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Artists Release Album in Tribute of Moshe Yess

Recorded Jewish music can be divided into two categories

The Timeless—projects that endure because the tap into an emotion and/or define a particular style or artist, suchas the works of Yossele Rosenblatt, Diaspora Yeshiva Band, Mordechai Ben David’s Hineini (and according to many I’d Rather Pray Than Sing), most anything by Reb Shlomo, early D’Veykus, etc.

The Timely—projects that connect because they’re the “best in class” in terms of capturing what’s ‘hot” music, song and style wise…while their hits may endure a wedding season or two…”Timely” Jewish music is a bit more of a revolving door.

Every so often Jewish music fans are graced with an artist/album that achieves both…creating songs that become a permanent part of our DNA for generations while at the same time achieving a level of popularity that’s measured in terms of countries and continents…not just local communities.

When describing the music of Moshe Yess the preceding becomes almost an understatement. Despite the fact Yess’s music came onto the collective consciousness in the pre email/Facebook/social everything era of the late 70’s and early 80’s, the plaintive yet powerful messages of songs like Jack Schwartz, “G-d Is Alive & Well In Jerusalem” and of course “My Zaidy” resonated with listeners throughout the world…and more importantly, still do today. Small wonder that world class performers like Abie Rottenberg, Yossie Green & 8th Day cite Yess as a major influence

What made the Yess/Megama (the duet he formed with cellist Shalom Levine) dynamic even more impressive was the simplicity of their sound. They debuted at the peak of the “disco” era—when pulsating rhythms and massive horn, synth & string sections came “standard” with any album. Despite this, Yess’s decidedly “minimalist yet musical’ sound and “wise yet whimsical” made an immediate connection with listeners. As Yess was a true artist, he dedicated himself to creating new material rather than preserving his music for future generations, because of this much of his work disappeared in a commercial sense…a situation that’s about to be rectified thanks to the talents—and dedication of Gershon Veroba & Yerachmiel Ziegler the producers behind the Yess Legacy.

When Veroba & Zeigler were assembling the talent roster for TYL—the long waited tribute album to the music of Moshe Yess, they realized that it wasn’t about finding singers or even performers as much as it was finding “the Moshe Yess’s of today”.

Once they matched up this roster with the right songs (and schedules), the next step was deconstructing then reconstructing Yess’s music so it would keep its honesty and soul while still appealing to a generation that was at best peripherally aware of him.

The results are every bit as mind blowing today as they were in their original incarnation over a generation ago.

Veroba a stellar performer/composer/producer in his own right, used his encyclopedic knowledge of musical genres as well as his understanding of what drives fellow artists, to create a sound that doesn’t simply do justice to Yess’s works, but actually refreshes them for a new generation of fans. Think of a craftsman updating a 200 year old landmark home for 2013 –yet doing so without changing the core layout or charm and you begin the understand the level of his achievement. Despite the updated sound, every song stays unwaveringly true to the DNA of the originals. Yess fans will be transported to the times in their lives when they first heard these classics, while ‘newbies’ will be captivated by the sophisticated simplicity of both music and message.

Even in an age of reduced attention spans, sound bites and video clips…the “stop and ask yourself what are we here for?” message that is central to many of Yess’s tunes, is even more relevant today. Because of this, Veroba was able to assemble a decidedly eclectic A-list of performers to take part in the project including Abie Rotenberg, Rivie Schwebel, Yossi Green, Avraham Rosenblum, Rabbi Baruch Chait, Benny Friedman, Shlomo Katz, Soulfarm, Lenny Solomon, Nochi Krohn, Moshe Hecht, Aryeh Kunstler, Marc Levine, Sam Glaser, Zevi Kaufman, Country Yossi, Menachem Weinstein Yosi Piamenta, Avraham Rosenblum, C Lanzbom, Andy Statman, Yaron Gershovsky, Gal Gershovsky, Moshe Antelis, Tony Montalbo, Aryeh Kunstler, Nochi Krohn and others. Shalom Levine, Yess’s partner in Megama was even brought out of retirement for a cameo—an appearance made even more special because it took place just weeks before Levine’s untimely passing.

Despite the incredible level of material, talent and production this 30 song, double CD set will retail for the single CD price of just $15.99. “Moshe’s music connected with people because it was about people—the concepts aren’t about the lofty as much as they’re about the human condition. Recreating and respecting that without recognizing the need to also make sure it’s as accessible as possible to as many fans as possible, would be a disservice to the very soul of Yess Legacy” said Veroba.

The album is in stores now and available for digital download on JewishJukebox.com 

Jack Schwartz – Shalom Levine:

 

Throw Away That Ham – Menachem Weinstein:

 

Aint No Bishul – Aaron Holder:

 

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14 Comments

  • NONONONONONO

    Sorry to break someones hart, but this whole thing is wrong and all off. I mean no disrespect to the people who spent time, effort and money on this project, but they missed the mark. BIG TIME.

    “Despite the updated sound, every song stays unwaveringly true to the DNA of the originals,” are you kidding me? What part was staying ‘true to the DNA of the originals’? Was it the part where Benny Friedman goes “Upa, lets go” or is it when Menachem Weinstein raps?

    “Yess fans will be transported to the times in their lives when they first heard these classics” NO THEY WONT. I grew up with his music and I am already disappointed with what they did to the music. “‘newbies’ will be captivated by the sophisticated simplicity of both music and message.” Ok, I’ll give you that, people will indeed enjoy the music… but its not his music and you cant go and call it a tribute to him!

    Moshe Yess’s music was RAW.
    Him and his guitar.
    His stile of singing and incredible finger picking are unparalleled even in the goyishe world today. That mixed with this sole… THATS WHAT HIS MUSIC WAS.

  • Amazing

    i love love love these songs, well done to everyone, amazing fresh Jewish talentover here :)

  • to AR

    it definitly is a cello, my aunt once had one and it looked like that, only bigger.

  • To #4

    Wrong. Shalom Levine played the viola. At the top of the stringed instrument is the violin, lowest note being a G below middle C. Slightly larger with a deeper tone is the viola. Lowest note being C, one octave below middle C. Its tone is less strident that of the violin. Both these instruments are played held by the head and chin. Then there is the cello, larger and played on the floor between ones feet sitting down. Pitched lower than the viola, it’s lowest note is one octave below the viola, 2 octaves below middle C. Then of course there is the largest in the string family, the contrabass, played standing up, it lowest lowest note being E, 2 octaves and a sixth, below Middle C

  • mendel

    to NONONONONONONONO

    I’ll give you the rap … but I would say a couple of these are very close in spirit with the originals including Abie, Holder’s Ham, Benny’s As a Jew, changing the style of the song like adding rap you are right about, but adding the word upa, come on … don’t over exaggerate it.

    Why didnt they just re-release moshe’s original tracks remastered??

  • Yess fan

    I agree with number two. Took great songs and made them cheesey. You can hear that some of the singers are reading off a paper, saddest thing is most of em haut don’t get it…

  • i like it

    While i hear the critique of number 2, i have to disagree. OF COURSE, nobody can replicate the artistry of Moshe Yess, but they did a pretty good job of presenting his work to today’s Jewish music world.
    I am a HUGE fan of Moshe Yess, and I would enjoy this CD, most of the songs anyway.
    Also, I think they used some popular singers who are not the best to sing Moshe Yess songs (or any other songs)… but this will help get this music out to a bigger crowd.
    The Ham song is not Moshe’s style, but it is quite good! And I like how the British accent was smuggled in.

  • WeinsteinRocks

    I like Weinstein. and would love to see his rendition in a music video.

  • Fantastic Album

    This is a fantastic album. True it is polished, if you just wanna hear bare-bones guitar + singing like #4 you may be disappointed. But it has an acoustic aesthetic that is faithful to the spirit of Moshe Yess’s songs. Not the way overproduced, synth & autotune sound that is so popular in “Jewish” music nowadays. Truly refreshing. Great job!

  • DynamicDuo

    The original Megama albums can’t be replicated or remastered, only reproduced.

    That being said, you have to admit that considering what most Jewish music sounds today. This album did carry a great deal of the original music’s architecture and style. Minus the few that digressed like “Throw Away that Ham” (which still came out sounding cool)

    There WAS more than a guitar and a voice on The Yess Legacy album but that’s what most music these days requires.

    Some songs actually were enhanced by the extra instruments. Although I agree, nobody could ever really belt out any of these songs the way Moshe Yess did. He totally rocked them and sang with such with such intensity and conviction!

    I guess when you write a song yourself it will always have more meaning to you and you will be able to sing it and pronounce the lyrics in their original context.

    When you sing someone else’s music it has to be challenging to get that same intensity of emotion out in a recording.

  • Shawn

    I am a HUGE Moshe Yess fan. (i even have songs that he himself admitted to me he had no recording of.)
    That being said, i loved this album. I love Abie on “David Cohen’s Bar Mitzva”, i absolutely love Rivie, and Avraham Rosenblum’s rendition of their particular songs. I love Nochi’s rendition of Dollar Bill, especially how they wove in the Viola solo. However, i cannot understand how they left out “Jewish Child”, “Yosef My Son”, “Gaivas & Taivas” and some other classics in favor of Ham, Ain’t no Bishul, Frum Wive’s, and some of the other choices.
    To #2 – even Moshe Yess himself has songs that were more than just him and his guitar. (Gaivas and Taivas, Yosef My Son, The entire Art imitates Life album, Etc. ) You can never recreate his voice, guitar talent, and soul, but the overall feel of his songs is there on most.