Four times Jazz

Here are four Jewish jazz musicians, of varying notoriety.  Enjoy!

BEN SIDRAN

WIKIPEDIA LINK
Ben loves Bob Dylan, and here's one of his cover versions:
  

And doing "Nardis" (Miles Davis):

Ben also loves being Jewish.  In the following link, he talks about "Jews, Music, and the American Dream" (about an hour-and-half):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHGfRyWxw2E


KENNY WERNER

WIKIPEDIA LINK

Kenny views music mystically, including from a Jewish perspective: LINK

Here, he performs "Autumn Leaves"
 

 

 

ANAT COHEN

WIKIPEDIA LINK

Jazz at the synagogue!

JEFF LORBER

WIKIPEDIA LINK

Great fusion keyboards.

NOTICE: All videos, photos, and articles are copyright their respective owners.

Bob Dylan wearin' t'fillin

An easy one!  Bob Dylan, born Robert Zimmerman.

OK, so Dylan converted to Christianity (or perhaps Messianic Judaism) about the time Ronald Reagan became President.  Interesting that many Jews feel his faith in Jesus Christ is a form of Judaism.  I can see that!

This article examines some of Dylan's life and lyrics from an Hebraic mindset: LINK

This article examines some pertinent aspects of Bob's Judaism: LINK 

The following books take a long, and sometimes fun, look at Dylan's Jewishness:

"Jewhooing the Sixties: American Celebrity & Jewish Identity" (I'm not making up this title!) by David Kaufman (2012)

"Bob Dylan: Prophet, Mystic, Poet" by Seth Rogovoy (2009)

____________________

And now, "Highway 61 Revisited" ("G-d said to Abraham, kill me a son"), live, 1984:

 

Here's "With God on Our Side" performed live in 1966, but with lyrics censored [concerning the German people being forgiven after World War 2]:

 
"With God on our Side" complete (audio only):

 
And one of my favorites, "Subterranean Homesick Blues":

NOTICE: All videos, photos, and articles are copyright their respective owners.

Anthrax me another

Anthrax is a metal band for whom I auditioned back in 1982 or 1983.  Sadly, I declined them, a bit arrogantly also, thinking their initial 45 "Soldiers of Metal" too generic.  But don't razz me too hard!  Johnny Zazula thought the same thing.  Luckily, they were amazing in the studio and transformed themselves into the raging heavy metal band they've been for 30 years!  Wow!

Guitarist and founding member Scott Ian Rosenfeld (he only uses his first and middle name onstage) was born Jewish.  He says he is a non-practicing Jew, but this interview shows more than a little pride in his heritage and genes.   And there's no escaping the "score" - http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=992

Co-founding member, Dan Lilker, was also born to a Jewish family.  He left after the first Anthrax album, Fistful of Metal, and went on to join Nuclear Assault and Stormtroopers of Death.  Lilker acknowledges his roots but disengages fully from religion.

Dan Spitz, another Jewish lad, joined Anthrax in 1982 or 1983.  Dan played on the 45 and on the first three albums.  He left in the early 1990's but returned in 2005 for another go-round.  Dan has a very interesting biography, which you can read HERE.  Last heard, Dan was born-again Christian, coming through Messianic Judaism.

And now, "Soldiers of Metal" with Ian/Lilker/Spitz. 

 

 Here's Anthrax performing the same song live in 1986, with Ian/Spitz:

And just for fun, here's "Indians" (Ian/Spitz/Belladonna/Bello/Benante), studio (abridged) and live:

NOTICE: All videos, photos, and articles are copyright their respective owners.

Mel Tormé melting and belting

 

The "Velvet Fog" is his nickname, and Mel Tormé's voice lives up to the hype.  Smooth but also deceiving in its power.

Really Jewish?  Really. http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=959 

HERE is an interesting article which tells how Mel, Johnny Marks, and Irving Berlin, all Jewish, wrote the cream of modern Christmas carols! 

 
And now, Mr. Tormé...

"Comin' Home Baby" with Judy Garland

"Fascinating Rhythm" from the film Good News (1947)

 "The Christmas Song" with Judy Garland

 

Not enough?  How about The Fog on Seinfeld?

 

NOTICE: All videos, photos, and articles are copyright their respective owners.

David Lee Roth, of coth

 

DAVID

LEE

ROTH

Often called Rock n' Roll's  greatest front-man, one would be hard-pressed to dispute that.

 Roth Quotes: 

"Here I am, the son of a Jewish doctor."

"I'm a black man trapped in a Jewish body."

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=274

And now, let's watch Diamond Dave "Jump" and go "Runnin' with the Devil"

Encore!

 

NOTICE: All videos, photos, and articles are copyright their respective owners.

Benny Goodman of the house

Official biography: http://www.bennygoodman.com/about/biography.html

Consistently in the top of anyone's list of great clarinetists, Benny Goodman is in the Radio Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. Here are some of Benny's other achievements: LINK

Nice Score!  http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1067

And now, Part 1 of a documentary compilation from YouTube (parts 2-4 were there also, last I checked), 15 minutes of Goodman jazz!

NOTICE: All videos, photos, and articles are copyright their respective owners.

Stan Getz it!

   

One of the great saxophonists, Stan Getz was instrumental in developing West Coast (a type of "cool") jazz, and was a main force to bringing the bossa nova sound mainstream in the early 1960's.

Here is a biography page that mentions a Bar Mitzvah, and Stan's particular Jewish lifestyle:
http://stangetz.net/bio.html

Here is a more jazz-oriented biography: http://www.notablebiographies.com/supp/Supplement-Fl-Ka/Getz-Stan.html  

And now, two mellow hits from Stan, "Girl From Ipanema" (with Joao and Astrud Gilberto; here, from a film) and "Desafinado"(with Charlie Byrd, here, live, slightly cut off), both of which won a Grammy Award:

 Extra bonus, both songs back-to-back, from a 1983 concert:
 

NOTICE: All videos, photos, and articles are copyright their respective owners.

KISS Overflowing

KISS

KISS

KISS

KISS

KISS

   

Quick!  How many members of KISS were born Jewish?  It's a trick question.  

Original founding members Paul Stanley (Stanley Harvey Eisen, born in Queens, New York) and Gene Simmons (Chaim Witz, born in Israel) are, but Peter Criss and Ace Frehley are not, Jews.

Later members Eric Singer (Eric Doyle Mensinger) and Bruce Kulick (real name!) are also Jewish.

HERE, Gene speaks about his mother surviving Nazi Germany.

For more information, I recommend the books "Kiss and Make-Up" (2001, Gene Simmons), "Kiss: Behind the Mask" (2008, Leaf/Sharp), "Kiss: I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night" (2009, Aileen Weintraub), and "Power Chord" (2012, Thomas Scott McKenzie, talks a bit about Bruce Kulick being Jewish).

And now, here are 3 live videos of an entirely Jewish KISS, Simmons/Stanley/Kulick/Singer:

 

               

NOTICE: All videos, photos, and articles are copyright their respective owners.

Geddy Lee in a rush

For no apparent reason, we start with the bass player from Canadian power triumvirate Rush.

Is he Jewish?  LINK

HERE, Geddy speaks about his mother at Auschwitz.

There is some kerfuffle over whether or not Geddy Lee is atheist.  In THIS interview, Geddy is somewhat definitive about it.  However, atheism is a state of mind, not a belief.  As the lyrics say in Rush's "Faithless" (2010), "I don't have faith in faith, I don't believe in belief."  But if Geddy returns to faith, or begins again to believe, I think I can guess his direction.  And, by the way, Alex Lifeson is credited with writing that song.

Now, enjoy Rush "YYZ" and "Cygnus X-1" live:

 

NOTICE: All videos, photos, and articles are copyright their respective owners.

Why Are You Here?

Well, I certainly hope it's because you are excited, thrilled, or at least mildly curious to know who is Jewish in the world of rock and jazz.  I know I was, and therefore this compilation.  This blog is in process, and entries will be ongoing, so check back often.  And now, enjoy the music and the stories. 

Warning:  I do this from pride, not animosity.   If you've come to leave dirty footprints, they will be wiped clean.   I think you know what I'm saying.