Customer Reviews

Out of the Reeds

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

 

 

Excellent! Outstanding percussion, rhythms, and melodies combined to create inspiring and emotionally-charged music. An eclectic mix of traditions reflecting various musical ethnicities, arranged beautifully by lead singer Basya Schechter. Her talent, beauty, and capabilities are carried out through the plethora of instruments that can soothe, invigorate, and enliven. Tracy Love soars to great heights on the wind instruments. Martha Colby brings passion and artistry to her cello, especially in her solos. Benoir's playfulness creeps into each song with a different flavor each time. The percussion is driven with great zest and verve, molding itself to the shape of each piece. For any fan of world music, or looking for a taste of something new and for all occassions, this is a definite CD to add to the collection!

This is the album that Brooklyn-based Basya Schechter was born to make - reverent, intelligent and exciting settings of classic Jewish liturgy and folksongs with superb backing by her own band and a distinguished group of guests including Anthony Coleman and Matt Darriau. From a haunting "Hevel" through a niggun created from a West African melody, from a eerie "Eicha" through the best new "Lecha Dodi" I've heard in years, a powerhouse "shnirele Perele", "Ija Mia" a wonderful Ladino closing - well, there simply isn't a false step. A bone fide, genuine, gilt-edged masterpiece.

I was waiting to see Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) at a Jewish music festival at New York and happened to see Pharoah's Daughter live. I have to admit that as much as I would like to keep an open mind, it is sometime a torture to sit through opening acts. But, this band really held my attention for the full 40 minutes they were on stage. Though on the surface it might sound like generic middle eastern music to someone completely unfamiliar with the subtlities, it is very easy to discern the genius of their complexity. They were absolutely awesome live and this CD is just as good. The only time I had heard middle eastern music till I bought this CD must have been at a restaurant or on PBS/NPR and yet I found their music very approachable. This CD is authentic to its roots yet very Jazz like in feel. Great work of art.

From Basya Schechter and friends comes this mesmerizing collection of songs inspired by traditional Jewish music from around the world. The world percussion and group vocals give a folksy feel to the music, and some of the arrangements are lively and even danceable, like "Ija Mia," "Shnirele Perele," "Afilu," and "Lecha Dodi." Others are more like the sort of reflective folk music or light jazz that one might hear in a trendy coffee shop. But all the selections have an air of gentle whimsy about them, as though drawn from hearts and souls that seen the world, forgiven its flaws, and embraced its people with love and understanding. The musicians of Pharoah's Daughter are: Basya Schechter and Benoir on guitars (at least some of which are tuned in quartertones, I think), Martha Colby on cello, Tracey Love-Wright on winds, and Jen Gilleran and Jarrod Cagwin on percussion, a plethora of guest musicians, and just about everyone on vocals at one point or another. For more Jewish music from the far corners of the world, try the compilation album "The Hidden Gate: Jewish Music Around the World." And if you find "Out of the Reeds" appealing, try also the work of Nana Simopolous, SAVAE (the San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble), and Axiom of Choice, as well as Basya Schechter's solo work.

Ever since I bought this CD at the Elat Chayyim Jewish Renewal Retreat Center in the summer of 2001, I've been listening to it constantly. It gets me dancing - I love the rhythms and the sound. Can't wait to see the band in person.