Track Listing

1. Eyliyohu Hanovi
2. Elijah Rock
3. Ki Loy Nue
4. Shnirele, Perele
5. Walk in Jerusalem
6. Go Down Moses
7. Moses Smote the Water
8. Oh Mary Don't You Weep
9. Didn't It Rain
10. Ale Brider
11. Shnirele, Perele [Live][Multimedia Track]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #171007 in Music
• Released on: 2005-03-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Import, Live
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.com
The Klezmatics have always chosen the path less traveled in its 20 years as a band. And with a variety of lefty political messages injected into traditional klezmer music, there's no disputing its reputation as radical. This live effort is a collaboration with guest singers Joshua Nelson and Kathryn Farmer joining in on the fun. The Newark, New Jersey-based Nelson brings (believe it or not) a serious gospel music flair to four songs, turning the klezmer band into a fire-and-brimstone gospel group as he exhorts both the players and the crowd on songs like gospel standard "Walk Into Jerusalem." The remarkable pairing is more balanced on the rest of the album, but never better than on "Shnirele, Perele," a duet featuring Nelson and Klezmatics singer Lorin Sklamberg that has an ecstatic drama that bridges these seemingly contradictory religious cultures. The album's eight new songs and two hits is as good a collection yet produced by this band, and one of the most remarkable examples of genre-bending heard in years. – Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews

Hand-Clappin', Foot-Stompin' Blend of Gospel and Klezmer
When you grow up Jewish, Gospel Music isn't exactly a staple of your musical diet. They don't really encourage songs praising Jesus in Hebrew School. But when you grow up with rock'n'roll, R&B and Soul, you can feel gospel in your musical foundation. The Klezmatics and Joshua Nelson, a Black Cantor from New Jersey, have put together a Gospel album that Jews can embrace and love! They choose songs about liberation with a Hebrew sensibility and a Gospel soul . . . and it works! Cantor Nelson and the Klezmatics wail, foot-stomp and fly in this live performance. The straight gospel tunes actually outshine the Klezmer and Yiddish tunes, in my opinion. The best endorsement? When I first played "Brother Moses Smote the Water", my 9 year old son immediately began clapping his hands, stamping his feet and singing along from the back seat of my car. On the way to Temple, he now wants to listen to "Elijah Rock", "Mary, Don't You Weep" and "Didn't It Rain". Maybe we've got another Jewish Gospel star in the making?!?

2005: The Year of Jewish Genre-Hopping
This is shaping to be quite a year for Jewish music. First, The Klezmatics join up with Joshua Nelson for the klezmer-meets-gospel soul extravaganza "Brother Moses Smote The Water". Then, Hip Hop Hoodios come out of leftfield with the Latino-Jewish urban music fest that is "Agua Pa' La Gente" (which coincidentally features Frank London of The Klezmatics as a guest).

The sheer diversity and open-mindedness of both of these releases astounds me, and shows that Jewish music more than ever can appeal to the gentile masses as well. Go Klezmatics! Go Hip Hop Hoodios! I can't wait to see what else comes out this year....

Klezmer and Gospel
I was eagerly anticipating listening to this combination of klezmer and gospel, two of the most "soulful" genres in music today. The CD was a bit disappointing to me in that it was uneven, with some songs being as good as I had hoped and others being the kind to make me hit "skip" on my CD player. I would like them to try again; I would be willing to buy a second effort.