Julie SIlver

It's Chanukah Time

 

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Barnes & Noble - Mark Schwartz

Julie Silver, a Boston-born folk singer, has a laid-back voice that's equally at home in Hebrew and English, delivering both in with an easy groove that at times recalls Carly Simon. On the title track to this holiday collection especially, Silver finds an earthy, mellow way to liven up a festival that's not exactly known for stirring songs. Delivering the holiday's one chestnut, "Ma'Oz Tsur / Rock of Ages," Silver turns to some '60s style folk revival, with passionate new lyrics of her own devising that charge listeners to make a difference in the world around them with "a peaceful revolution." "Tired of battles fierce and long, we yearn for resolution." It's a message that's in keeping with Chanukah's revolutionary roots -- and one that's welcome in any season. If there's any doubt as to where Silver's sympathies lie, she ends this uplifting set with a standard from another tradition, "This Little Light of Mine." Delivered in a folksy reggae lilt, it's an engaging sing-along for the whole family, the kind that could start a few traditions on its own.

Various Artists

A Chanukah Celebration

 

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Barnes & Noble - Mark Schwartz

This truly wide-ranging selection of Chanukah-inspired songs draws from some of the best Jewish music of recent vintage. There's indeed something for everyone: alternative rock (The Leevees and Barenaked Ladies), big band swing (Kenny Ellis), Sephardic folk songs (Judy Frankel and Alisa Fineman), choral melodies (Sue Fink's Angel City Chorale), even a nugget from everyone's favorite philosemite, Woody Guthrie. And anyone interested in the somewhat drippy Judaic folksongs familiar from summer camp will find that, too. The mood runs the gamut, from the joy of gift-giving (and receiving) among cozy flames and food to reverent retellings of the martial story of Judah Maccabee - Peter Himmelman and David Broza are especially true to the Torah imperative to "light up the world" with righteous actions, a poignant reminder during a season of rampant consumerism. Thoughtfully complete with contact information for many of the artists, this Chanukah Celebration promises to be just the beginning of an engagement with Jewish song for the whole family.

Tor Hyams

Lilah Tov

 

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Amazon Review:

Producer Tor Hyams (Chutzpah, Perry Farrell, Debie Harry, Lisa Loeb, Joan Osborne) has taken a wonderful, new approach to traditional Jewish music b ytaking the familiar melodies and turning them into lullabies for children of all ages.

Tor Hyams & Friends

This is Chanukah

 

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Barnes & Noble - Mark Schwartz

Classic Chanukah songs are given rock 'n' roll makeovers by an excited group of studio musicians on a set that's liable to set kids to dancing for eight nights straight. Guitars, Hammond organs, and drums set to songs in Hebrew and English, the perfect vehicle for capturing children's attention through the festival of lights. While this gang's version of the Woody Guthrie song "Happy Joyous Chanukah" has nothing on the Klezmatics recording, their spirited "Dreidel Song," set to a galloping Johnny Cash beat, is a keeper.