Jewish music continues to thrive, and will i"yh keep improving to align itself with its purpose, and will keep improving its originality, emotion, and quality.
I'd take to take this opportunity to make one thing exceedingly clear: There is a major difference between an artist's album and the type of singer an artist will be at a wedding. Secular music has albums and concerts, and although Jewish music has concerts, the analogous situation to Jewish music is albums and weddings.
The type of singer an artist will be at a wedding tends to be very different from the type of album an artist produces. This is because many singers sing for many different bands, and because a singer's personality will be more apparent live than on an recorded album. It is easy to hear an album and say I don't like what was recorded. But this is not the same thing as saying I wouldn't hire this person for a wedding based on what is on the album. (Of course, there are exceptions to this, such as if a band releases an album and promotes it as what this band sounds like at a wedding.)
I'll leave open the possibility to post if I find something really interesting, but until then, thank you for reading and commenting!
If you're expecting originality and freshness, you're not going to find it here. If you're expecting over-the-top arrangements typical of an Eli Gerstner production, you've got it. The arrangements are yet again so over-the-top that after listening to the 8 minute clip, it literally gave me a headache. I did hear some interesting ideas, but they were rudely interrupted by a Yossi Green choir.
Okay, so the music is typical, but we all know Jewish music's about the singer, not the music, right? Unfortunately, there is little to no originality to Dovid Stein's singing either. At times, he sounds like Shwekey, sometimes like Pruzansky, sometimes like Gertner, even sometimes like Gabay, but never like himself. I like the verse of Melech - although very typical Eli Gerstner using a minor i, VI, III VII progression (e.g. Am, F, C, G), but the chorus goes way over including a terrible use of some type of flange, along with an over pronunciation of the "CCHH" sound in Melech. Ick - it sounds like he's got something stuck in his throat that he's trying desperately to get out.
Nothing to hear here, move along...
Well, that changed today, but remarkably, not because of music, but because of two articles I came across about the formation of a "Committee for Jewish Music." Granted, this is in Israel, and things work differently there, and the "ban" is intended to only apply in Israel, but its effects here have and continue to be felt, such as the recent Lipa ban, etc.
The first article is from the Jerusalem Post, the second from the Yeshiva World. Essentially, the point of the articles is that something must be done to combat the negative of secular music, and this Committee is going to do it. How are they going to do it? Essentially, with bans. Will there be any guidelines? Sure, first of all, ban "2-4 beats and other rock and disco beats; the 'improper' use of electric bass, guitars and saxophones; and singing words from holy sources in a disrespectful, frivolous manner," and this clear guideline that "Michael Jackson-style music has no place in our community."
What disturbs me most about these statements is not the lack of foresight about the consequences of this, or the lack of awareness of what a true, honest regulatory system of this magnitude which actually entail. It's the simple naivete in which the issue is approached, and the one-sided take on the issue. This generic statement belies that this Committee doesn't even understand the most basic fundamentals about music to approach it in a calculated, reasoned manner. Regardless of the motives and the validity of the cause, the manner speaks volumes about the Committee.
Another interesting statement is that "We might be able to adopt Bach or Beethoven, music with class, but not goyishe African music and beats. We haredim want to protect ourselves from what we see as negative foreign influences. We are trying to maintain our own authentic music styles. We admit that times are changing, but we are trying to stay loyal to our roots."
This has been covered in detail in the comments at Yeshiva World, but it's worth repeating. What is "authentic" Jewish music? Jewish music has historically been influenced by secular music, with the exception of the songs sung in the Bais HaMikdash. And, why is classical music better than current secular music? Classical music was what the secular world listened to at that point in time, and we don't know the motives of the composers, or certainly this statement doesn't consider them. Of course, the intent and sound of current secular music is much more obvious, but does subtlety make a difference in music, which effects are by definition subtle?
One last point is the Committee's unique tie in with kashrus: if you don't follow our ban, we'll revoke kashrus at weddings that play banned music. (Once again, this shows a simple naivete - who will regulate this and who will be regulated? Will it be the hall, the caterers, someone else?) Why can't a kashrus organization be a kashrus organization? Related to this is the statement that "dozens of yeshiva heads have agreed to refuse to come to the wedding of a student who hires a non-kosher band." We all know how well this went over with the wedding guidelines that were issued several years ago for New York - it didn't. The bottom line, for better or for worse, is that money talks, and subjective enforcement is bound to fail.
Just some thoughts on the non-music aspects of the album: Yaakov Horowitz is mentioned both in the "AKA Pella is:" section and the member thank you section, but he does not sing on this album, at least not in a solo capacity. If Yaakov couldn't be involved for this album, why mention him? Lev Tahor had a similar situation with Ari Kukier Motti Jacobovitz, if I recall correctly, and he wasn't mentioned.
AKAP finally sings an English song. There is only one thing that I would expect from a AKAP English song, and what is on this album isn't it. I would expect atypical-for-a-Jewish-album lyrics with a more introspective kind of flavor, but instead we have typical, almost hollow Jewish lyrics. Why break all the rules except this one?
In regards to the music: It falls in between AKAP 1, being the best so far, and AKAP 2, being the bottom, but doesn't break any new ground whatsoever. I don't expect the songs to sound as good as the originals, but the American songs that I recognized (Tracks 1, 3, 4, and 11) tried to imitate the originals, but fell way short in terms of energy and emotion. I don't think this is the fault of the lead singers, but of the rehashed, more-of-the-same background tracks.
A word about one of the guest singers: Why is this singer singing a Josh Groban song? Avi Stewart was the natural choice, and if the track was just Avi, it would have been better (discounting the underwhelming background tracks). Zevi would have done a great job on this track too.
How long can AKAP keep putting out more of the same before people tire of it?
And with that, I wish everybody a Chag Kasher V'Sameach!
I was skeptical, but not after listening. This is a great song with an appropriate message and simple and clean arrangement. Ari also doesn't oversing, and his voice shines.
Per Ari's request, keep spreading it.
The most recent Sameach Music Podcast features a song from Dovid Gabay's not-yet-released new album, called Omar Dovid. A bit about the name - Gabay is clearly fond of puns -- LeGabay, Omar Dovid -- does he have a middle name for his next album?
Name aside, the album is produced again by Avi Newmark, who also produced Yitzy Spinner's album, which could help explain the similarity in the effects used on both singers. Gabay's first album was original mainly in his use of different musicians, which was a calculated risk which paid off. Many new artists are afraid of producing an album that sounds different in fear of alienating the ever-fickle yeshivish crowd, but to his credit Dovid did not do this for his first album.
I was therefore surprised to hear that the song featured on the podcast, Hagomel, uses the same drummer and guitarist as everybody else. Why? Why didn't Gabay take the success of his first album and propel that into refining and expanding his originality, instead of taking several steps back? Don't get me wrong - I like the song Hagomel and I think the arrangement is better than a typical Jewish arrangement, but again, I think it could have been so much more without relying on the crutch of old musicians. Gabay's singing, as always, is impeccable and tasteful.
Omar Dovid is one of those albums that you have to listen to entirely before forming an opinion, and I look forward to hearing what else Gabay has to offer.
