Jewish rock

Jewish rock is a form of contemporary Jewish religious music that is influenced by various forms of secular rock music. Pioneered by artists like Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and the Diaspora Yeshiva Band, the genre gained popularity in the 1990s and 2000s with bands like Soulfarm, Blue Fringe, and Moshav Band that appealed to teens and college students, while artists like Matisyahu enjoyed mainstream crossover success.

History

Origins in America and Israel: 1960s to 1980s

As early as the 1960s, established Jewish composers like Gershon Kingsley and Cantor Ray Smolover began using contemporary rock and jazz styles in their work.[1] Simultaneously, Shlomo Carlebach, a German-born Hasidic rabbi and songwriter, began his career mixing traditional Jewish songs with the folk music and hippie subculture of the day for kiruv purposes, which would directly influence many Jewish artists over the course of his career.[2]

One of the first full-fledged rock acts in Orthodox music was the Diaspora Yeshiva Band, founded in 1975 by American-born students at the Diaspora Yeshiva in Jerusalem, which had been founded by a colleague of Carlebach's.[3] The founding lineup featured Avraham Rosenblum on guitar, Ben Zion Solomon on fiddle and banjo, Simcha Abramson on saxophone and clarinet, Ruby Harris on violin, mandolin, guitar, and harmonica, Adam Wexler on bass, and Gedalia Goldstein on drums.[4] They played rock and bluegrass music with Jewish-themed lyrics, with the group self-describing its style as "Hasidic rock"[5] and "Country and Eastern".[6][7]

The Israeli group Tofa'ah emerged in 1981 as the first all-female Orthodox Jewish rock band, playing a mix of blues, jazz, and rock and roll.[8] Around the same time, singer-songwriter Yosi Piamenta, a baal teshuva who had previously played with jazz legend Stan Getz, broke into Jewish music, where he pioneered the use of electric guitar.[9] In the United States, Shlock Rock, formed in New York in 1985, performed Jewish parody versions of many popular American songs, including rock music.

1990s

A new wave of influential Jewish rock bands emerged from Israel in the 1990s, many of them directly influenced by Carlebach. A forerunner of these was Reva L'Sheva, which was formed in 1994 by lead singer Yehuda Katz and bassist Adam Wexler, formerly of Diaspora Yeshiva Band, and which combined Carlebach's music and philosophy with the jam band stylings of The Grateful Dead.[10] In a similar vein were the groups Moshav Band and Soulfarm, both formed by sons of DYB's Ben Zion Solomon who had grown up with Carlebach in the village of Mevo Modi'im.[7][11]

Meanwhile, in New York, avant-garde jazz composer John Zorn, a longtime fixture of the local downtown music scene, began exploring his Jewish heritage through music, incorporating klezmer and the Phrygian dominant scale into his established style.[12][13][14] This resulted in several projects, including the Masada albums/songboooks and Zorn's own Tzadik Records, which promoted several experimental Jewish artists through its Radical Jewish Culture series.

The decade also saw the premiere of several rock-influenced Jewish singer-songwriters like Craig Taubman, Sam Glaser, Dan Nichols, and Rick Recht.

2000s

A significant Jewish rock band of the early 2000s was Blue Fringe. Formed in 2001 by Yeshiva University student Dov Rosenblatt, the band introduced to Jewish music a pop rock sound influenced by Coldplay, Radiohead, and The Beatles. Their debut album, My Awakening, sold upwards of 14,000 copies, a rare feat in the Jewish market, and the Jewish Journal credited them, along with Soulfarm and Moshav Band, with "advancing Jewish rock". [15][16] Meanwhile, mainstream crossover success was achieved by Hasidic reggae fusion artist Matisyahu, whose debut single, "King Without a Crown", entered the Hot 100,[17] while his album, Youth, released in 2006 by JDub Records, reached number 4 on the Billboard 200, was certified gold by the RIAA, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.[18][19][20]

The new millennium also saw Jewish rock bands emerge outside of New York and Israel, such as the Australian Yidcore, the British Oi Va Voi, the Canadian Black Ox Orkestar, and the Turkish Sefarad. Harder-edged alternative sounds began to appear with grunge bands like Hamakor and Heedoosh and punk-influenced acts like Yidcore, Golem, Moshiach Oi!, The Shondes, Schmekel, The Groggers, Steve Lieberman, and Rav Shmuel.

2010s

In 2010, Rick Recht founded the online radio station Jewish Rock Radio, with the intent of promoting other Jewish rock artists.[21]

A number of Hasidic rock bands became known in the new decade, including the Moshe Hecht Band, 8th Day, Bulletproof Stockings, and Zusha, with the latter group's self-titled EP reaching No. 9 on Billboard's World Albums chart.[22] Elsewhere, Blue Fringe's Dov Rosenblatt and Moshav Band's Duvid Swirsky co-formed the Los Angeles indie pop band Distant Cousins, with their music appearing in several films, commercials, and television shows.[23][24]

Notable artists

The following are notable Jewish rock bands and artists.

Established Artist Notes
1959 Shlomo Carlebach German-born Hasidic rabbi and musician. Drew inspiration from then-contemporary folk music and hippie culture. Founded Moshav Mevo Modi'im, birthplace of several influential Jewish rock bands.
1976 Diaspora Yeshiva Band Formed at Diaspora Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Played a bluegrass and rock fusion with Jewish lyrics.
1976 Safam "Jewish-American" folk rock band formed by members of the Zamir Chorale of Boston.
1981 Yosi Piamenta Jerusalem-born Orthodox singer-songwriter and rock guitarist. Described his music as "klezmer with electric guitar".
Craig Taubman Conservative singer-songwriter, best known for his children's music.
1984 Tofa'ah All-female Jewish rock/blues/jazz band from Jerusalem.
1985 John Zorn Avant-garde composer and founder of Tzadik Records.
1987 Shlock Rock Known for their Jewish-themed parodies of popular songs.
1991 Steve Lieberman American Jewish outsider musician with elements of punk and metal. Also known as "The Gangsta Rabbi".
1992 Sam Glaser Los Angeles-based Orthodox singer-songwriter.
1993 Reva L'Sheva Carlebach-influenced folk rock band. Bassist Adam Wexler was in Diaspora Yeshiva Band.
1996 Soulfarm Carlebach-inspired folk rock band. Lead singer Noah Solomon Chase is the son of Diaspora Yeshiva Band's Ben Zion Solomon.
Dan Nichols Reform singer-songwriter from Raleigh, North Carolina; founder of the band E18hteen.
Hasidic New Wave Experimental klezmer band from Manhattan.
1998 Moshav Band Founded at Mevo Modi'im in 1995. Members Yehuda, Yosef, and Meir Solomon are sons of Diaspora Yeshiva Band's Ben Zion Solomon and were neighbors of Carlebach growing up.
Rick Recht St. Louis-based singer-songwriter who made his name performing at Jewish summer camps. Founded Jewish Rock Radio in 2010.
Adi Ran Hasidic musician based in Ramat Gan. Songs featured in the 2004 Israeli film Ushpizin.
2000 Yidcore Australian comedic punk rock band.
Pharaoh's Daughter American psychedelic folk band with Middle Eastern and klezmer influences, promoted through Tzadik's Radical Jewish Culture series.
2001 La Mar Enfortuna Side project of Elysian Fields focused on rediscovering Sephardic music. Incorporates jazz, folk, rock, Middle Eastern, and Latin music. Formerly signed to Tzadik Records.
2002 Oi Va Voi British Jewish experimental klezmer band.
2003 Blue Fringe Carlebach-inspired pop rock band, formed at Yeshiva University in 2001.
Sefarad Turkish Sefardic rock band.
2004 Matisyahu Formerly-Hasidic reggae fusion artist; experienced mainstream success with his album Youth and its single "King Without a Crown".
Black Ox Orkestar Canadian folk/jazz/rock band performing Yiddish folk songs.[25]
2005 Golem New York-based klezmer/folk punk band.
2006 Rav Shmuel Hasidic rabbi and singer-songwriter playing alternative rock and anti-folk music.
Heedoosh American-born Yemenite grunge/britpop band led by brothers Yaniv and Yahav Tsaidi.
Aharit Hayamim Israeli reggae rock band influenced by Carlebach and Nachman of Breslov.
2007 Aryeh Kunstler Orthodox alternative rock singer-songwriter from Queens, New York. Bassist in Yaakov Chesed.
Hamakor American-Israeli grunge/trance band from Mevo Modi'im. Lead singer Nachman Solomon is the son of Diaspora's Ben Zion Solomon and has brothers in Soulfarm and Moshav Band.
Yood Israeli blues rock trio from Beit Shemesh. Formed by Lazer Lloyd of Reva L'Sheva.
Yaakov Chesed Orthodox alternative rock band from Long Island. Won Yeshiva University's Battle of the Bands in 2007.
2008 The Shondes Brooklyn-based Jewish feminist punk band known for their political activism.
2009 Moshiach Oi! Breslov-oriented hardcore punk band from Long Island.
Ashira All-female Orthodox Israeli band formed at Bar-Ilan University.
2010 JudaBlue Orthodox rock band formed in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lead singer Shlomo Gaisin later formed Zusha.
The Groggers A Modern Orthodox satirical pop punk band from New York.
2011 Schmekel Transgender Jewish folk punk band from Brooklyn, known for their humorous lyrics.
Moshe Hecht Band Folk rock band fronted by Moshe Hecht, a Chabad rabbi from Brooklyn.
8th Day Formed in California by nephews of Avraham Fried. Incorporates klezmer, funk, blues, and reggae.
Shtar Haredi rap rock band composed of American, British, and Israeli members. Formed at Aish HaTorah yeshiva in Jerusalem. Uses elements of Sephardic music.
2012 Bulletproof Stockings All-female Hasidic alternative rock band from Crown Heights.
2013 Deveykus Philadelphia-based drone/doom metal band incorporating traditional Hasidic nigunnim. Signed to Tzadik Records.
2014 Distant Cousins Los Angeles indie pop band. Formed by Dov Rosenblatt of Blue Fringe and Duvid Swirsky of Moshav Band.
Zusha Neo-Hasidic folk/soul band specializing in nigunim. Co-formed by Shlomo Gaisin of JudaBlue.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Schiller, Benjie-Ellen. “The Hymnal as an Index of Musical Change in Reform Synagogues.” Sacred Sound and Social Change, Lawrence A. Hoffman and Janet R. Walton. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1992: 187-212.
  2. ↑ Daniel Freelander; Jeff Klepper (Jan 20, 1978). "Jewish rock: music for a new generation" (PDF). Berman Jewish Policy Archive. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Besser, Yisroel. "We All Get Another Chance". Mishpacha, March 12, 2014, pp. 48-58.
  4. ↑ Harris, Ruby. "The Diaspora Yeshiva Band's impact on Jewish Music". Jewish Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  5. ↑ Tilbury, Neil (1989). Israel, a travel survival kit. Lonely Planet. p. 193. ISBN 0864420153.
  6. ↑ "Biography". Diaspora Yeshiva Band. 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  7. 1 2 Gelfand, Alexander (8 May 2008). "A Jewish Pop Band Worth the Wait". The Forward. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  8. ↑ Lichtenstein, Josh (June 8, 2009). "All-women religious band Tofa'ah still rockin'". Ynetnews. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  9. ↑ Ginzberg, Binyomin (August 24, 2015). "Yosi Piamenta, a Virtuoso Guitarist Who Reshaped Jewish Music". The Forward. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  10. ↑ Brinn, David (Jan 1, 2014). "Reva L'Sheva's seven-year itch". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  11. ↑ Yudelson, Larry (Nov 7, 2014). "You gotta have soul". Jewish Standard. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Paeles, J. Old and New in a Jewish Festival, NY Times, December 20, 1995.
  13. ↑ Yaffe, D. Learning to Reed, New York Nightlife, April 5, 1999.
  14. ↑ Kaplan, F. John Zorn's Joyful Jazz, Slate, October 3, 2003.
  15. ↑ Leibovitz, Liel (July 2005). "Rock Of Ages". The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved 8 Aug 2013.
  16. ↑ Finnigan, David (April 22, 2004). "The New Color of Rock". The Jewish Journal. Retrieved 8 Aug 2013.
  17. ↑ "Matisyahu". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  18. ↑ "Juvenile Matisyahu Make Noise On Charts| E! Online". Ca.eonline.com. 2006-03-15. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  19. ↑ "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  20. ↑ "49th Annual Grammy Awards Winners List". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  21. ↑ Rabbi Jason Miller (Nov 16, 2010). "Jewish Rock Gets Internet Radio Channel". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "World Albums - Week of November 15, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  23. ↑ Artsy, Avishay (Oct 22, 2014). "Distant Cousins find family in music". The Jewish Journal. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  24. ↑ Fattal, Isabel (Sep 19, 2014). "Spotlight On: Indie-Folk Trio Distant Cousins". Jewcy. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  25. ↑ Marvin Lin (2006). "Black Ox Orkestar - Nisht Azoy". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, April 21, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.