February 04, 2007

Anat Fort CD 'A Long Story' --US Release in March

Anat Fort announces the US Release of the CD, "A Long Story"which is coming out on ECM on March 6th. See her website at: www.anatfort.com Bio from Anat Fort website:
www.anatfort.com:
Pianist Anat Fort was born in Israel and began her classical music education there at the age of five. Her early attraction to improvisation and interest in jazz ultimately led to a summer session at the Eastman School of Music and enrollment in the jazz program at William Paterson University. While there, she started composing and continued to perform different styles under the guidance of jazz notables Rufus Reid, Norman Simmons, Harold Mabern and Vic Juris.

Upon graduation, Anat moved to New York and studied classical composition with Harold Seletsky and improvisation with Paul Bley, further reinforcing her diverse musical inclinations. Anat's 1999 debut CD containing original compositions, Peel, was followed by the formation of the Anat Fort Trio with bassist Gary Wang and drummer Roland Schneider, a collaboration subsequently voted "one of the best jazz shows of 2003" by All About Jazz-NY.

The Trio performs regionally and internationally at venues such as Symphony Space, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Makor, Cornelia Street Cafe and participated at the JVC Jazz Festival in 2005, sharing a concert featuring Anat as soloist. Her next CD will be released under the ECM label soon and the Trio is excited to record their first CD in early 2006.

Anat is a prolific and active composer and arranger. In 2000, she was commissioned to write Tzohar for string orchestra and improvising piano, performing it with the chamber orchestra Ramat-Gan in Israel. Since the premiere, she has performed it with the Palo-Alto Symphony in Palo Alto, California and the professional orchestra in residence at William Paterson University.

Her next commission, K'tanot (for chamber ensemble), was premiered in 2002 by the Musica Nova Consort at the Tel-Aviv Biennial for contemporary music. She has since received two composition grants from the Jerome foundation and was recently commissioned to create five new arrangements of Israeli music by the Opera House in Tel Aviv, Israel.

As a resident New Yorker since 1996, Anat has had the privilege of playing with such influential artists as Paul Motian, Joe Williams, Horacee Arnold, Perry Robinson, Al Grey, Ben Monder, and Ed Schuller.

Posted by jmwc at 10:33 PM

Happy 10th Anniversary JMWC !!

The Jewish Music Web Center is celebrating 10 years online this month! My first research bibliography and organized list of Jewish websites appeared in February, 1997. I went live with the www.jmwc.org domain name the following February-- making this our 10th anniversary year. In 1997, there were fewer than 75 websites devoted to Jewish music. Today, there are hundreds. The astounding growth of the Internet has allowed connections to people devoted to Jewish music all over the world.

Thank you ALL for a wonderful 10 years!

Yours,

Judy
--Boston, MA

Posted by jmwc at 09:40 PM

When You Lie Down and When You Rise Up CD Release

whenyouliedownCantor Judy Greenfeld has released a new CD "When You Lie Down and When You Rise Up" which is a collection modern day renewal-style melodies to prayers for the beginning and end of the day. Each song is based primarily upon traditional texts which are set to new music. Cantor Greenfeld, Gordon Lustig, Meir Finkelstein and Sheryl Braunstein are the featured composers on the album. The album has spoken text of prayer as well as traditional texts helping listeners to have guided focus on the meanings of the prayers. Cantor Greenfeld has a wonderful, clear voice which is especially suited to the new age, quiet, relaxing music prevalent on the album. This is not an album geared toward children, although it is appropriate for them with a warm and friendly sound. This album has plenty of English spoken and sung text mixed with some of the Hebrew prayers. More information about her CD can be found at www.nachshonminyan.org/otherWorks.html

Judy Greenfeld Cantor Judy Greenfeld is the founder and spiritual leader of the Nachshon Minyan (www.nachshonminyan.org) in Encino, California. Cantor Judy Greenfeld did her undergraduate work at the University of Arizona and received her ordination as well as a Master’s Degree in Jewish Sacred Music from the Academy for Jewish Religion, California (www.ajrca.org), a pluralistic rabbinical and cantorial seminary based in Los Angeles. Cantor Greenfeld is the co-author (with Dr. Tamar Frankiel) of two books, Minding the Temple of the Soul and Entering the Temple of Dreams which detail a new approach to Jewish prayer through movement and meditation. She has lectured and taught movement and prayer at retreats and synagogues around the United States. One of the highlights of Cantor Greenfeld's work with the Nachshon Minyan includes authoring a prayer book which reflects a blending of Conservative and Reform traditions. It will be published by the Ktav Publishing House in 2007 and will be accompanied by a CD now in production. Her latest CD, "When You Lie Down and When You Rise Up: Jewish prayers to begin and end your day in a meaningful way" features original music for evening and morning prayers. A resident of Encino, she is married to Michael Greenfeld and is the proud mother of Samantha and David.

Cantor Greenfeld is licensed to officiate at lifecycle events including bar and bat mitzvah services and weddings. She can be reached at CGC1@aol.com. More information about her CD can be found at www.nachshonminyan.org/otherWorks.html.

Posted by jmwc at 07:49 PM