Benny Friedman: Universal Studios

Cross Post from A Jewish Music Insider:

Universal Studios CityWalk
Saturday Evening, December 12th, 7:30-11:30 PM

Starring
Benny Friedman
The Moshav Band

Also featuring:
DeScribe, Y-Love & Diwon and LevYatan

Fun for the whole family!
Giant Menorah Kindling, Kosher Pizza, Popcorn and more!

For more information please call 818-758-1818

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Aryeh Kunstler: Having Fun in the Studio

The other video was giving me some trouble. Here is an updated video featuring Ayeh Kunstler working on some background vocals. They are having a hard time being serious during this taping.

DJ V.S. Live Music: Jewish Wedding Scene

I recently had the pleasure of attending a Jewish wedding here in Houston. The groom had hired a band although he was also considering a Jewish one-man-band in the area. The issue was ihat the band he hired was unfamiliar with religious Jewish music whereas the one-man-band was and would be more economical. In the end he opted for the band because his fiance really wanted a band for the wedding. The one-man-band was friendly with the groom and offered to play a dance set at the wedding since none- of the grooms friends for the most part would even know the kind of music this band would play. When the one-man-band showed up he explained to the band leader he just wanted to play a short dance set for the grooms friends but the bandleader said he was going to be playing lots of horas and frielach sets and there would be no room for him to do so. In the end he just played the people into the room and featured a dinner set of the more recent compilations sung by artists like Boruch Levine, Dovid Gabay, Avraham Fried and Yaakov Shwekey. The problem many people had with the band was it was more of a DJ than a band. For the first 20 minutes he played an old project x CD with his drummer, saxophone and clarinetist attempting to follow along ( considering they had not sheet music the opted to quit a min. or so into it). The band leader couldn't sing the songs as he had no idea what the words were. In the end they tried to make it seem as though they were playing the music when in fact it was all pre-recorded. The band was a strange set up to begin with: a violinist, drummer, saxophone and a keyboard player. Since there was no guitarist they opted to use the auto accompaniment keyboard and play along with it when they were not DJing . The use of auto accompaniment was because the keyboardist was most likely a clarinetist who played keyboard just a bit and perhaps wasn't so familiar with playing left hand bass. The whole thing in my opinion was most unfortunate and young couple would of been much better served hiring the one-man-band and perhaps a DJ separately.If they don't know the Jewish wedding music they should play the material they do know or DJ but not pretend to play: that just made them very laughable. Here is an article on how to be your own DJ and some of the pros and cons of Jewish DJ VS Live band or music.

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Miami Boys Choir DVD Release Yavoh: Video Preview

New Miami Boys Choir Video Preview for Yavoh at a Jewish Music Insider: click here to view it.

Purchase a song: Give to Chai Lifeline

Be Heimish was recorded in Camp Simcha

Artist- Chaim Miller

Guitar/Backup Vocals- Benji Weintraub & Sruli Portnoy

Recorded/Mixed by- Shmuli Glick

Click here to purchase the song.
Proceeds go to Chai Lifeline

Benny Friedman in Mumbai:Video

A Video of Benny Friedman singing at a memorial at the Knesset Eliyahu Synagogue in Mumbai. Benny will be singing tomorrow morning at 9 AM at the Nariman House where the Chabad center was at the time of the terrible attacks one year ago.

Jewish Outreach Programs in Texas: TORCH

Torch is the only Jewish Outreach organization with programs in Houston, Texas that has been very successful over the years. It comprises of many different facets including the Houston Kollel, Jewish Ethics Institute, Ascent (Women's Divison)JSU. If you would like to donate toward this great cause click here. Here is an introduction to this great organization:

TORCH was founded in 1998 and has since served thousands of Houstonians as a resource for learning and connection through its unique non-judgmental approach to Jewish education.

Whether you're Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, unaffiliated or somewhere in between, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston (TORCH) is your most vibrant source for Jewish learning in Houston. Through study opportunities in various formats and locations, TORCH brings a new dimension to everyday Jewish life.

Our team of dynamic rabbis share the tools that connect timeless Jewish traditions with modern life. You can learn in a nurturing environment as the rabbis open their minds to impart wisdom. In addition, the rabbis open their homes to share Shabbat, and their lives for personal family celebrations.

By uniting fellow Jews through shared joy in religious education and Judaic tradition, and by extending a friendly, upbeat, non-judgmental invitation to all Jews, TORCH is building bridges in our community.

New Jewish Group Forming: Avi Newmark

The word is out! Sruly Meyer has spread the word that Avi Newmark is working on putting together a new Jewish group. Tryouts start tonight! Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new Jewish music development.

New Kosher Product Review: Kikkoman Bread Crumbs

One of my favorite relatively new kosher products is Kikkoman Bread crumbs. It is certified Kosher by the OU. Kikkoman is known for it's top quality Asian food products and these bread crumbs are no different:
These are the bread crumbs that the restaurants use. Big, crispy flakes that hold their crunch. Kikkoman’s Restaurant Series Panko are made from specially baked bread, processed to exact specifications and lightly toasted for delicate flavor and the ideal crunch. Use them to coat seafood, vegetables, risotto cakes or croquettes. Also, excellent for crumb toppings on savory or sweet casseroles. I have tried them and they are truly excellent. They are fairly inexpensive as well.

Ayeh Kunstler: Having fun at the Studio!

Who says you can't have fun at the recording studio? Here is Aryeh Kunstler chilling in the studio on his upcoming release.

Win an IPOD Touch: Sing Shea Rubenstein's Song!

Announcing the Window In Heaven Contest We want to hear your version!

Send in your best recording of your very own "Window in Heaven" clip
&The winner receives an iPod Touch!!!!

Download the "Window in Heaven" music here
http://www.divshare.com/download/9425715-137

Shea Rubenstein's Version

JMDerech's Version

For questions or to send all entries, email jmderech@gmail.com
Entries due by the last night of Chanukah - December 19th.

NOTE for Beginners: Download the Audacity program here and import the Window In Heaven music into audacity and start recording your voice over it!

Lyrics:
Early days of younger years,
Full of childrens' joys and fears,
Whether school or home, always felt alone,
In a way, what's a child to do?

Days and months went rushing by,
Bar Mitzvah in a suit and tie,
And my loss still there, much too deep to share,
In a way, what's a child to do?

But I know, you were there the whole time,
Looking down, from a window in heaven,
And your touch, like the gentlest breeze,
Saying, I will remember you son

Even though you could not shake my hand,
You looked down from a window in heaven,
And your touch, like the whisper of wings,
Saying, I will be there for you son, in a way

Milestones of life flew by,
Couldn't help but wonder why,
You had to go away, I never heard you say, "oh my son",
What's a child to do?

At the Chupa we stood as one,
Being watched by everyone,
And the tears that flow, both joy and sorrow,
For the One, who's not here with me now

But I know, you were there the whole time,
Through each step you were guiding me forward,
And your touch, like a breath of fresh air,
Saying, I'll always love you my son

Even though you could not walk me down,
I could tell you were standing beside me,
And your touch, like the wisdom of old,
Saying, I am so proud of you son, in a way

Now I hold him tenderly,
My baby son, for all to see,
I am overcome, by my actions done, today
What's a child to do?

My son will bear your name with pride,
Holding Zeide's torch inside,
And the part of me, which was so empty,
Is now full, as I reach out to you

And I know you were there the whole time,
Looking down, from your place in Shomayim,
And your touch, like a magical spell,
Is embracing me tightly right now

Even though he was not on your knees,
You were here, on a visit from heaven,
And your touch, like the sweetest of wine; saying
There'll always be, a part of me, in you my son

Brought to you by JM Derech

Free Jewish Music Sampler: Sheves Chaverim

Written by Ari Goldwag.

Baruch Hashem, I have been working hard to complete the new music album that I have produced, entitled Sheves Chaverim. It is an album that continues where Sheves Achim left off. (Look out for Sheves Achim volume 2 in the future!) The album features six child vocalists - Moshe Bell, Yair Frohlich, Moshe Dov Goldwag, Shlomo Lipman, Zev and Baruch Sheff. It contains twelve songs, two in English. It is the culmination of a production that stretched for over a year. I composed 11 out of the 12 songs, with the twelfth song being a classic Shlomo Carlebach song. It is my hope that you will find inspiration in the music, and that it will bring you to heightened levels of closeness to Hashem. Be'H, the album should be in stores before Chanukah. The CD will be available through Aderet Music and will be available for download (with full PDF) through MostlyMusic.com
Listen here for the album sampler.

Aeropostale 30% OFF coupon

Feel free to share this 30% OFF AEROPSTALE coupon.

Ari Goldwag Video from 1993

Here is a video performance of Ari Goldwag in 1993 with the Neshoma Orchestra led by Eli Kahn.

Amudei Shaish Boys Choir: Tragedy Strikes Shmuel Borger

Shmuel Borger is the founder of the Amudai Shaish Boys Choir. A very popular choir that featured some very well known names such Shloime Dach , Mendy Wald, Yisroel Williger and I believe composer Yitzy Waldner are just some of the talented people to walk through his doors. I had done some background vocals as a child back when Systems Two was a rundown studio on Avenue U. I always thought of him as a real stand up guy and a real mentch. It was very disheartening to hear about the tragedy that befell his son, Motty Borger A"H who passed away just 2 days after the happiest day of his life: his wedding. Shmuel Borger felt the need to speaks out to all Jews and send this message. Please take the time to listen and perhaps we can take this message to heart and learn from it on some level. When horrific tragedies like this occur we can't just continue to function as if nothing ever happened. May the families find nechama quickly, hamokom ynachem esechem bsoch shar avlai tzion b'yrushayim.

Yosef Karduner at the Roc House Video

Here is Yosef Karduner performing at The Rock House 550 w. 110th St. In NYC. It's always a pleasure to listen to this Breslover's sweet and intoxicating melodies.

London School of Jewish Song: BBC Interview

Yossi Green was sharing this great video of the London school of Jewish School video on his facebook page and it's quite interesting. Notice all the kids trying to answer the interview all at once.

Yaakov Shwekey and Yosef Chaim Shwekey

Check out how similar the 2 Shwekey brothers at Mahnishma. It's a riot!

It's Time for Vacation!

I've been dreaming of taking the whole family for a nice extended vacation somewhere. I thought about taking the kids to Florida and maybe try the whole Disney World deal. As opposed to a hotel I'm considering just taking a vacation rental in Florida perhaps Ft. Lauderdale or maybe Orlando. In my opinion, vacation rentals seem to make a lot more sense than hotels and sometimes can be much more affordable. For starters you can have your own poolat a hotel that's generally not an option you'll have and this mean mixed swimming does not become an issue. I also find hotels to be a lot noisier and annoying than actually renting a vacation property where things tend be more quiet ( although that may depend on the area in question with a vacation rental )with less roudiness and no elevators to deal with. Rentals also tend to have more amenties for the money such as stove and refigerators. You can have a suite at a hotel but for the price you are probably better off with a vaction rental property. Have you ever tried a vacation rental? I'm curious to know what your experience might have been. Please share.

Saving Money on Your Move

I found a new exciting website that will certainly save you a lot of money if you ever have the need to hire Movers or a moving company. The name of this company is Hireahelper.com, it is an Internet-based service provider that connects day laborers with people who need to get work done such as moving. Launched in June 2007 HireAHelper.com has drawn over 4,000 registered helpers across the United States. With sections for Moving Help, Landscaping Help, Cleaning Help, and General Help / Day Labor HireAHelper.com has you covered. HireAHelper.com is also the endorsed and sole moving labor provider for Realtor.com and Moving.com so you know it’s not some fly by night company. I wish I would have found this site when I made my move as I’m sure I could have saved a bundle of cash. How many times do you find yourself wishing you could find a better price on landscaping services, cleaning services or other labor help. I know quite a few people in my neighborhood myself included who have been paying quite a bit for services and now can find better prices through Hireahelper.com. In this economy we really need to save where we can and that means finding better prices for everything from food to the cost of labor. I think you'll find this website to be a very helpful tool in allowing you to do just that, save money. Feel free to pass along this website information to anyone who needs help with a move or a better prices on a landscaper and or other such labor. They'll thank you for it. Perhaps I’ll try and see if I can find a better deal on a cleaning lady and someone to do some work around my house there is no end to the amount of work that goes into a home….got to run enjoy.

Hasc #22 Video Sampler: Coming Soon

Here is the new Hasc 22 Video Sampler:

HASC is proud to present the 22nd Annual A Time for Music music celebration available on Double CD and DVD. This is a professional recording of last years amazing sold out show. Starring Yaakov Shwekey, Yehuda Green, Dovid Gabay, Baruch Levine and Chazzan Yitzhok Meir Helfgot. This concert also featured a special appearance by Abie Rotenberg with a brand new song. Mi Ke'amcha Yisroel. This CD/DVD will be in stores in the next 2 weeks.

Jewish Music Video: Lipa Schmeltzer Childhood Video

A great video featuring Lipa as child singing perhaps his first wedding with the Neginah orchestra. Notice Yehuda Spinner on sax fiddling with the sound system and what seems to be Ira Silber A"H on keys but I'm told it's actually Shimmy Braun of Neshoma Orchestra by Arkady.

Jewish Music Review: Benny Friedman: Taamu

Benny Friedman's debut is probably one of the most anticipated albums to ever be released in quite some time and it's a pleasure for me to review this album. Produced by Avi Newmark and distributed by Sameach Music.

1) Misod
Composed by Elimelech Blumstien
Arranged by Ian Freitor

This is strong disco/rock tune that's catchy and easy to lock onto and has a yeshivish edge to it.You have the signature Avi Singolda sound on the rhythm guitar and a great sax solo at 2:58 by Shlomie Cohen and of course great brass work by Daniel Flam and co.

Rating: 8

2) No Lyrics
Composed by Yitzy Waldner
Arranged by Ian Freitor

This niggun is not one your father sang in the shteeble. It features many updated concepts in comtemporary music today including programmed beats with hip hop style background vocals.As the song progresses they throw in some dramatic soundtrack style effects and drums.Interesting to listen to but it's not the best song on the album.

Rating: 7

3) U K'sheim
Composed by Yitzy Spinner
Arranged by Moshe Laufer

The piano ballad features soft but strong vocals by Benny and certainly his sound reminds you of his uncle Avraham but with a real twist that sets him apart. With nice chord progressions I really appreciated the bridges in this song. This is certainly a song one can play during the Chupa.

Rating: 8.5

4) Taamu
Composed by Shmuel & Bentzy Marcus
Arranged by Avremi G.

The title track starts with a very hip hora/disco I really enjoy the "A" part of this song. The song goes to a more straight ahead disco on part"B" and they throw in some Latin piano fills. I'm sure this song will get a lot of play time during the wedding circuit. I really enjoy the end of the song where he goes into an almost chazanos version of the melody.

Rating: 9

5) Hameracheim
Composed by Simche Friedman
Arranged by Leib Yaakov Rigler

This ballad starts with a flourish of flute, strings and brass. Benny starts by singing and the flute answers with an echo harmony in general it's a very classicaly based arrangement to start and it is retro in style.

Rating: 7

6) Moshiach
Composed by Yitzy Waldner
Arranged by Ian Freitor

This song starts with a Latin style based arrangement that is geared for a hora style.The background vocals are really nice here as is the flute work.

Rating: 6.5

7) Kad Yasvun
Composed by Meshulam Greenberger
Arranged by Moshe Laufer

This is another great piano ballad and Mosher Roth does a really nice job with the choir here.Toward the end (6:23) Benny goes for some real high notes that show his extended range.

Rating: 7.5

8) Amar
Composed by Yitzy Waldner
Arranged by Mona Rosenblum

A Hora that grabs your attention from the first note that's played and keeps you dancing.This song will certainly grow on you.

Rating: 8.5

9) Yaavducha
Composed by Bentzy Marcus
Arranged by Avremi G.

Featuring 8th day in this country style tune features some fantatic harmonies and A Capella that you truly enjoy.

Rating: 9

10) Letova
Composed by Oreil Avraham
Arranged by Ian Freitor & Leib Yaakov Rigler
A song with a seemingly strange intro with a retro sound (moog synth?). This moderate rock song is a very solid creation and the major chord progressions give it a very happy sound.

Rating: 8.5

11) Botaich Ani
Composed by Yitzy Waldner
Arranged by Leib Yaakov Rigler

A very contemporary styled ballad. Benny shows more of his soft side with falsetto on this tune.Featuring soprano sax and guitar overdubs with really nice background vocals.

Rating: 8

12)Emes
Composed by Yitzy Waldner
Arranged by Ian Freitor

You can argue with me but in my opinion they left the best for last. This song really stands out in every way. From the bluesy hip hop hora style to lyrics and the diction to the solid rythm guitar to the great brass lines it all just comes together. I can't stop listening to this song and can play it till the cows come home and still not get bored of it.

Rating: 11 out of 10 (huh?)

Synopsis:

All in all a very strong debut album that lives up to the hype and Benny has proven he is a force to be reckoned with in the Jewish Music business. He's got some great range with some serious pipes to boot. Kudos to the producer Avi Newmark who also brought you Dovid Gabay and certainly has an eye for talent! Avi had a major hand in putting this fantastic album together and his hard work has certainly paid off.I look forward to hearing more of Benny in the future as I'm sure you will too.

Here is the sampler trailer for Benny's Album. Enjoy!

New Kosher Products: Kosher Beef Jerky

If you never tried beef jerky, now you can thanks to beef jerky by Holy Cow!

As Per Kosher Today: Holy Cow! Has made a statement with its new kosher beef jerky. Through the company’s revolutionary production process, they have mastered the art of Jerky making. The result is truly fantastic flavor with a lean, tender finish - never brittle and dry. Moreover at Holy Cow! Kosher, they never use artificial ingredients, any trans fats or MSG. The jerky is kosher certified under the Orthodox Union and Kehilla Kosher. The beef jerky is available in original and teriyaki flavors.

If you have tried this kosher beef jerky, let us know what you think.

Becoming Kosher: Tootsie Rolls, Gatorade and more?

The most recent word is that Tootsie Rolls and Gatorade are becoming kosher under the supervision of the OU. I'm curious as to when Wrigley's would bear kosher supervision since there was a rumor floating around that they would turn kosher but it's been over a year since that news started to circulate and yet Wrigley's still bears no kosher supervision label. Evidently there is a company called "Intesley Different" that has been putting a lot of new kosher snacks on the market. They create and purchase franchise names to use on their labels i.e. TGIF mozzarella sticks, Bob's Texas style potato chips (you must try the jalapeno!) and more.