Neshamah

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com's Best of 1999
You'd never guess that in presenting a slice of "radical Jewish culture," John Zorn would produce an album as exquisitely beautiful as guitarist Tim Sparks's Neshamah. Collecting traditional Jewish melodies from throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East, this collection mixes the architecture of the melodies with Sparks's fast fingerwork, corralling the latter into discreet enough bits to create a constant sense of movement and drama. Given the prevalence of full bands in much Balkan and Klezmer music, Sparks's solo renditions have an awe-inducing power. He cherishes not only each note, even when they're coming with flashing speed, but he equally indulges each bent-string twist and turn. --Andrew Bartlett

Neshamah,Tim Sparks,Tzadik,Chamber Music & Recitals,Classical,Contemporary Instrumental,Ethnic Fusion,Guitar,International Folk,Jewish,Klezmer,World Music


Neshamah

Neshamah
Life of the Worlds: Journeys in Jewish Sacred Music
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Life of the Worlds: Journeys in Jewish Sacred Music

    Manufacturer: Five Souls Music
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Jewish & Yiddish MusicJewish & Yiddish Music | Folk | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Middle East | International | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
    GeneralGeneral | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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    ASIN: B000172L72
    Release Date: 2003-12-03

    Tracks:

    1. Ha'aderet Veha'emunah/LeKhay Olamim - Yemen
    2. Le'El Adir Neranenah - Afghanistan
    3. Bati Legani - Eastern Europe
    4. Kinah Lekhurban Gan Eden - Eastern Europe
    5. Sephardi Yerushalmi Khatsi Kaddish - Jerusalem/Spain
    6. Navah Tehilah - Afghanistan
    7. Hayoshevet Baganim - Yemen
    8. Eyn Keloheynu - Morocco
    9. Modeh Ani/Elohay Neshamah - Salonica
    10. Eli Shema Koli - Morocco
    11. Reb Nachman's Niggun - Ukraine
    12. Hishtapkhut Hanefesh - Belarus
    13. Niggun of the Alter Rebbe - Belarus
    14. Ve'erastikh Li - Salonica
    15. El Mistater - Poland
    16. Ashrey - Eastern Europe/Spain
    17. Yemeni Shema - Yemen
    18. Grandfather Sang a Song - Eastern Europe

    Amazon.com

    The modern-day traditional Jewish music revival is filled with artists exploring klezmer's Eastern-European roots, but you'll hear no clarinet and little violin on cantor/educator Richard Kaplan's Life Of The Worlds. Although these are traditional songs, there is a broad range of the Diaspora represented on his second album, including Afghani, Spanish, Moroccan, and Algerian traditions. Kaplan dives into the sacred and the secular, the prophetic and the exultant, finding commonalities amongst different tribes and fusing them together. Musical accompaniment comes in the form of an occasional flute, piano, and violin as well as Moroccan clay drums, oud, dumbek, and other pre-modern-era instruments, but the instrument at the center of each song is Kaplan's voice--his high baritone majestically soars, quavers with sensitivity, and rings out with joy. To hear him sing solo versions of traditional Niggiun is to hear a world-class master savor the multifaceted nuance of each note and transcend the concept of song, turning it into religion and high art. --Tad Hendrickson

    Album Description

    A remarkable collection of vocal performances of Jewish sacred music from the Middle East, Andalusia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia - songs of exultation, longing, love, and Divine immanence - accompanied by an ensemble of masterful musicians.

    Instruments include: oud, ney, kanun, Egyptian accordian, violin, mandolin, dumbek, doira, riqq, Yemenite can, tar, saz, clarinet, mey (Turkish duduk), tilinca (Rumanian shepherd's flute), piano, string bass, balaban (Klezmer drum set), cimbalom, and a chorus of voices.

    Among many special songs, the CD features an 'eco-lament' (ecological lament) based on lament melodies for the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. It is called "Lament on the Destruction of the Garden of Eden" (Kinah Lekhurban Gan Eden), and updates the use of these tunes to mourn the wounding of our larger temple, Gaia - Mother Earth.

    LIFE OF THE WORLDS contains 18 songs, 77 minutes of music, and contains a 32-page booklet which includes informative song descriptions; all texts are provided in transliteration, English translation, and in Hebrew or Yiddish.

    This CD was three years in the making, and presents the first recordings in North America of several songs from the treasure-chest of Jewish sacred music.
    Neshamah
    Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    • not worth the investment
    Neshamah
    Tim Sparks
    Manufacturer: Tzadik
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
    Jewish & Yiddish MusicJewish & Yiddish Music | Folk | Styles | Music
    KlezmerKlezmer | Folk | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
    ClassicalClassical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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    4. One String Leads to Another

    ASIN: B00000JWLT
    Release Date: 1999-08-17

    Tracks:

    1. The Baal Shem Tov's Melody
    2. Hamisha Asar
    3. Odessa Mama (Odesa Mame)
    4. Skrip, Klezmerl Skripe
    5. Los Caminos De Sirkeci
    6. Kad Jawajuni
    7. A Hora Mit Tzibeles
    8. Viva Orduena
    9. Quando El Rey Nimrod
    10. A Leybedike Honga
    11. Rabbi Yochanan The Shoemaker's Melody
    12. Freylich
    13. Sholem Aleichem
    14. Naftule Spielt Far Dem Rebin
    15. Addio Querida

    Amazon.com's Best of 1999

    You'd never guess that in presenting a slice of "radical Jewish culture," John Zorn would produce an album as exquisitely beautiful as guitarist Tim Sparks's Neshamah. Collecting traditional Jewish melodies from throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East, this collection mixes the architecture of the melodies with Sparks's fast fingerwork, corralling the latter into discreet enough bits to create a constant sense of movement and drama. Given the prevalence of full bands in much Balkan and Klezmer music, Sparks's solo renditions have an awe-inducing power. He cherishes not only each note, even when they're coming with flashing speed, but he equally indulges each bent-string twist and turn. --Andrew Bartlett

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars not worth the investment.......2007-01-23

    The music was technically very polished and emotionally distant. There were a couple of nice riffs on Jewish melodies, but there was way too much repetition. I found the style too ethereal, sterile, ephemeral. Nice background music for a rainy day's indoor activities, but otherwise not very memorable. Tim Spark's music may indeed have neshama (soul), but he needs to work on his kavana (seriousness of purpose)
    Communicating in Heartbeats
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Communicating in Heartbeats

      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000E7K8K6
      Release Date: 2005-08-30

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