Hebrew. It's a responsive reading: The cantor does the lines, answered with "ki l'olam chasdo" by the congegation. This tradition is all but lost among Askenazic (European) Jews, but the Sephardim still chant Psalm 136, and when you hear the rendition on this CD, you will chant it, too. The same can be said for "Halleluya," which is Psalm 150 sung in an arrangement by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

In addition to the Sephardic songs, there's a beautiful "Lecha Dodi" medley, two Shlomo Carlebach tunes, and a soul-filled "Ma Gadlu" (Psalm 92:6) arranged by Rabbi Shefa Gold, using "Yah" for the name of God instead of Adonai: "Ma gadlu ma'asekha Yah" -- "how vast are your works, O Creator-God!" Not only does this substitution work gramatically, it also rhymes! All in all, this is superb music. And for those who don't know Hebrew, it comes with a little booklet of explanations -- ten stars!

Hmmmm... a Jewish liturgical CD from Bnai Jeshurun comes with great yichus. But arranged by Anthony Coleman, formerly of a band called the "Self Haters"... one may hesitate. but don't. I enjoyed this CD, and placed it with my David D'Or, Rami Kleinstien, and Elizabeth Swados CD's. It contains some of the musical prayers that have made Congregation Bnai Jeshurun on Manhattan's Upper West Side the type of synagogue that must hold two separate services on Friday nights in order to pack in the over 1,000 worshippers, some of whom come for the music, but stay for the drash. The CD includes excellent liner notes that contain the Hebrew text as a colorful watermark, the English translation, and the English transliteration. It mixes the musical styles of Ashkenaz, Mizrach, and Sepharad. Let me mention a few of the cuts (which of course you can hear samples of above). The CD opens with the Sabbath bride-welcoming prayer of "Et Dodim" from Shir haShirim (Song of Songs), which makes excellent use of piano, violin, cello and ney/kavala (the ney is a simple vertical bamboo flute. The econd cut, featuring Hine Ma Tov (psalm 133, 1-2) is presented with a mixed Middle Eastern feel of the group "Sheva", based in a traditional Sufi motif. It slowly builds to an ecstatic point of release of prayerful intention. The harmonium and drum beats makes you want to twirl like a Jewish dervish (sufi is to islam as hasidism is to Judaism). Cut Three is a Carlebach niggun that is a BJ staple that helps one transition from the workweek to Kabbalat Shabbat. Cut Four sample several styles of Lecha Dodi, the 16th Century Kabbalistic composition from Sefad. Opening with the praying voice of the late Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer, it moves through a traditional Lewandowski melody and is followed by Turkic, and Hasidic melodies. It includes the use of guitar (Marc Ribot), Harmonium, and beglama. Cut Five uses a yearning Carlebach melody from the Sabbath Amidah prayer. The sounds of the ney and Bulgarian guitar and plaintive text will give you goosebumps. Cut 6 is Yigdal, a 14th Century composition, is done acappella to a Turkish melody by Rabbis J. Rolando Matalon and Marcelo Bronstein with Hazzan Ari Priven. Cut 7 uses a Sephardic melody for Psalm 136, using a double stringed Kanun (vertical harp), banjo, and Cello. Cut 8 is a melody by Rabbi Shefa Gold. Celebrating God's creation as a masterpiece, the percussion makes the listener feel as is s/he is traveling through creation on camelback. Cut 9 is a piece by SHEVA, based on a melody by the late master of qawwali, Nusrat Ali Fateh Khan. It is simply hypnotic and brings Psalm 150 to a great height, using a rich harmonium, kanun, woodwinds, bells, and reverberating percussion. Cut 10, Ein Kelohaynu, is a traditional Sephardic tune, with the refrain in Judeo-Espanol. Cut 11, the 11th Century Adon Olam prayer, uses a traditional melody from Amsterdam featuring Anthony Coleman on piano. The final track, cut 12, Hamavdil features Basya Schecter of the band, Pharoah's Daughter. It uses a traditional Jerusalem melody and is a call to hope.

This CD is a collection of some of the most extraordinary music I have ever heard. It is probably my favorite CD in a very large, eclectic collection. There are 12 magnificent Shabbat songs/chants on the disc. The prayers are all from the Jewish Sabbath liturgy and the music has roots in the Sufi, Turkish, Ladino, Hebrew and Ashkenazi traditions. You don't have to be Jewish, however, to enjoy the music. I find myself playing this several times a week and singing along. I cannot carry a tune, but my singing is always joyful and from the heart - with this magical music, it would be impossible to feel anything other than exhilaration. Fortunately the English lyrics and Hebrew transliteration are provided with the CD.

Another reviewer, Rabbi Gershom, has already written a detailed description of the music, its roots and meaning, which I enjoyed very much. So, I will not attempt to do the same. I am lucky to live in New York City and have access to Temple B'nai Jeshurun, which produced this CD. And yes, their Shabbat services are wonderful. However, you don't have to live in Manhattan to partake of this musical feast. "With Every Breath" brings the wonder and beauty of Shabbat to your own home. Enjoy!

This disk is a truly amazing achievement. It combines heart-felt prayer with unbelievably gorgeous music, and provides an inspiring listening experience. To my mind, the most amazing thing about this music is its nearly universal appeal. People who are not Jewish find it compelling enough that they buy it and play it in their cars and at work.

I find it spiritually uplifting and musically accomplished. There is another review here which describes the contents of the disk in detail, so I won't do that. Instead, I will just say that I loved this disk the first time I listened to it, and I like it more on each repetition.

I love this disk. It is musically beautiful, and spiritually uplifting. The amazing thing to me is that friends who aren't Jewish and don't understand Hebrew also find it lovely. Buy this disk, listen to it, wrap yourself in the music (and the words, if you happen to be Jewish...) The pieces all have a Sephardic aspect to them that I find incredibly alluring. Listening to the disk, I can only imagine how wonderful Shabbos must be at B'nai Jeshrun.

Prayers set to music. Engineered wonderfully and captures the services beautifully (I've attended several of them!)

Listen for moments with Pharoah's Daughter, Marc Ribot and Josh Roseman.

A spiritual experience in itself!

I have not heard a record this profound and spiritual in quite a long time. The breadth of the musicians is incredible as each piece is a tender and touching tribute to the wonderful services at this synogogue.

This has become one of my favorite CDs. Beautiful, spiritual music that sounds at once contemporary and timeless.

In this cd you will find beautiful chants in Hebrew (or Ladino?)and Spanish. The mood is festive and cheerful, the melodies haunting and enthralling. The singers have no American accent whatsoever, which make the chants sound quite real. The accompaniment is sometimes oriental, sometimes a mixture of all kinds of instruments. Although some of the songs are sometimes too modern and sentimental, this is a excellent performance and I highly recommend it if you need music to hearten you and give you a feeling of community.

This is a sure hit with hippie types. What really works in it is the beautiful liturgy read with intensity and religious ecstasy. I am not sure how it would sound if you do not understand Hebrew, however, although the melodies, at least some of them, may still be familiar.

They also have a Pesach disc that is also wonderful, and always playing in the background around the holiday time at my house! I really love this disc!