A Hassidic House Party in Crown Heights
A house party in Crown Heights? This one had a Kosher mechitza! This new band, which combines jazz and jam, was launched this past Chanukah and takes a news spin on popular niggunim.
Submit a Story
OYVEY
ill say it again
OYVEY!!!
Good Stuff
Shame I missed it.
very nice!
heard from someone who was there that it was great music. they enjoyed.
yoohoo
ouch…
Not OyVey... Oh Yea!!!
To Mr Oy Vey,
Does the concept of something different rustle your aging feathers??
time to wake up and smell the coffee!
our generation of youth NEEDS to be able to find different ways to enjoy some of the things that those in the older generation didnt need.
We didnt grow up with the Rebbe and we didnt grow up in a world where technology meant having the latest beeper.
We grew and are still growing in an age where digital media dominates and there is so much more “shtus” out there to be found.
what these young men are doing is the most amazing thing to happen to jewish music since avraham fried and MBD.
if only the older generation would take some time to understand that we NEED to feed our youth with better options than what can be found on youtube etc we might all be better off.
thanks for reading and may this music be the least of your OY VEYS!
wow
weird it says whith all are hearts
?
what is the purpose of this? does it bring to ahvas hashem and yiras hashem or is it stam to nuchmachan goyshkeit you decide
OY VEY indeed
I agree with OY VEY! However I come from a musicological point of view.
*Weak Melody line
*Undefined Part assignment (Bassist competing with right hand of keyboard player
*Over-Huped sax solos that have nothing to do with the chord progression of the original song
*Lack of focal point to arrangement
*Audience look like they are paying a shiva call (R”L) or are listening to a boring lecture…
I offer them the same reaction we got when we started playing in Jr High, and one of our parents walked in on our Jam Session : “Oy Vey”!
Yes this is good enough for a Chassidic House Party…
To 5
Awesome I concur
On the right track
Great music-very talented musicians. I give you credit for only playing niggunim! I think if you would want more people I would just change 2 things: the flier (it is definitely a turn-off to some) and the price. $15-18 is a lot of money unless you are offering good food/drinks as well.
Other than that, it is amazing to see such talented chassidim getting together and doing this!
Watching this video..
Its not my style music, i wouldn’t enjoy it being there. sounds like a mess to me
oy vey the 2nd
hmmmm. chasidic, house, party. let’s see: Looks like a house, not much of a party (see Oy Vey’s comment above, the audience looks like they’re at a lecture), and certainly not Chasidic, aside from the beards of the Sax and the keyboardist.
Yo BH
I like Jam, but All That Jazz! Yea! who dat on the saxo?
i was there
Everyone there had terrific time. These musicians are very talented and creative.
great talent!
nice to see the use of talent with chassidic music.
very inspiring!
keep up the holy work!
OY VEY continued
This group focused on histrionics, i.e. the Meioh Sheorim – like flier, and passing their lack of musical focus as “jazz”, rather than locking themselves in a studio for a couple of months and polishing their act. Improvement is needed both as individual musicians, and as a band.
Back into the studio fellas! I have no problem with Chassidishkeit of this group. I believe a group can play Chassidishe niggunim with rock Latin or Middle-Eastern influences without loosing the Chassidishe message. (Jazz, for those who know music is different than the genres listed above, and it’s “organized-chaos” theory may intefere with the Chabad-Chassidishe depth. Rock, some forms of Blues, most Latin styles, and Middle-Eastern inflections can augment the niggun without changing its theme, kayodua leyodei Ch”n… Veda”l)
We have many bands in Chabad – Kein Yirbu!
Everyone has a consttutional right to start a band and play any cacophony they please. However, its important to have professional musicuans critique the musicanship (not the showmanship…) of the groups, akin to the secular music scene. It allows the listener to be more educated, and not convince him/herself that he/she is listening to “Jazz” when it is no more than “ADHD” manifesting itself in the music they are listening to.
I bless this band that after a year of HARD WORK in the studio, they emerge as a powerful group on the Jewish/Chabad/Chassidic music scene.
As Chazal say: “Lo kol harotzei litol es hashem yitol”… Easy fellas . . . Lets keep the standards of Lubavitcher musicianship AT LEAST at par with that of the average secular band. ve
A Question to "OY VEY!"
Wow! You sound like you know what you’re talking about…
The questions is, what band in contemporary Jewish music would you consider up to par?
Was there
Band, keep it up! Keep on practicing. Choose some more complex nigunum, instead of “Zol Shoin Zein DDe Geulah”, which allow more room for creativity and jazz.
You guys are really talented, and just need some more leadership and practice. For example, the sax kept on starting and stopping mid solos, and then staying out for 10 minutes, looking around and raising the sax to his mouth as if he’s about to start, then stopping again.
The music was OK. Someone above already mentioned many of the flaws. At certain points, like the last set before the intermission, was very tight. I loved it. The biggest problem of the evening was the sound. The bassist used a small speaker that was set to the loudest, which made it very distorted. The other speakers were positioned very high, maybe 7 feet in the air, as if it was meant for tall people standing. They should have been much lower. This way we could have heard a clearer sound, without it being so loud.
Again, keep it up! I can’t wait till you guys are awesome! I would come to every show and buy your
LP
In the 17th century there rose a man who declared himself the Messiah, he attracted many Jews and led them to destruction, 20 years later there arose another man who started the Fankists and they too led Jews to destruction.
No too long after there came a man who preached goodness and kindness, if it wasn’t for the people before him he would have no adversary, but because of the bad past he had and has much against him. He was the Baal Shemtov
In Crown Heights in the past couple years there came several people or organizations who preached art and open-mindedness but yet after a short time showed themselves to be rebellious and apathetic to our community and ways of life, Matasyahu has come and gone, Chevras Ahavas Yisroel has shown that they care little about our values and are a venue for flirtatiousness and rebelliousness.
The Chasidic House party may have poor taste in its advertisement but as someone who was there and knows two of the band members (Daniel Berry and Eli Jayson) who are both very Chassidish and deep individuals who were both Jazz musicians before they became Frum, their intentions are to play Niggunim in a different style, the Mechitza was 100% Kosher and the Niggunim were played from the soul.
No they will not end up like CAY and Matasyahu because they coming from a healthy loving place and not narcissistic self-absorbed agenda.
just curious
whats Hassidic about this?
CH Gets Better & Better!
That’s right, enjoy ‘jamming’ so that while they slash your tires, damage your property, and assault your community, you can have the comfort of knowing that your paying them the compliment of enjoying their music. They’d never use yours. I loved #5’s comment. It’s so true that this is a new generation- every generation is new and they should have publicized Jewish integration into non Jewish music many generations ago, so that by now we would have completely lost the old fuddy duddy music of our heritage and it wouldn’t be there to embarrass us anymore.
IRONIC!
I find it ironic that the one who is FFB in this “band” is using “atire” to make a statement : “Look at me! I’m a musician”! This, while the BTs in the band, are dressed as Chassidim should.
Now bear in mind, that this was Motzoei Shabbos, and I am assuming the bass player was also dressed in the conventional black-and-white garb over Shabbos, and put on his “costume” for his audience. Wannabeism! This is a study on self efficacy and good musicianship vs. showmanship.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care what he wants to wear – it just that the irony rings truer than the accuracy of the musicianship…
Wow!
It BLOWS MY MIND how cruel people can be! To some of you: Just because no one knows who you are, doesn’t mean you still aren’t held responsible for being so cruel. This amazes me…
To The Chassidic House Party- Yasher Koach to you all for using your talents for such an outlet and playing niggunim. I agree that the poster (and maybe the name?) may be giving people the wrong impression of you. You should advertise for who and what you are- Talented Chassidic musicians, who creatively play niggunim in a strictly kosher way, and environment. Please don’t let any of these people who lack sensitivity and love discourage you from doing such wonderful work!
Daniel Berry
As the pianist and leader of Chassidic House Party, I want to sincerely thank everyone for the constructive criticism. It’s quite useful and well-received.
However, I ask you all to please keep in mind that this video was released without our knowledge, and recently removed at our request because the audio distortion is obviously very unpleasant and definitely does NOT represent the actual sound of the music that took place at the concert.
We’ll be releasing our own article with audio in the coming days, I encourage you to keep an eye out for it. We’ll be looking for your continued feedback!
Kol tuv,
Daniel
LP
Oh Daniel, your persistent optimism is inspirational, keep it up!
To #17
An example of a band who is “at par” is that of Yossi & Avi Piamenta playing authentic Chabad niggunim with classic rock styling, for example.
Yehuda Glanz is another example. Think his Latin rendition of the Chassidishe Niggun “Uvechen Tzaadikim”…
(Note this discussion is regarding the performance of Chabad Niggunim, not original music or covers)
We have some great wedding bands here in crown heights, as well as in Israel and around the globe, consisting of great musicians, most with prior experience in the Rock and Progressive Rock genres.
Phrasing and “kneitching” the song authentically and accurately, allows the artist to explore and experiment with different styles, while leaving the Niggun unchanged. Good Chassidishe rock guitarist know how to use Pickup Notes, bend strings, and perform Hammer-Ons, to produce the “Kneitchen” that typify Chabad niggunim.
Unfortunately, in attempting to perform Niggunim translated through true Jazz, much of the “Kneitchen” are lost, and the weight-shift associated with Jazz frasing dilutes the musical message of the Niggun.
There are other aspects such as the “musical personality” of the Jazz musician vs. that of the Rock musician. Jazz defies Kabolas Ol, where Rock seeks to connect to a highter source (often in futility in the secular world… ) Middle-Eastern Music too, places emphasis on the lyrical “Kneitchen”, including trills, bends, as well as quarter tones, which makes it compatible with Chabbad Niggunim.
ALL jazz musicians that I have played Chabad Niggunim with have expressed the need to alter their style and even theory and technique, when playing Chabad Niggunim. This, while the Rock musicians (myself included) feel very comfortable with the Niggun-Rock style relationship, and flow through the gig obviously having a good time. (No substance abuse… ) I’ll never forget doing a gig where we played strictly Chabad Niggunim in a Classic Rock “levush”. After the event, I was approached by an old Chossid, who was known to be very meticulous with Niggunim. I told the other band members “Walla, Hineh Hu yishpoch aleinu shpachtel….” To my suprize, he complimented us on the Chayus AND KNEITCHEN we included in the Niggunim… That should explain it…
To # 22
“JUDGING a person does NOT define who THEY are.
It defines who YOU are.”
Fan
Besides the intense poster (which is necessary for a band to get going sometimes, and in this case, definitely shtut d’kedusha), I think the whole idea was brilliant. There is no loss, usually, for bolstering a skill that can be used toward kedusha in speeding the Geula Shleima and their was a realistic thought between the skills of the musicians and the potential for starting such a band. What happens now?