THE JAZZ SINGER'S RETURN TO FAITH
Our latest concert program and CD is, as far as we know, the first one ever to attempt a contemporary and jazz reading of the rich legacy of Italian Jewish music. But it's not only that - you'll find Yiddish poetry in it, and east European cantorial music, and electronic improvisations - because more than anything else "The Return" is a musical reflection on the process, and the emotions, of memory.
Do you remember The Jazz Singer? Al Jolson is the Son - on the verge of choosing
showbiz success instead of a cantor's life. His Broadway debut is scheduled to
be on Yom Kippur eve - thus breaking the most sacred of laws, and his Father's
heart.
But on his deathbed, the Father is reached by music from the synagogue: it is
the Son, who has repented, and is singing Kol Nidrey. With his last breath, he
tells his wife: "Mama - we have our Son back" - and dies. The Son willl end up
having his Broadway debut anyway; but the story seems a wonderful representation
of our musical times, times of "return", of roots being searched out and
explored once again and becoming the basis for innovation and research.
Our songs are inspired by Jewish musical tradition, particularly religious
music, with a special interest in Italian and, more specifically still, in
Florentine and Ferrarese traditions. But, as you'll realize, it is a long voyage
we made from that starting point, in some cases reaching a very distant shore.
Is there something that remains unaltered? There's a Hebrew word indicating
love, respect, participation for prayer and its music: the word kavanah.
We are singing our Kol Nidrey in a place of the mind maybe as far removed from
Broadway as from the synagogue and from the Father's bed: and maybe the distance
is too long, and the prayer too transformed, and as Sons we haven't come back at
all. But our kavanah, we hope it's still intact.
Here's the link to the page dedicated to the CD by our rec. company, Materiali Sonori. From that page you can access all the lyrics, the liner notes of the CD, the extra content of the CD-ROM tracks inside the CD (if you've downloaded the CD from itunes, you haven't seen this material); and you can also listen to a few tracks.