Ladino

The music of the Mediterranean Deconstruction Ensemble led by Moscow-based pianist Gregory Sandomirsky follows a twofold formula. It could be described as a continuation and further development of what he was doing with Lampa Ladino and is still doing with Goat’s Notes, two other bands he had co-founded: reimagining the traditional music of Sephardi Jews and free improvisation, respectively. On this album, it barely takes three minutes for the deconstruction to begin: the Sephardi tune literally crumbles, or is smashed, into pieces, only to reassemble for a melodious comeback in a matter of another couple of minutes. In the end, however, Mediterranean slightly beats deconstruction. For the most part, elements of free improvisation only serve to enhance and adorn the smooth flow of these compositions. Sandomirsky and his teammates have apparently reached a level of freedom where they can rein back their anarchic instincts if necessary.

Montserrat Figueras & Jordi Savall - Ninna Nanna (ca. 1500-2002) {Alia Vox AV 9826 rel 2002}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 340 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 182 Mb | Artwork | 5% repair rar
© 2002 Alia Vox | AVSA 9826
Classical / Vocal Music

Who doesn't love a lullaby? As a tribute "to all mothers and children", singer Montserrat Figueras offers this unusual program of 18 such songs from diverse sources and anonymous composers–Portuguese, English, Greek, Catalan, Hebrew, Sephardic, and North African–as well as pieces written by the likes of Byrd, Mussorgsky, Reger, Falla, Milhaud, and Pärt (two lullabies composed for this recording). Accompaniments show the stylish hand and always-tasteful imaginings of Jordi Savall and the instrumentalists of Hesperion XXI–viols, guitar, flutes, psaltery, harp–and, in three tracks, the piano of Paul Badura-Skoda. Although the liner notes prime us to expect very simple, repetitive tunes, Figueras transforms these ostensibly sleep-inducing songs into high, mind-and-ear-engaging art, embellishing, shaping, and imbuing them with deeply felt expression, sometimes wistful and at others fervent, but always delivered as if in intimate, personal touch with her listener(s).

After the release of the celebrated The Storyteller, saxophonist and bandleader Uri Gurvich's widely acclaimed debut on Tzadik, he became quite busy as a sideman, with Chris Potter, John Zorn, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, and others, as well as becoming a member of his drummer Francisco Mela's Cuban Safari. For BabEl, Gurvich brings back the same international ensemble: the Cuban-born Mela, Argentinian keyboardist Leo Genovese, and Bulgarian bassist, Peter Slavov. The guest spot this time out is filled by Moroccan oud master Brahim Fribgane. Gurvich's compositions rely heavily on motifs from Israeli and Arabic music, but also on the musical traditions of the Sephardic Jews. The band's multi-national makeup also reflects influences ranging from Latin jazz and tango to modal jazz and rock. It's in this collectivity and what results that BabEl succeeds in spades.

Shuli Nathan - Beloved Songs
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 437 MB | Full Artwork: 58 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Hed Arzi # CD 99012-2 Acum | Country/Year: Israel 1995
Genre: Folk, World, Acoustic | Style: Israeli Folk, Singer/Sogwriter

Shulamit “Shuli” Natan (Hebrew: שולמית „שולי” נתן Shuli Natan) is an Israeli singer best known for singing Jerusalem of Gold (Yerushalayim Shel Zahav), written by Naomi Shemer. It was immensely popular right after the Six-Day War, and made her world-famous. It is still very popular in Israel and in Jewish communities worldwide…

Dora Juarez Kiczkovsky - Cantos Para Una Diaspora (2013) {Tzadik Radical Jewish Culture Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 313 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 134 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 9 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2013 Tzadik | TZ 8173
Jazz / World / International Jazz / Jewish

Dora Juarez is a brilliant young vocalist whose first CD on Tzadik with the trio Muna Zul was released to great acclaim in 2003. Here she steps out on her own to create a fascinating musical journey exploring her own Jewish identity. Tracing her lineage from her parent’s roots in Eastern Europe and Spain, on to Argentina, Israel (where Dora was born) and finally to Mexico where she was raised and still lives, this is an intensely personal and passionate Jewish story told through traditional Sephardic songs in Ladino and Yiddish.