August 16, 2009

Sway Machinery's Musical Extravaganza "Hidden Melodies Revealed: A Secret Celebration of Rosh Hashanah"

The Night Before Rosh Hashonah.....
September 17th at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple
"The Sway Machinery Makes The Ancient Modern And The Mythological Real"
- Village Voice

On the heels of their successful New York City events in 2007 and 2008, JDub Records Presents America's only indie rock/Jewish cantorial music group, The Sway Machinery www.swaymachinery.com
http://www.myspace.com/theswaymachinery
bringing one of the most unique celebrations of the Jewish new year "Hidden Melodies Revealed - a Secret Celebration of Rosh Hashanah" to Los Angeles for 2009. This multi-media concert event celebrates Rosh Hashanah in a presentation that is part ritual, part rock concert. The performance is scheduled for the night before Rosh Hashanah, on September 17. "Hidden Melodies Revealed" will also include storytelling and compelling animated films.

The event will take place at 9:00pm

at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple
3663 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
and admission is free.
An Open Bar Reception including wines from Wente Vineyards, will be held in the courtyard of the temple prior to the concert at 8:00PM.

The Sway Machinery's unique musical vision re-contextualizes Ashkenazic Jewish spiritual music, the soulful vocal Cantorial style most often heard in American Jewish synagogues, into the broader spectrum of world music. The band finds inspiration for new versions of Cantorial classics in African popular music, Eastern European folk music and American blues. Their ever rotating line-up features an incredible roster of musicians for the Los Angeles event; led by blues guitarist Jeremiah Lockwood of Balkan Beat Box, along with John Bollinger of Barbez on drums, noted tenor sax player Matt Bauder, Kelly Pratt of the Beirut and Arcade Fire horn sections (and his own acclaimed project Plan B) on trumpet, and touring member of The Arcade Fire and frequent Tom Waits collaborator Colin Stetson on bass saxophone. Other exciting musical guests are expected and will be announced as they are confirmed.

Hidden Melodies Revealed will also feature a screening of Guggenheim fellow Shawn Atkin's animated short film depicting the dawn of monotheism, The Akeidah.

Rabbi Steve Leder of Wilshire Boulevard Temple is pleased to welcome The Sway Machinery to this historic Temple campus noting, "Along with our ambitious renovation and expansion that symbolize the reversal of the Jewish exodus from the eastern part of Los Angeles, we are pleased to host events like Hidden Melodies Revealed to connect with and welcome the young, indie, Jewish and multicultural audiences from the hip eastside neighborhoods we are expanding to serve such as Hollywood, Hancock Park, Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Echo Park."

The Sway Machinery's sound stems from Lockwood's rich musical relationships with his grandfather Cantor Jacob Konigsberg, and with his mentor, the renowned blues player Carolina Slim, who fondly guided Lockwood's musical development. Konigsberg, one of the last great exponents of Cantorial singing, led Lockwood into an understanding and love of the soulful and ancient heritage of Synagogue music. Lockwood's deeply personal relationship to these two musical traditions helped him to forge a unique musical language of his own, as he learned to move from singing in his grandfather's study to playing with Carolina Slim in New York City subway stations. The Sway Machinery was borne out of this dichotomy.

Though The Sway Machinery carefully cultivates Lockwood's deeply felt relationship to his musical roots, his accomplished colleagues bring to the table the sounds of afro-beat horns, unassailable rock beats and an astutely contemporary musical sensibility. Lockwood layers the haunting notes of his Cantorial-influenced vocals over the energetic, celebratory rhythms of afro-pop, hard-hitting drums and the blues. "Hidden Melodies Revealed" showcases pieces based on mystical texts taken directly from the Jewish High Holiday prayers and reconfigures them in a startlingly new musical landscape. Lockwood's ambitious melding of styles results in what The Village Voice has called a most "joyful synthesis."

About the Presenters and Sponsors:
Presenter:
JDub is a non-profit dedicated to innovative Jewish music, community, and cross-cultural dialogue. JDub artists include Sway Machinery, Balkan Beat Box, Soulico, and Michael Showalter. www.jdubrecords.org, http://www.myspace.com/jdubrecordings

Made Possible with Support From:
The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles: Established in 1954, the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles is the largest manager of charitable assets and the leader in planned giving solutions for Greater Los Angeles Jewish philanthropists. In 2008, The Foundation and its nearly 1,200 donors distributed more than $65 million in grants to hundreds of organizations with programs that span the range of philanthropic giving.

CoSponsors:
Reboot: Reboot is a catalyst to catalysts - a growing network of thought-leaders and tastemakers who work toward a common goal: to "reboot" the culture, rituals, and traditions we've inherited and make them vital and resonant in our own lives. 10Q is the brainchild of two rebooters: filmmaker, Nicola Behrman and New Yorker editor, Ben Greenman, who make Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur meaningful with their online series of questions, one a day for ten days at www.renewyear.com .

Nextbook Inc.: Nextbook Inc. is a nonprofit organization that promotes the discovery and discussion of Jewish literature, culture, and ideas. Through Nextbook Press, it produces the Jewish Encounters book series with Schocken/Random House, and it also operates Tablet Magazine, a daily online magazine about Jewish life.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles: For nearly a century, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles has been fulfilling the sacred mission of tikkun olam, the repair of the world, by supporting and funding organizations which serve the ever-changing needs of the community.

Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists: The Six Points Fellowship supports individual artists developing new projects with a Jewish focus, theme or element, and is a partnership of JDub Records, Avoda Arts, and the Foundation for Jewish Culture, made possible through funding from UJA-Federation of New York. Hidden Melodies Revealed was originally created as a Six Points Fellowship Project.

Wilshire Boulevard Temple: Founded in 1862, Wilshire Boulevard Temple is a Reform Jewish congregation in Los Angeles that values both tradition and innovation. Temple operations span three campuses and include an elementary school, early childhood centers, a religious school and summer camps in addition to worship services. Its landmark sanctuary is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, visit www.wbtla.org .

MySpace Music: MySpace Music includes a vast catalog of premium and promotional content, a wide selection of user-to-user sharing tools, and e-commerce opportunities for artists. MySpace Music aims to empower artists to monetize their content through multiple revenue streams by allowing the MySpace community to stream premium content in an ad-supported environment, purchase MP3s and ringtones, create and share playlists, and purchase merchandise, concert tickets, and other digital and physical goods. MySpace Music also connects artists and fans in the offline arena through various concert series and live events including Secret Shows, MySpaceLIVE!, Transmissions, The Release, Front to Back and The List.

Wente Vineyards: The country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, Wente Vineyards is led today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. More than 125 years of committed stewardship to the land has led to the development of Wente Vineyards' Farming for the Future, a system of sustainable viticultural practices designed to produce the best quality wines with the least environmental impact. This philosophy extends to all aspects of winery operations, where energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and social responsibility are all integral to the culture. In 2007, Fifth Generation Winemaker Karl Wente spear-headed the launch of "Discover The Wine, Discover The Music," an innovative promotional partnership with breaking artists, providing wine/music fans experiences not possible with conventional sponsorship. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California's premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.

Posted by jmwc at August 16, 2009 08:15 AM