tag:davidchevan.com,2005:/blogs/the-occasional-rumination-and-ramble?p=2the occasional rumination and ramble2023-08-24T11:30:26-04:00David Chevanfalsetag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/72622472023-08-24T11:30:26-04:002023-10-16T10:49:00-04:00Klezmer in the Ball Park<p> </p><p>This past Sunday, for the second year in a row, the Nu Haven Kapelye performed Klezmer for an hour before the Yard Goats game at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford. We had a blast, and crowds gathered around the group to hear us play before the game. </p><p>Mike Ruscoe shared some of his photos of the day with the group and here's a few choice moments:</p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/152531/1f16d9025852580976c9b173a9bf860e08282af3/original/dsc-0516-5.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/152531/8beb264c3ba0083e55e07e4113d38b31b938a1d2/original/dsc-0484-5.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/152531/92de4203c56732a2b475299e160268b3ad1df54f/original/dsc-0489-5.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/152531/bd585c944e6ecc9aecd9366eaf2fb20a61b31dd4/original/dsc-0530-5.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/152531/a211d80d6ecbebbfda815391d765f9e205323bba/original/dsc-0504-5.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/152531/1fa49dc49975b30de7d38a0cfdca347de21afc2b/original/dsc-0544-5.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" />David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/72596072023-08-19T12:06:53-04:002023-08-19T12:06:53-04:00Music in the Sunken Garden with the Afro-Semitic Experience<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/152531/364ca2ad47f9d3b385c87d81609ca74ac2bb0e13/original/img-20230728-115119-950.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><p>Playing in the Sunken Garden at the Porter Phelps Huntington Museum. </p><p>A great night of music making in a beautiful space</p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/152531/9a6dc4e6ded1eaab67bcde4804bbcf19167f22b8/original/img-20230728-115119-994.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" />David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/72596062023-08-19T12:04:51-04:002023-08-19T12:04:51-04:00Upcoming performances<p><span>It’s been a while since my last music update. I’ve had a great musical summer that began in late June when Warren, Saskia and I were in Italy and gave an Afro-Semitic Experience concert on the steps of the Great Synagogue of Florence. Here’s a video of us performing </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://youtu.be/4iDRubt_YcM"><span>Unity in the Community</span></a><span>. </span></p><p><span>As I prepare for the fall, I’ve got a busy few weeks coming up. Here’s a list of my various performances.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Saturday, August 19 5-7, Nu Haven Kapelye at Best Video Cultural Center, 1842 Whitney Ave., Hamden. Music outdoors in the parking lot of Best Video. Come to listen to some classic Klezmer and Yiddish songs but be prepared to get up and dance in a circle!!</span><o:p></o:p></p><p> </p><p><span>Sunday, August 20 Hartford Yard Goats Game pregame music. The Nu Haven Kapelye is playing a set at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford. It’s Jewish Heritage Day and we’ll be we’re opening for the Hartford Yard Goats game. You’ll have to get a ticket to the game to see us. The Yard Goats are having a great season so it will be worth staying to see the game! Music at 11:30. Game at 1 pm. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p> </p><p><span>Saturday, August 26. I have been rehearsing a group of current and former students from the Southern Connecticut State University Latin Jazz Ensemble for a concert of Latin Jazz Classics at the Torrington Historical Society. The group will perform from 6:30-8:00 pm, in the gardens of Torrington's <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/152531/7e64e212afc20dd073a04af41ab3a4fdf83186ca/original/20230629-213848.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Hotchkiss Fyler House Museum as part of the Jazz in the Garden concert series hosted by the Torrington Historical Society. The Hotchkiss Fyler House Museum is located at 192 Main Street, Torrington, CT. I hope you will come and support these excellent young musicians and singers. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p> </p><p><span>Thursday, August 31 Afro-Semitic Experience at The Drake 44 North Pleasant Street in Amherst</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Our first time at the Drake, please help us spread the word!</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Here is the ticket link: </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.thedrakeamherst.org/events/the-afro-semitic-experience"><span>https://www.thedrakeamherst.org/events/the-afro-semitic-experience</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p> </p><p><span>Tuesday, September 5, 7 pm, David Chevan at Café Nine, playing the music of S’lichos. Event hosted by the New Haven Jazz Underground. With Rosh Hashanah coming up, I’m planning a set of instrumental repentance music. This is the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary of my Days of Awe album. That recording featured my arrangements of the high holy day music of Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt and others. After the music of repentance comes a jazz jam. My set begins at 7 pm. The jazz jam begins at 8 pm.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p> </p><p><span>September 9, Afro-Semitic Experience makes our debut performance at the </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.ctfolk.org/yearly-folk-festival-green-expo"><span>CT Folk Fest</span></a><span>, 5:30 set. It’s a great lineup of artists and we’re excited to be opening for Maria Muldaur. We’ve just recorded a new album and we’ll be featuring some of that music.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p> </p><p><span>Coming up in October: a CD release party for the Nu Haven Kapelye at Café Nine.</span></p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/68222272021-11-28T16:56:42-05:002021-11-28T16:56:42-05:00Letters from the Affair at the Tsitsit Fringe Festival<p>I’m back from an extraordinary week of performing Letters from the Affair in London; a week with several near artistic disasters and quite a few small, but real triumphs. It all began back in May when Letters from the Affair was accepted for a performance at the Tsitsit Fringe festival. At the time that the work was accepted, my thinking was that we’d perform the work either live streamed or prerecorded. Then, as the summer progressed things began to open up. By the end of the summer, it became clear that it would be possible to perform this work live in front of an audience. </p>
<p><strong>Pre-travel planning and getting ready to go </strong></p>
<p>After several zoom meetings with Alastair Falk, the director of the festival, I began to lay out the logistics of rehearsing a work online. My first decision was straightforward: I would need to play bass in the ensemble and lead the group and direct from within the show. My first job was to cast the leading roles of Camille Pissarro and Edgar Degas. I figured I could build everything else around those two performers. I knew that I would need to work with mostly London based performers. but I wasn’t sure how well things would go with a completely new cast and band. Within a few days of beginning my search for the leads I discovered the difficult challenge of getting people to be involved in a project with so many moving parts. The first question I was asked by every potential cast member was, what are the performance dates? And even as late as mid-September we weren’t exactly sure what those dates would be. The one thing that Alastair was sure of was that we were going to get to perform the work in the Stern Pissarro Gallery in London, a gallery owned by Camille Pissarro’s great granddaughter. </p>
<p>As the performance dates materialized one by one the initial candidates for Pissarro disappeared. People had commitments and could not fit this work into their existing performance schedule. I had one performer who committed to the role and then his mother took ill, and he stepped out. Another performer couldn’t get time off from his day job (working at a synagogue). Yoav Oved, the person who accepted the role of Camille Pissarro was the one name that kept appearing over and over among the recommendations. I was able to watch a couple of his videos on YouTube and he seemed like he would be the right person for the part. It was his dramatic and haunting rendition El Male Rachamim that convinced me that he had something interesting and musical to bring to the part. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ZMpFduqnvk4" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZMpFduqnvk4/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZMpFduqnvk4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> </p>
<p>What I’ve summarized took more time than I could have imagined. Finding a person to play the role of Pissarro wasn’t easy. And I still needed to cast Degas. Without getting too deep into the weeds, I’ll just say how grateful I was that Alastair and I figured out how to bring Cantor Martin Levson to London to play Degas. Martin has a very long history with this work. He’s played the part of Degas for the 2019 and 2020 seasons of the Providence Fringe and the November 2020 performance at Southern Connecticut State University. </p>
<p>While I continued to put the rest of the group together, I began rehearsing with Yoav Oved via Zoom. Here's a shot of Yoav singing and me listening:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/0ab1b4fb7c1d7f36bede6251202e2878b1a908e4/original/2021-10-08-1.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="Yoav and David rehearsing" /></p>
<p>We met at least three times online and rehearsed one time with Martin. I was at my piano in Connecticut playing cues here and there, but the lag time on Zoom made it impossible to do any more than that. But Yoav has a great ear and a great voice. He began to learn the songs that Pissarro sings and I knew we were on our way. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/b0e78bca53b429d9f38b24b4fd8f7e7c4201fb0c/original/2021-10-11-1.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>As my departure date for London grew near, I found John Macnaughton, a great reed player. But finding an accordion player who could play the various musical styles in the work was more difficult. Thanks to the help of Ilana Cravitz and several other London musicians I had a good list of names to contact. Eventually I was introduced to Yair Schleider, and he joined the team. Ilana also connected me with a string shop in London that had a wide range of basses that I could choose from to use for the week. </p>
<p>I was almost all set. The only part that I had not filled was that of the narrator. But I knew I had a narrator all set for our Birmingham performance so while I was worried, I was not overly concerned. </p>
<p><strong>Thursday, October 14</strong> </p>
<p>I left for London on Thursday, October 14 and landed at Heathrow on Friday, October 15. I’d like to say it was a nice easy flight, because for the most part that is what it was, but it didn’t begin that way. After we were all boarded our plane was stuck on the ground in Washington, DC for over two hours while a malfunction with some onboard system was repaired. After that, the flight was nice and easy. </p>
<p><strong>Friday, October 15</strong> </p>
<p>I landed in London over two hours late with a lot to do. Fortunately, customs was fairly easy and I was able to get into London and then find my way to Golders Green, a part of London I’d never been in before where the festival was housing us. Golders Green set the tone for my trip. My entire visit to London was filled with very Jewish moments and Golders Green, while not the only Jewish community in London, is a Jewish community filled with Kosher stores, restaurants and even a Kosher vape shop (look at where Martin is pointing and you’ll see). </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/c3e955ae728942855f1a678eb0d052e55ec4cbe0/original/pxl-20211015-141657406.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_thick" alt="I saw this sign a lot during my trip" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/34b6d8371e3cbddeaf8dad2d94f1fa37807181bb/original/pxl-20211018-115050014.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_medium" alt="Martin pointing at the word "Kosher" in Hebrew. Yes, Golder's Green has a Kosher vape shop!" /><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>I checked into my hotel, the King Solomon, and then headed to the other side of town where a bass awaited me. I headed to a lovely luthier shop, Bridgewood and Neitzert and finally Ilana Cravitz in person (she works there part-time). She helped me to choose a bass with a great big voice and a nice overall feel (yes, I was very tempted to come home with a new instrument).</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/d5c9ba8d875218a471fb88234dfa85af1515ac45/original/pxl-20211015-170336500.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="Ilana Cravitz, me, and the bass" /></p>
<p>I hurried back to Golders Green where I met up with Martin Levson, who had also arrived that day. We met up at Alyth, the North Western Reform Synagogue, also in Golders Green. I also briefly reconnected with Alyth’s wonderful cantor, Tamara Hope Wolfson. </p>
<p>After services Martin and I had a tasty Shabbat dinner at Hosh, a Turkish restaurant and one of the few Golders Green restaurants that was open on Friday night. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/63f46aa6896f3e55c0aa08ec383a5ec22c4f2a4b/original/pxl-20211015-192222600.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="a little shabbos l'chayim!!" /></p>
<p><strong>Saturday, October 16</strong> </p>
<p>On Saturday we had our first rehearsal. Yair graciously offered us the use of his apartment and we ended up having all our rehearsals there. John couldn’t make it, so I spent the afternoon working with both singers and Yair. Because of our online rehearsals Yoav was far along with his part and things came together quite smoothly. Yair and Yoav play Yemeni weddings together and have done some other projects, so they already had some good chemistry. We were able to get through all the music and even begin shaping things. When I listen back to this clip from the first rehearsal, I hear both how far we got and how much farther we had to go to tightening everything up. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="yMtdO0yfIT8" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/yMtdO0yfIT8/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yMtdO0yfIT8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>We took a break during rehearsal and Yair showed us the garden outside his apartment. It was idyllic. Just like I imagined an English garden to be. Of course, we took a few photos and here are just a few of those:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/810fb36abacedab25c3154175ac9f6a21f9f8053/original/pxl-20211016-140338383.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_medium" alt="" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/a2d2e84194b6f699f9ded3350e182743035beec9/original/pxl-20211016-141623133.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_medium" alt="Martin, Yair, Yoav and me in the garden" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/8bdd7555a758ed7cbc3e195e4ae63f5392677dc5/original/pxl-20211016-140559777.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="Two Americans in an English garden during a rehearsal break" /><br><br>After the rehearsal Yoav took us to a little place for lunch where we had Jochnun, a traditional Yemeni dish served on the Sabbath.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/a70aa58c3c718fd2d3310e3166e7cc560e15f7b1/original/pxl-20211016-161634384.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>Yoav, who is Yemeni, told us that his grandmother’s Jochnun was much better, but that this was a good example. This lunch was another one of those moments where I felt how distinctly Jewish this trip to England was and just how inspired I felt from the experience. Yoav shared stories about his family and growing up in Israel and Kenya. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, as Shabbat ended, Martin and I headed over to the King Alfred Phoenix Theatre to see the production that evening and get a sense of where would be performing on Wednesday night.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/351269b0f90097c4da76f58443a10e441c5b0fd9/original/pxl-20211016-171829966.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/81b494224ab71f5c532a1ffdaa06ff67ae9d65d9/original/pxl-20211016-172807064.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="" />I also heard from Alastair who informed me that our plans for Sunday had completely changed. Instead of traveling to Birmingham, we were going to give our workshop performance in London at the Jewish Museum. The only problem I faced was that we still lacked a narrator for the performances. Alastair reached into his network and assured us that we would have a narrator in time for the performance at the Jewish Museum. </p>
<p><strong>Sunday, October 17 </strong></p>
<p>I woke up and still had no narrator for the afternoon performance, but Alastair assured me that he was on it. Martin and I headed over Yair’s apartment for our last rehearsal before the performance. Yair had told us that Sigmund Freud’s London house was just down the street, so we stopped there for a moment to see it before we arrived. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/9b026119e0a508924e3dc5e4ae4d97c1ea4893f2/original/pxl-20211017-112048801.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="standing in front of Sigmund Freud's London home" /></p>
<p>John was able to make this rehearsal and we were able to work on his parts as well as further develop the vocal parts. We were all getting into focus around the work, and it was beginning to have some shape. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/69eff7c86e59cd343b806b0bf299fa88aebedd9c/original/pxl-20211017-114048018.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="Jon, Martin, and Yair at rehearsal" /></p>
<p>We ended rehearsal and headed over to the Jewish Museum. John, Yoav, Martin and I clambered onto a bus while Yair, who had a gig later that evening, zipped his gear over to his gig and then met up with us at the Jewish Museum. In the meantime, I’d heard from Katie, our narrator for the performance. She was coming to London by train. Could I please send her the script? I immediately forwarded her a copy of the script. When we got to the museum, we finally met Alastair Falk, the Tsitsit Festival Director, in person. </p>
<p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/5462521629dd4672f22ced3e3e11afe5d33c6b46/original/pxl-20211017-152840068.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="Alastair Falk, Tsitsit Fringe director with Yoav, Martin and me at the Jewish Museum in London" /></p>
<p>We were escorted to the room where we were giving our performance. As we arrived in the room, the sound people were in the process of removing all the sound equipment from the room and moving it to another location in the museum. It was precisely at that moment that we learned we were not going to have the expected sound reinforcement for the performance. Fortunately, there was an extra techie on the team named Tim who agreed to stay and help run the PowerPoint part of the performance. I handed Tim a copy of the script with all the slide cues and he and I went through the show in record time. Tim did a great job during the performance and later he sent me the only photo I have from that performance. </p>
<p>It was getting close to performance time and Katie still hadn’t arrived at the museum. We set up our instruments and did a little running through of the pieces. Without any sound reinforcement this was going to be a tricky performance to pull off. The audience started coming in and I saw that Ilana Cravitz was there with a couple of friends. </p>
<p>Finally, two minutes after we were supposed to begin Katie showed up, out of breath and apologetic. She asked me for a copy of her script as she didn’t want to read it from her phone. The only extra copy of the script I had with me was an earlier draft that was out of date and filled with typos. I warned Katie about that, and we all took the stage to begin the performance. The energy of performing carried us into a great realm and this workshop performance went far beyond my expectations. The chemistry between Martin and Yoav as Degas and Pissarro was fantastic and the two played off one another in ways that we’d barely explored during the rehearsals. Katie did a great job, and she managed to get through this earlier draft in a way that still kept the show flowing. I wish I had some photos of the performance, but that was not on my mind. We had a great time and I think everyone in the group learned a lot from this performance. The conversation with the audience after the performance went in some great and lively directions. All-in-all it was an auspicious start to the week of performances. Katie was apologetic for her performance, but I really thought she did a great job and she told me that she was in for the other two performances, I just needed to send her the details. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/0df0e7b99fee1c6e11543fbd0ad03592a116cf69/original/pxl-20211017-154316945.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_medium" alt="our stage at the Jewish Museum in London" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/a282e14a59a86ede02af92ff05f88dfedd804d3d/original/20211017-170254-jewish-museum.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="Tim's photo of us before we began the performance, that's Katie in the lower right hand corner" /></p>
<p>After we were finished the cast and band along with Ilana Cravitz and her friends all ended up at a nearby restaurant where we celebrated our first performance together. </p>
<p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/adf78c719533c6ff40d8076228072ed2af080618/original/pxl-20211017-182005300.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="Post-performance meal with Martin, Yoav, Ilana, her friends, Yair, and me" /></p>
<p><strong>Monday, October 18 </strong></p>
<p>I woke up early Monday morning to an email from Katie. Her schedule would not allow her to be a part of the Thursday performance at the Stern Pissarro gallery. Fortunately, Martin and I were already planning to have a breakfast meeting with Alastair. At the meeting we discussed getting a narrator who could do both Wednesday and Thursday performances. We then mapped out a plan for the Thursday performance at the Stern Pissarro Gallery. My job was to liaise between the gallery, the festival and the videographer that had been hired to record the performance. We also discussed reaching out to the King Alfred Phoenix Theatre to arrange for that performance to be recorded as a sort of back up. </p>
<p>After we went our separate ways, Alastair and I had a number of email exchanges around finding a narrator. We got help from several people who put out calls to various lists. Around 1:00 pm we heard from Chantal, an actress in London who was very interested in the part. She was available for both performances and quite interested in being a part of the work. I sent her a copy of the script and connected her with Alastair. My only concern was that she was not going to be available to rehearse with us before the performances. </p>
<p>I then called the Stern Pissarro Gallery and within minutes was talking with David Stern, the gallery owner. We agreed that I would swing by the next day to see the gallery space and make some decisions about how we would record the performance. After I spoke with David, I called the videographer, and we discussed our plans for making the video at the gallery. All in all, this was turning into a very productive day. </p>
<p>Monday evening, we had a rehearsal at Yair’s apartment. After Sunday’s performance we had plenty to discuss and to clean up. It was a surprisingly smooth rehearsal. Everyone was focused and we were able to get a lot done in a short amount of time. We were all having a blast and all of the songs in the work were beginning to click. During a break I looked at my phone. I’d gotten an email from Chantal. She had changed her mind. She was out. Once again, we were without a narrator. </p>
<p>I reached out yet again to Alastair about getting another narrator. Meanwhile, everyone in the group started reaching out to people they knew. John, Yair and Yoav were both texting friends and reaching into their networks. They could not have been more supportive and helpful. After the rehearsal Yoav finally reached a friend of his, Maya Kay. I didn’t know it at the time, but Maya and Yoav worked together at the Westminster Synagogue. Yoav reached Maya by phone, and they talked for a bit, then he handed his phone to me. Maya and I talked about the show, and she seemed interested in doing the performance, she asked me to send her a copy of the script. After I emailed her the script, we all headed to a nearby pub. Despite the concerns regarding the narrator things were looking pretty good. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/a3a2465e5fe9fcfc45dd26a9c342b09f573c5862/original/pxl-20211018-204110452.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_thin" alt="Martin, Yair and Yoav on our way to the pub" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/ae7bf01df6e41e256dfc754d62cc438d49162bd9/original/pxl-20211018-195217904.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="Yair, Martin, Jon, and Yoav--the amazing leads and the band!!" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/57b8aa3572b113b7f3f07f9353e4b47e1585959e/original/pxl-20211018-195312161.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="pre pub selfie with Martin, Yoav, Jon, and Yair" /></p>
<p><strong>Tuesday, October 19</strong> </p>
<p>Tuesday was originally going to be my free day in London, but that was no longer the plan as I needed to see the Stern Pissarro Gallery. I awoke to a very positive email from Maya. She really liked the script and wanted to set up a time for a rehearsal. We texted back and forth while Martin and I traveled to the Stern Pissarro gallery. We decided to meet at Kent House that afternoon for a read through of the script. </p>
<p>I was excited to finally arrive at the Stern Pissarro gallery. We were greeted by the owner, David Stern and we met his son, Dotahn Pissarro Stern (Camille Pissarro’s great-great-grandson). David Stern showed us around the upper area, which included a bust of Camille Pissarro. He then took us down a spiral staircase to the lower gallery. The entire lower gallery was filled with works by the entire Pissarro family. I saw paintings, prints, and sketches by Camille Pissarro, his sons, their children, their children, and their children! </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/e928fd7421819e7fd4c4834f46936cd19df89c94/original/pxl-20211019-132233441.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="David Stern at the Stern Pissarro gallery by Camille Pissarro's bust" /></p>
<p>I took plenty of pictures to share with our videographer so he would have a sense of the layout of the room. David Stern discussed changing some of the pictures so that all of the images that would be seen during the video shoot would be happy by Camille Pissarro. Dotahn agreed to stay to mind things while we did the shoot. We had a plan!! </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/03f1023b0ea58c712a9439c401e9a149601fab20/original/pxl-20211019-132457684.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_thin" alt="The staircase down to the Pissarro family gallery" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/430e16804f51d2e7aba66a8aa59c577367e5a893/original/pxl-20211019-132706823.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="Martin gets an art history lesson from David Stern" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/4faf2bc15f49be7a15513bd0445da467cb3fe7c4/original/pxl-20211019-134135821.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_thin" alt="A wall of generations of Pissarro pieces" /></p>
<p>Martin and I were elated by the experience. We then headed off on foot to Kent House to meet with Maya, our new narrator. We got to see quite a bit of London before we arrived at our destination. I called Maya to come down to meet us at the door. A few minutes later, she called me to ask where we were. I told her we were standing right in front of the house come up, but she said, “No, I don't see you anywhere.” I told her that I could see the sign Kent house right in front of me and then she asked, “Did you put Kent house in your GPS or Kent house Rutland gardens?” Oops!! I didn't know that there was more than one Kent house in London!! It turned out Martin and I were a good 45-minute walk away from our actual destination. We jumped into a cab and scooted over to Kent House Rutland Gardens. When we arrived, we saw the sign Kent house on the building, and we also say saw that it said Westminster synagogue. It had never occurred to us until then that Maya and Yoav worked at the same place. Once we arrived, Martin, Maya, and I got right to work. We sat in the synagogue library and rehearsed the script from beginning to end several times. We had finally found our narrator and she was amazing. As she walked us out, Maya asked us if we were at all interested in seeing the Czech survivor Torahs. She said that she'd ask the chair of the survivor Torah committee if he could meet with us and give us a tour. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/6423525b3401d7f67d88539b86a1e497867ab940/original/pxl-20211019-164147596.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_medium" alt="table reading rehearsal with Maya Kay" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/36f70d775407825e7f4f598581d27a186d0f6704/original/pxl-20211019-164155199.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="Martin rehearses lines with Maya Kay" /></p>
<p>Martin and I then headed to the king Alfred Phoenix Theatre to see the performance that evening of two plays by Rob Messick, the director of the theater. We caught a night fascinating theater. Rob is a very good writer and director. It was cool that he included his father in one of the works! </p>
<p><strong>Wednesday, October 20 </strong></p>
<p>Show day had finally arrived. I was in touch with Rob Messick, and we set up a time to do a tech run of the show. There were two Tsitsit Fringe shows that evening. Ours was the later performance so Martin and I made arrangements to arrive at the theater early to run through everything with Rob and Matt, the tech person. </p>
<p>The day flew by. I had a phone conversation with the videographer and sent him pictures of the gallery so that he had a sense of the layout. Martin and I did a little walking in downtown London and got caught in a sudden rainstorm. I also heard from Maya. The chairman of the Memorial Scrolls Trust would meet us on Thursday morning for a tour of the Czech Memorial Scrolls Museum. </p>
<p>After a quick and early dinner, Martin and I arrived at the King Alfred Phoenix Theatre. We worked with Rob and Matt on the technical issues that need to be resolved for the performance. At one point when we were working on did guys letter about going for the inhalation, I jokingly suggested that we could use the fog machine. Rob said there was no reason to kid about it, of course we could use it!! </p>
<p>Everyone arrived on time, and we all set. It was showtime. The performance began and it was magical, just as I'd hoped it would be. There were no dropped lines, the songs came together, and everyone was in focus. Fortunately, Rob shot a video of the performance and I'm hoping at some point will be able to air all of it. Until then, here's a little excerpt from the performance that night. It features Yoav Oved and is one of Camille Pissarro songs to his son at the peak of the Dreyfus Affair:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="2AK70y8b-1Y" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/2AK70y8b-1Y/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2AK70y8b-1Y?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>When the play was over, the audience gave us an incredibly nice response. It was weird, I was so focused on the performance that I’d forgotten that this is what audiences do. I was so happy that everyone who performed so well got that support from the audience. We'd done it!!! </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/ae5916b7763e160584e10a76a21c0a04a3e4a426/original/pxl-20211020-195920832-2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_medium" alt="After the performance at the King Alfred Phoenix Theatre: Yair, Yoav, Martin, Jon, me and Maya" /></p>
<p><strong>Thursday, October 21 </strong></p>
<p>Thursday was our last full day in London. Once we’d made the video at the gallery we’d be done with our work in the city. I was looking forward to returning to the Westminster Synagogue to see Museum of the Survivor Torahs. Martin and I got an early start so that we would not be late. We were met at the front door of the synagogue by Jeffrey Ohrenstein, the chairman of the Memorial Scrolls Trust. He took us upstairs to the rooms where the remaining scrolls are stored and sat us down at a large conference room table. </p>
<p>“What do you know about the Czech memorial scrolls?” he asked. </p>
<p>I proceeded to tell him what I had heard at both my sons’ bar mitzvahs. About how the scrolls had been rescued by a British businessman. And how the scrolls had originally been taken by the Nazis to be used in a museum dedicated to presenting artifacts from the annihilated Jewish Race. </p>
<p>“I’m afraid that things aren’t quite as that story might seem,” replied Mr. Ohrenstein. He then proceeded to tell the story of how, in 1942, a committee of Jews in Prague were responsible for collecting Jewish artifacts from across Czechoslovakia to preserve them until after the war. The story about the Nazi museum was, according to what Mr. Ohrenstein could surmise, a fiction that was invented during the Communist regime in that region. Martin and I learned about the history of Jewish Czechoslovakia and how the collection came to be. It was transfixing. We easily spent an hour just hearing story after unbelievable story. </p>
<p>Finally, we entered the Czech Memorial Scrolls Museum. It was an emotional experience so particular and so unique, so I don't quite have the right words to describe it. The first room that we entered was a vast collection of the various paraphernalia that's around the Torah. There was a display of the feathers the ink bottles and the table that one of the soferim used to repair the broken scrolls. There were vast displays of Torah binders, something I never given thought to, but they were clearly an integral not part of Jewish lives in Czechoslovakia. We saw wooden scrolls finally Mr. Ohrenstein brought us into the room with the scrolls themselves. </p>
<p>These pictures tell the story far more eloquently than I ever could. Being in this room with all these scrolls rolled up some so damaged that they will never ever be unrolled again what's unlike anything I've ever experienced before. It was harsh reminder the devastation of the Holocaust is anything I'd ever experienced in my life. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/aafcd20ad43f17d6b095aaccd673318047176b77/original/pxl-20211021-101121564.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_thin" alt="Jeffrey Ohrenstein explaining the history of the Czech survivor scrolls to Martin Levson" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/1ae8febf366bb4f600158e62070f969cbbee35a8/original/pxl-20211021-103728719.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/919c15838a2ddcec57dfdc85ee56ef73b1e3a229/original/pxl-20211021-103810469.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_medium" alt="Torahs too damaged to be used by a synagogue" /></p>
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<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/68f74e132a4eb6f089aa88cf0cb976eea1b30482/original/pxl-20211021-103336693.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>Our visit lasted just over two hours. Martin and I were both exhausted from the intensity of the experience. We headed back to our rooms to rest for the video session. </p>
<p>I'd been in touch with the videographer, and we agreed to meet at the gallery at 5:00 PM. Martin and I arrived a little early and brought our gear down the stairs to the Pissarro gallery. David Stern was getting ready to go home and wished us wished us well on our performance. It was almost 5:30 when I finally heard from the videographer. He wanted to know where we were. I told him that we were at the gallery. He wanted to know which gallery? The Pissarro gallery, I responded. For some odd and still unclear reason, the videographer had thought we were recording at the Jewish Museum, not the Stern Pissarro gallery. On the phone he told me that he could not come to the Pissarro gallery with that he quit the project. Just as he quit the rest of the group began to arrive at the gallery. </p>
<p>We were stuck. It was less than an hour before the scheduled time for the video shoot, and we were without a videographer. I called Alastair and told him what was going on. We struggled to come up with an alternate plan. The best we could come up with was to shoot the work on a cell phone. But we didn't have a tripod nor was there a tripod anywhere in the entire gallery. Alastair suggested that I head over to Piccadilly Circus (which is only a few blocks away from the gallery) and see if I could buy one from one of the shops. I immediately headed out. In the meantime, the rest of the cast and band arrived. We told them what was up and asked if they knew anybody who could help us. Maya texted a few of her friends and within a matter of minutes we had a videographer on his way over to film in the performance. It was a good thing, because the tripod I ended up getting was a piece of junk and fell apart when we tried to set it up. </p>
<p>As soon as Maya’s friend Cinar arrived we got to work. We set up our music stands, warmed up, tuned up and began the opening notes of the show. I think that the combination of the stress of the moment with the performance from the night before had energized everyone because we gave such a powerful performance that night in front of Pissarro’s paintings and sketches. Yoav and Martin took huge risks with their singing that felt so strong and right in the moment. And there was Cinar, capturing it all on his video camera. I even snuck a photo of everyone during the performance. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/bfd6cf9dbc4ad719563df3e3ea2753b1a6241e8a/original/pxl-20211021-191338023.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="during the recording of Letters from the Affair at the Stern Pissarro gallery. Videographer Cinar, Yoav, Maya, Martin, and Yair" /></p>
<p>Once we got started, the adrenaline kicked in and everything flowed from beginning to end. Sure, there were a couple of mistakes here and there, but we wanted to keep that live feeling in place, and we didn't do any retakes. The energy sustained itself from beginning to end. When we were finished, we all looked at each other with big smiles on our faces. Here's some photos from the end of our evening:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/2818d101d7aa25c766ba3c37ece1327ad38a6813/original/p1025277-2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_thick" alt="After the session LtoR Alastair Falk, Yoav Oved, Jon Macnaughton, Maya Kay, Cantor Martin Levson, me, Dotahn Pissarro Stern, Yair Schleider" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/64b70e8dee12509f8bb39402e2d45fe9580fd744/original/pxl-20211021-192954575.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_thick" alt="We did it and don't we look happy! Jon, Maya, Martin, me, Yoav and Yair Such a crew!!!" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/cf7b620935ebc00cd4f3444daee65466061244b0/original/pxl-20211021-193235113.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_medium" alt="Alastair Falk, Pissarro's painting and me " /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/c52b331f70e5630c710ce330530a57768d9be95d/original/pxl-20211021-193245738.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="Alastair Falk, Pissarro's painting and Cantor Martin Levson" /></p>
<p> </p>
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<p>We had accomplished what we had set out to do. Maya and Alastair had to leave, but John, Martin, Yair, Yoav and I went out for a celebration dinner. No, I don’t have any pictures from that meal, but you can well imagine that we were all in such good spirits. And with that, we were done. </p>
<p>What a week!! I’d faced numerous challenges and had some extraordinary musical and theatrical moments. I had a week of adventures in London with a dear friend (we had so many good talks and experiences together that I left out of this already rather long narrative) and made some new friends. I’d had a distinctly Jewish London experience. And we mounted and performed a play in three locations. All in all, this was a very good week!!! </p>
<p>After returning the bass to the shop Friday morning and taking one last bus ride through the city, I headed to Heathrow. My flight home on Friday was easy and (gladly) uneventful. I arrived in Connecticut around midnight and Julie was waiting for me at the airport. Home again!!! </p>
<p> </p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/68171722021-11-21T14:32:31-05:002021-11-21T14:32:31-05:00Scenes from a photoshoot<p>The Nu Haven Kapelye had its first ever photo shoot today. We met in Edgerton Park in New Haven and Harold Shapiro, working with Cynthia Astmann organized a great morning of photos.</p>
<p>Here's some pics I took on my phone while we were together:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/9c55f43c2a16298ef192d03427f9c11afd91082e/original/pxl-20211121-154445093.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/4f80657b37fa83e8ece895855d903edd8d07b9df/original/pxl-20211121-161521256.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/2fc8a1bdb1e1d9b442f76a2686d0dae217ff4bdf/original/pxl-20211121-152700789.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/f94adeb891ea2bf8df68070f747aeef9a2873f72/original/pxl-20211121-161514351.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/92d0d5540ce0b5738798b9bf6a4f929df8b4f8f6/original/pxl-20211121-161509282.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/68154032021-11-19T12:55:14-05:002021-11-19T12:55:14-05:00Klezmer in Edgewood Park<p>This past summer I played quite a bit of Klezmer with a trio of musicians. Here's a clip of us playing the Broyges Tantz at the Edgewood Park Famer's market in New Haven. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Featuring Dana Astmann on accordion and David Sasso on mandolin.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ZytvUV__6nI" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZytvUV__6nI/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZytvUV__6nI?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/65543382021-02-20T16:25:13-05:002021-02-20T16:25:13-05:00Baba David Coleman<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/2266aff80bb80d8f6194b40835cec7aa4a4fc94d/original/afro-semitic-66.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Baba David Coleman, drummer, teacher, priest, and founding member of the Afro-Semitic Experience is suffering from stage IV cancer that has spread throughout his body. </p>
<p>He is being cared for by his family in Ohio. </p>
<p>They don’t have the financial resources to cover his medical expenses or even his day-to-day expenses. If you can help, your generosity will be greatly appreciated. Over the years many of you have been touched by Baba David's loving spirit and he has brought his love to so many around the world. This is truly his moment of need. </p>
<p> Here is the link for the Go Fund Me page to support Baba David Coleman: </p>
<p><a contents="https://gofund.me/40763573" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://gofund.me/40763573" target="_blank">https://gofund.me/40763573</a> </p>
<p> </p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/55750852018-12-31T11:57:14-05:002018-12-31T11:57:14-05:00Remembering Stacy Phillips<p> What a musical year it has been. There were some high points and real lows. The hardest moment this year came on June 4 when I got a call the day after playing an Afro-Semitic Experience concert and learned that Stacy Phillips had pulled over on the side of the road on his way from our concert to another performance and had a massive heart attack. When he died many of his friends and family came together and we gave him a farewell party at Café Nine that lasted the entire day. And while that gave us all a bit of closure, I find that every Afro-Semitic Experience and Nu Haven Kapelye performance leaves me feeling his absence and his presence. </p>
<p>I’ve been playing on and off with Stacy since about 1997. He was one of the first musicians to join the Afro-Semitic Experience and his presence in the band was so critical to the formulation of our sound. He was, in his own way, incredibly open minded. He played many different styles of music and did so in a way that both honored the musical tradition of the style he was performing and allowed for his own personality to come out in the music. I met Stacy because we both had an interest in Jewish music. He wrote one of the first contemporary books that included performable transcriptions of historical recordings of Klezmer and his approach to Klezmer was deeply informed by those transcriptions. He was a stickler whenever we played one of his arrangements. </p>
<p>In 1998 a group of musicians began a tradition of playing a concert of Jewish and Yiddish music on December 25, a tradition that celebrated its 20th anniversary just a few days ago. And Stacy was a part of that group and participated in the annual concert and in the ensemble, the Nu Haven Kapelye, that grew out of this. He arranged songs for the Kapelye and he usually spent time with the newest and youngest members of the Kapelye, encouraging them and sometimes writing special simplified arrangements as features for these new musicians. Stacy played in the violin section on the Nu Haven Kapelye’s CD, “What’s Nu?” At Stacy’s request I added a name to the credits on the album. It was his own private joke, but he allowed me in on it and if you look at the jacket of the CD you will see a name listed in the violin section, Mosheh Savitsky. That was Stacy’s sense of humor. Sometimes private and sometimes hilariously broad. </p>
<p>One thing that I was struck by as I sat at Stacy’s memorial concert at Café Nine was the depth and breadth of his musical knowledge and how, as a result of that, so many of us knew Stacy in genuinely different ways. For over 20 years Stacy and I played so many types of music together: jazz, Klezmer, gospel, Yiddish songs, funk, synagogue songs, blues, Hazzonos and I don’t know what else. In all that time on all of those gigs there was, at least on the surface, almost nary a moment of Bluegrass. And yet surrounding me that day in Café Nine was a lot of Bluegrass. And the Bluegrass people I met knew Stacy incredibly well, so incredibly well—they knew him through a lens I had not experienced firsthand. We’d had complete and genuine experiences of this musical person that could not be more different. I know we are all complex people, but Stacy really took the cake. Complex, smart. Those are easy adjectives to use for him. And for all that people knew him or felt that they knew him, he kept a lot private. The only reason I knew his actual birth name and his birth date was because I booked the flights for the band. Believe you me, he swore me to secrecy on that. </p>
<p>The memorial event at Café Nine was documented by Brian Slattery for the New Haven Independent and you can read his great article that summarizes the day and has some videos of the music that was played here: </p>
<p><a contents="https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/stacy_phillips_memorial/ " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/stacy_phillips_memorial/" target="_blank">https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/stacy_phillips_memorial/ </a></p>
<p>I’ve found myself sharing memories Stacy wherever I go and play with the Afro-Semitic Experience and with the Nu Haven Kapelye. But some moments are not shared, they just happen. With the Afro-Semitic Experience I find there are moments in performance where I expect him to come in with his part and even when it isn’t there, I can hear it in my mind’s ear. And we’ve had moments in songs where Stacy’s part was supposed to come in and we all just look at each other and almost stop playing. It’s that intense. That real. That momentary remembrance of what we had together and how musical and full of energy it was. And then, the moment is over as one of us plays the part that was developed by Stacy and we move forward in the song. The first time we played I wish I knew how it would feel to be free without him was probably the hardest. When we got to the ending section where Stacy usually played a duet with our percussionist, we stopped. We hadn’t thought about what we were going to do there. We all looked at each other and we almost didn’t finish the song. Then Will Bartlett stepped up and played a brief and emotionally filled duet with Jocelyn Pleasant. That moment stays with me. </p>
<p>We recently played The Creator Has a Master Plan at the Opera House in Havre de Grace, Maryland. We dedicated that performance to Stacy’s memory. Here’s a video of that performance: </p>
<p>The Creator Has a Master Plan: <a contents="https://youtu.be/oRyiDaFtbxU" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/oRyiDaFtbxU" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/oRyiDaFtbxU</a> </p>
<p>At the Nu Haven Kapelye’s annual December 25 concert just a few days ago we dedicated many of the songs to Stacy and we played several of his arrangements for the group. One of the songs was Stacy’s arrangement of National Hora for the violins. Ari Kagan, who had grown up under Stacy’s tutelage, spoke briefly before we performed that piece. Here’s a YouTube clip of that moment in the concert: </p>
<p>Ari Kagan remembers Stacy Phillips and we play National Hora: <a contents="https://youtu.be/kk_kGCUouJI" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/kk_kGCUouJI" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/kk_kGCUouJI</a> </p>
<p>I’m going to close this remembrance with two photos. Stacy’s last gig was a concert with the Afro-Semitic Experience on June 3, 2018. I took a few candid photos while we were setting up for the concert. These photos capture some essence of Stacy that those of us played with him all knew—his humor and his seriousness are present in these last images. He’s ribbing Jocelyn as he talks to her. If he was feeling ill he sure wasn’t letting on. But that was Stacy Phillips.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/1deaec56e420f70e7721376b78e2d67adab5bedf/original/img-20180603-154018-2.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_xl justify_center border_" />l to r: Abu Alvin Carter, Sr., Jocelyn Pleasant, Stacy Phillips</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/152531/34875f4a30ae628386f8bf8aac77b04d74da2d98/original/img-20180603-154020-2.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_xl justify_center border_" />Jocelyn Pleasant and Stacy Phillips</p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/50092632018-01-05T16:37:43-05:002018-01-05T16:37:43-05:00New video, MLK service and jam session<p>Just a few weeks ago I had the honor of playing with the Afro-Semitic Experience at the opening plenary session of the Biennial conference of the URJ, the Union of Reform Judaism. We played a brief set just before the keynote speaker, Reverend William J. Barber. The performance was streamed and recorded and here’s a link to our performance: </p>
<p>The Afro-Semitic Experience Live at the URJ Biennial 2017: <a contents="https://youtu.be/lZgT2cF-x_M " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/lZgT2cF-x_M" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/lZgT2cF-x_M </a></p>
<p>Here’s a link to something I think is also of importance and value, Reverend Barber’s speech. His words that evening were a call to action and a powerful reminder that there is still much to do in our nation to achieve equality and equity for all our citizens. I hope you will take some time to watch or at least listen to what Reverend Barber said that evening. I do believe that our message and our music harmonized with Reverend Barber’s prophetic words at the URJ Biennial. </p>
<p>Rev. Dr. William J. Barber - Biennial 2017: <a contents="https://youtu.be/lmr7f3XoHPE " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/lmr7f3XoHPE" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/lmr7f3XoHPE </a></p>
<p>Our performance was only the beginning of a great experience for me as over the next four days I attended services, concerts, and learning sessions where I got to meet many rabbis, cantors, professionals and lay people who are involved in trying to make a positive difference in the struggle for social justice. The learning sessions on criminal justice and racial justice were among the high points of my experience. I heard from so many people who are involved in the fight for social justice in their communities, sometimes winning, sometimes losing, but always striving. As I observed and participated in these sessions and services I felt moved and I felt empowered. </p>
<p>week, on Friday, January 12, the Afro-Semitic Experience will mark its 20th anniversary by sharing our music at an interfaith service to celebrate and honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year we’ll be sharing our music at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden, Connecticut, it’s the synagogue where we first started our project twenty years ago. This year is Rabbi Herbert Brockman’s last year leading the service as he will be retiring from Mishkan Israel in June. So this is a service that will be emotional and intense on many levels as Rabbi Brockman has always served as a beacon for social justice in the New Haven area and while we welcome change, in this case it will be bittersweet. The service is at 7:30 pm, but we will be giving a short pre-service concert beginning at 7:00 p.m. I hope you can join us for the entire evening as it sure to be one filled with hope and tears. Congregation Mishkan Israel is located at 785 Ridge Road in Hamden, Connecticut. </p>
<p>This Sunday, January 7, I will be playing at the jazz brunch at the Elm City Market with my group Bassology. For this performance, I’ll be joined by Warren Byrd on piano, Saskia Laroo on trumpet and Jesse Chevan on drum set. Music begins at 10:30 and goes till 1:30 p.m. Also, musicians are welcome to bring their instruments and sit in. Come on down to get some groceries, eat some brunch and dig some sounds.</p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/48415672017-09-07T23:00:51-04:002017-09-07T23:00:51-04:00September Services and Sundry Soirees<p>One thing I enjoy as a musician and a creative person is developing/creating works that are spiritually and musically moving and satisfying. I enjoy the intricate challenges of merging my religious/spiritual life with my musical life and I have thrived on that for as long as I can remember. My Days of Awe and Further Definitions of the Days of Awe projects are good examples of how I have been able to find new ways to express traditional synagogue songs and music for the high holy days in an entirely new light. To that end I am excited to let you know about two synagogue services coming up this month that I have helped to develop and arrange and will be playing with the Afro-Semitic Experience. </p>
<p>The first service is coming up next weekend. We are playing a Selichot service in West Hartford at The Emanuel Synagogue. Yes, we’re beginning the High Holy Day season with some spiritual music making here in the state where I live. Playing a Selichot service is nothing new for the Afro-Semitic Experience. We’ve been involved in playing that service now for the past 15 years or so, ever since we began work on the music for the Days of Awe CD that we released back in 2003. And this year we are going to give a service not with one, not with two, but with five cantors!! We have some new pieces and some revised older pieces planned for the service. And yes, we are going to give a little sermon in song during the evening so look out for an Afro-Semitic Experience moment in the midst of it all. tiny tangent of respect and gratitude: One direct result of the Days of Awe project was that we were introduced to Cantor Jack Mendelson. We played our first Selichot service with him and accompanied him at his synagogue for over a decade. And through our experiences working with Cantor Mendelson our knowledge of the liturgy and music for Selichot also grew. Even though Cantor Mendelson is now retired we continue to be invited to play at synagogues and to share the music we have arranged and developed and we continue to be grateful for the guidance and support he gave us during those many years of learning together. </p>
<p>Our second synagogue service is going to be in South Orange, New Jersey at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel. We are going to be playing two services for Rosh Hashanah eve, one at 5:30 p.m. and the second at 7:30. For me this is a moment of arrival as I have wanted to make music for these services for a very long time and now we are getting to play not just for the service that comes just before the High Holy Days, but actually on the eve of Rosh Hashanah! How cool is that!! I mean, how many bands do you know that are playing for Rosh Hashanah services? I could imagine there might be a few, but the only one that I know about is the Afro-Semitic Experience. We’ve been talking, planning, and rehearsing these two services with Cantor Rebecca Moses and both services are going to be open to the public so if you wish to attend the synagogue will welcome you with open arms as long as you call in advance. If you want to observe Erev Rosh Hashannah with a wonderful community and share in our musical celebration of 5778 please contact the temple office of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel at 973-763-4116. The early service is going to be very family friendly with moments for dancing and interaction. The later service will be a little more somber and we’re planning some pretty interesting arrangements that are intended to bring you into the High Holy Days in a way that is spiritual and visceral. Please call the synagogue if you wish to join us. </p>
<p>Other gigs in the coming weeks. </p>
<p>This Saturday evening, September 9, I am hosting a jazz jam from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Fornarelli’s in New Haven. I’ll be joined by Drew Fermo on piano and you are all invited to come hang out to hear the music. Musicians please come on over and sit in with us. We’re looking forward to a good evening of music making. Fornarelli’s Ristorante is located at 99 Orange Street in downtown New Haven. </p>
<p>Next weekend (not this one) is just before my birthday so I am going to celebrate my birthday at all of my gigs (well, maybe not my Selichot service, but who knows). The weekend begins with a Friday night performance (September 15) with my group Bassology at the 323 Restaurant and Bar. Music begins at 7:30 p.m. I’ll be joined by Will Bartlett on sax, Warren Byrd on piano and Jocelyn Pleasant on drums. The 323 Restaurant and Bar is located at 323 Main Street in Westport. </p>
<p>At 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16, I will be playing with the Nu Haven Kapelye at the Whitneyville Fall Festival in Hamden. Enjoy a great community event with live music including our set of Klezmer. The festival takes place on the fields of the Whitney Cultural Commons, 1253 Whitney Avenue in Hamden. And later that day I will be in West Hartford for the Selichot service. </p>
<p>Then on Sunday, September 17, I am playing at the jazz brunch at Elm City Market with my swing and blues group, Bassology. For this performance, I’ll be joined by Will Bartlett on sax, Warren Byrd on the keys, and Jesse Chevan on drum set. Music begins at 10:30 and goes till 1:30. What a perfectly morning, you can shop, eat brunch, hear great jazz and then wish me a happy birthday. Elm City Market is located at the corner of State and Chapel streets in downtown New Haven. </p>
<p>I hope you will join me and my friends at one of these upcoming performances or worship services. </p>
<p>For all of you who celebrate I wish you a very Happy and Sweet New Year, </p>
<p>David </p>
<p>www.davidchevan.com</p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/47904032017-07-24T15:01:34-04:002017-07-24T15:01:34-04:00Late July musical soirees<p>This last week of July is filled with music of all kinds and I’d be thrilled if you came out for one or more of these upcoming performances. I am basically having gigs with almost of all of my various projects and each one of them promises to be exciting. </p>
<p>This Friday, July 28, I am hoping for some good weather as I am playing outdoors at noon in Hartford at the Old State House Farmer’s Market with the Nu Haven Kapelye. That’s right Hartford friends. Now you can hear what kind of mishegas we’ve been up to in New Haven for the past twenty or so years. Klezmer and Yiddish swing come to Hartford and I hope you can join us. We’ll be playing music from What’s Nu, the CD we released earlier this past year as well as some new arrangements that I’ve put together for the group. Music begins at noon. The Old State House is located at 800 Main street in Hartford. </p>
<p>On Saturday, July 29, I’m back in New Haven for a duo gig with Jeff Fuller at Fornarelli’s, one of the last clubs in the New Haven area that still has a real piano and a regular jazz policy. I know you might think of Jeff as a bass player but his piano chops are off the chain. Last time we played at Fornarelli’s we had a blast. This time we’re inviting our students and friends to come and sit in with us. If you are a musician please bring your instrument and sit in with us! It’s going to be a blast. Music starts at 6:30 and who knows how late we’ll go. Fornarelli’s Ristorante is located at 99 Orange Street in downtown New Haven. </p>
<p>On Sunday, July 30, I am playing at the jazz brunch at Elm City Market with my swing and blues group, Bassology. For this performance, I’ll be joined by Will Bartlett on sax, Chris Casey on the keys, and Jocelyn Pleasant on drum set. Music begins at 10:30 and goes till 1:30. What a perfectly American experience, shop, eat brunch, and hear great jazz. Elm City Market is located at the corner of State and Chapel streets in downtown New Haven. </p>
<p>On Monday, July 31, at 7 pm the Afro-Semitic Experience is playing a concert at Tower One in New Haven. This concert is free and open to the public. The band is excited to get this chance to play together locally and we hope you’ll come out to hear us. Tower One is located at 18 Tower Lane in New Haven. </p>
<p>And then, on Thursday, August 3 I am playing, for the first time ever, in Stamford with a trio version of Bassology at Villa Italia. Joining me that evening will be my Afro-Semitic Experience bandmates, Warren Byrd and Saskia Laroo. Music begins at 7:30 p.m. Villa Italia is located at 26 Mill River Street in Stamford. </p>
<p>A busy couple of weeks and I do hope that you will join me for some very musical moments. </p>
<p> </p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/46026722017-02-22T20:17:14-05:002017-02-22T20:17:14-05:00Mardi Gras 2017<p>Hey friends, <br><br>Just a little Mardi Gras reminder note and a rescheduled snowed out performance. </p>
<p>This coming <strong>Tuesday, February 28</strong> is <strong>Fat Tuesday </strong>and that means that I will be directing my annual <em><strong>Mardi Gras </strong></em>concert at <a contents="Southern Connecticut State University" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.southernct.edu/academics/schools/arts/departments/music/upcomingconcerts.html" target="_blank">Southern Connecticut State University</a>. I'm been working with my students on a program of music from New Orleans that runs the gamut from traditional jazz to New Orleans funk and rhythm and blues. We’re having a lot of fun learning this material and I hope you can join us for a night that’s going to really have a big easy flavor to it. You can expect a parade, beads, and lots of good music. We’ve got a program of songs made popular by Louis Armstrong, Dr. John, Huey "Piano" Smith, the Dixiecups, Allen Toussaint and other legendary New Orleans artists. The concert is at 7:30 p.m. in the Charles Garner Recital Hall (located in rm C-112 in Engleman Hall). Admission to the general public is $5 a person. For more information please call the SCSU Music Department, 203-392-6625. </p>
<p>As I mentioned in my last newsletter the centenary of what is generally acknowledged as the first jazz recording is coming up this Sunday, on February 26. What’s surprised me is how little this major milestone has been mentioned anywhere in the media. But we will be acknowledging and celebrating this milestone in jazz history at our concert on Tuesday. The SCSU jazz ensemble has been working hard to learn those two songs, Livery Stable Blues, and Dixieland Jass Band One-Step, that were recorded on February 26, 1917. We’re looking forward to sharing them. <br><br>On Sunday, March 5, at 2:00 p.m. I will play a duo jazz concert at the <a contents="Pequot Library " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.pequotlibrary.org/" target="_blank">Pequot Library </a>in Southport with Rex Cadwallader. We were supposed to give that concert a few weeks ago, but we were snowed out so we are grateful that the library was able to reschedule this performance. The <a contents="Pequot Library " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.pequotlibrary.org/" target="_blank">Pequot Library </a>is located at 720 Pequot Ave. in Southport. </p>
<p>Wishing you all the best in the coming weeks. And since it is Mardi Gras season: <br><br><em><strong>Laissez les bon temps rouler!!! </strong></em><br><br>David<br><br> </p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/45635042017-01-25T13:54:01-05:002017-01-25T13:54:01-05:00the next few weeks in music<p>Hey friends, </p>
<p>The next few weeks for me are going to filled with some really interesting music and most of it is happening locally. I would be remiss if I didn't let you know what I am up to. </p>
<p>Tomorrow night, at 8 pm I am playing a set of music with Isabella Mendes' new Bossa Nova Project at Best Video. Isabella has assembled some terrific players to accompany her in a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim, who if her were still alive, would be celebrating his 90th birthday today. Joe Carter is on guitar, Tim Moran is covering the woodwinds, and Joe Murfin really lays it down with percussion and drum set. Best Video, for those of you who haven't yet enjoyed this space, is located at 1842 Whitney Ave in Hamden. </p>
<p>On Sunday, January 29 at 4:00 p.m. the Afro-Semitic Experience will be participating in an interfaith worship service to Lift Ev'ry Voice in Song, a service to honor and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Christian Community Action. The service will be held at Star of Jacob Christian Church at 506 Howard Avenue in New Haven. </p>
<p>For those of you who are unfamiliar with them, Christian Community Action is an organization that is the real deal. Every day they are in the community looking out for those who truly need help and support. Their mission is to provide help, housing, and hope to those who are poor in New Haven. And every single day, for the past 50 years, with no days off ever, that is what they have been doing. I'm honored that the Afro-Semitic Experience was invited to celebrate this organization and I hope you can take some time this coming Sunday to be a part of it. </p>
<p>Featured performers include The Heritage Chorale of New Haven, Inc., Afro-Semitic Experience, Morning Glory Dancers, Unity Boys Choir, Trinity Girls Choir, Salt and Pepper Gospel Choir, and Star of Jacob Christian Church Choir. All faiths and all people are welcome. <br> <br>Parking provisions are at the Church and at Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy/School at 360 Howard Avenue. It is it about a block away. It's a service so there is no admission charge, it is free, but of course your support of this organization that is really making a difference in the community would be appreciated. <br>At an event like this I think you should expect to hear a joyous noise. </p>
<p>Those of you in the Hartford area will be happy to know that the Afro-Semitic Experience is finally coming back to share our music in the community. </p>
<p>On Sunday, February 5, the Afro-Semitic Experience will be giving a concert at the Hartford Public Library as a part of their Baby Grand Jazz Series. The concert begins at 3:00 p.m. and is free to the public! </p>
<p>Expect a joyous noise!!! <br> <br>On Sunday, February 12, at 2:00 p.m. I will play a duo jazz concert at the Pequot Library in Southport with Rex Cadwallader. The Pequot library is located at 720 Pequot Ave. in Southport. </p>
<p>Again, I know what happens when I play with Rex so I think you can expect a joyous noise. <br> <br>Finally, the centenary of what is often acknowledged as the first jazz recording* is coming up in just about a months time, on February 26, the same day as the Oscars. Wouldn't it be cool if the people from La, La Land, the new jazz-inspired move and the rest of the Academy in some way honored this extraordinary landmark date. I am dubious as to whether they will, but you can rest assured knowing know that whenever there is an opportunity and cause to celebrate with a joyful noise, I will be doing just that. </p>
<p>The coincidence of Fat Tuesday and the Centennial of Jazz is going to make for a special evening that I hope you attend. </p>
<p>On Tuesday, February 28, I will be directing a Mardi Gras concert at Southern Connecticut State University. I'm already working with my students to learn the two very first songs ever released as jazz numbers. And the rest of the music we're planning will really raise the Mardi Gras spirit to a proper level of celebration (songs by Louis Armstrong, Dr. John, Huey "Piano" Smith, the Dixiecups, Allen Toussaint and other legendary New Orleans artists). The concert is at 7:30 p.m. in the Charles Garner Recital Hall (located in rm C-112 in Engleman Hall). Admission to the general public is $5 a person. For more information please call the SCSU Music Department, 203-392-6625. </p>
<p>Busy month but in that good way. Hope you can join me for some or all!! </p>
<p>best, <br>David <br><br> </p>
<p>*"Livery Stable Blues" and "The Dixieland One Step", recorded on February 26, 1917 by the Original Dixieland Jass Band. Yes, this recording's place as the first jazz recording has been contested, but like Louis Armstrong's believed versus real birthday, sometimes the myth has value in being knowingly perpetuated. <br> </p>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/44739752016-11-18T16:32:00-05:002016-11-18T16:33:15-05:00What's Nu? 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table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Where does this all begin?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hard to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagine the first inkling of this project would mostly likely be in the fall of 1998 when I suggested the idea of organizing and putting on a concert on December 25 to Cantor Shoshana Lash at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was willing to run with the idea and see where it would go. There were enough people interested so I pulled together some lead sheets and we had a few rehearsals and managed to present something nice that maybe lasted about 45 minutes or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by some standard we decided that the concert was a success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure what the turnout was for that first concert, but by the third or fourth concert we were well over 100 people in attendance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And over the years the audience has grown so that we have had as many as 200-250 people in attendance.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">So far this concert has managed to exist for 18 straight years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that includes one year when I took a break so that my family could visit our son who was working in Qatar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The December 25 concert has evolved from just a break in my year into a source of creative inspiration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Musically, for me, there is always the feeling that somehow every year the December 25 concert has to be fresh and new and better than the previous year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for me that has meant constantly being on the hunt for repertoire. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music I seek or perhaps initially sought was preferably something that wouldn’t be too hard to adapt as I needed to prepare and organize everything as expeditiously as possible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first few years that we did the concert I would hunt around for lead sheets of Klezmer and Jewish music. Plus people who wanted to sing songs were welcome to bring in their songs and we would hammer out pretty quick arrangements for the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time I was able to build a library of Jewish music that we really liked playing. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My guilty confession (in the form of an analogy)</i>: I don’t make my own butter, I buy it already made at the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly, most of the time I don’t bake my own bread, instead I buy it already made from the store. In other words, I suppose at this point I should add, somewhat parenthetically that yes, I could gone about this process very differently and transcribed tunes from recordings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is a great valid way to deeply connect with a music practice while finding cool new pieces to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, when I first started I had limited time to do this work and with everything else I was doing (teaching, parenting, gigging) I was reticent about putting too much of my energy into a once-a-year concert event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I hope you can imagine, my attitude toward this project and my involvement evolved over the years. I still rely on sheet music as one of my resources, but there are now many arrangements in the Nu Haven Kapelye repertoire that have been distilled from my transcriptions of recordings. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and the guilt from this confession make me actually feel worse, not better. Oy.</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">It took quite a few years of searching and collecting but in time I accumulated a number of collections of music that I found reliable musically and that I could use for developing arrangements for the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did I even learn about these collections is its own story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing that really helped in my education was being a member of an online e-mail chat group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jewish-music list, curated by Ari Davidow was an invaluable resource. So much good information was and continues to be passed around in that group. I don’t know where I first learned about each of these sources, but I know I must have encountered at least a few as a result of being a member of this on-line community of like-minded music lovers. The first resource I came across that really resonated with me was a pair of music books, the two <a href="http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/kammen-international-dance-folio-1-guitar-or-violin-mandolin-sheet-music/3601649">International Dance Folios</a> originally published by Kammen Music in 1924.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These two folios were collections for dance band musicians and were terrific resources. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially the books contained melody lines in all keys, as well as rhythm section parts. Over the years we have played a lot of music from those books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next I got hold of <a href="http://www.stacyphillips.com/">Stacy Phillips</a>’ book of <a href="http://www.stacyphillips.com/fiddlebooks.html#klezmer">Klezmer tunes</a> published by Mel Bay and that helped us a great deal as well. Those lead sheets were used a great deal in the earliest years of the December 25 concert. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">One of the big repertoire breakthroughs was tracking down and getting the only two collections of Klezmer ensemble arrangements that had parts for instruments in all keys. Most collections were strictly in C and Bb and there was little written for Eb instruments (in a way that should have been a clue to me that I was veering out of the zone of tradition since the most common of all Eb instruments, the alto saxophone, is not a traditional Klezmer instrument).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First I found Ken Richmond’s book of charts that he wrote for the Yale Klezmer band and then soon after the Maxwell Street Klezmer band published their terrific collection of Klezmer arrangements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this day we open most of our performances with the <a href="http://klezmerband.com/">Maxwell Street</a> arrangement of <a href="http://klezmerband.com/store.html">“Russian Sher</a>”. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">My search for musical material eventually led to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Instrumental-Folk-Music-Collection/dp/0815606915">Beregovski’s collections</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> of Klezmer and Jewish music from Russia and I soon used many of the pieces in those collections to write my own lead sheets for the band.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But from a creative point of view I think the big moment of creative transition for me happened in 2011 when I was invited by <a href="http://www.gregwall.com/">Rabbi Greg Wall</a>to play bass in the Ayn Sof Arkestra, a Jewish big band he had founded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group had a monthly gig at the East Sixth Street Synagogue in New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began traveling down from New Haven to New York once a month to be a part of this project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved meeting and playing with these musicians all of whom were strong players with great reading and improvising chops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the group developed Greg invited the members of the band to bring in their own tunes and arrangements and to write for the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was excited by the possibility of getting to hear some of my ideas played by a big band and over the year I put together about three or four arrangements and original pieces for that group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was my first time writing seriously for a large ensemble and when that project ended for me I was disappointed. I’d gotten bit by the writing bug and I wanted to continue to write for a large Jewish big band.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then it hit me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been writing and arranging for a big Jewish band since 1998 but because of my own narrow mindedness I had not been thinking about it that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took the end of my tenure with Ayn Sof and my continued desire to write for a big group to help me understand the gift that was this December 25 ensemble.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">As I wrote and transcribed simple lead sheet arrangements for the December 25<sup>th</sup> group I discovered that these players possess an insatiable appetite for new music. Anything I presented they were ready and willing and (mostly) able to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so used to working mostly with ear players, however, and it took me a while to understand that some of these musicians really wanted notated guidance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ear players are more than willing to take musical risks, but so many of the players who were involved did not have that agenda and I wanted to be open to finding ways to keep them involved in the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so I began to become more aware of arrangement and how to present the music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While that might seem obvious to a trained musician, for me it was a process of becoming aware.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I became aware that I could shape a piece and not just play it straight forwardly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I became aware that the group could really reach and pull itself into a shape that would allow a group of community musicians to really play this music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I began to get even more aware of nuance than I ever had been before.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">And so about a decade or so into this project I began to get serious about the arrangements for the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time I found myself writing more and more frequently for the band. And I also have encouraged other members of the group to also contribute their work. <a href="http://www.yonibattat.com/">Yoni Battat</a> brought in a number of vocal arrangements, <a href="http://www.bivolita.com/who/">Christina Crowder</a>gave us an instrumental arrangement and also wrote several arrangements for the vocalists. And <a href="https://www.templeisraelcenter.org/About_Us/Who_We_Are/Clergy">Louis Polisson</a>transcribed and arranged Gross by <a href="http://balkanbeatbox.com/">Balkan Beat Box</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were finally to the point where at least two or three of the arrangements for the concert were developed by me or some other member of the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">My musical tastes are wide and so it should come as no surprise that the arrangements I’ve developed really run the gamut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are through composed without any room for soloists to improvise and others are almost like a jazz-big band chart in their structure with significant room left for improvisers to do their thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What most of these current arrangements have in common is that I have a group of musicians who really want to play them and turn them into something tangible and musical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there is great satisfaction in having an outlet for my explorations of arranging, instrumentation and part writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About a year and a half ago I decided that time had come to document some of the work we had been doing and I was able to obtain a grant to record my arrangements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we are, nearly 19 years into this project and we are finally making to have a studio quality recording that nicely documents some of the music that we have been making here in New Haven on December 25 and otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a great feeling.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">The room matters</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Okay, we’re almost at the part of this essay where I tell you a bit about each of the tunes on the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What’s Nu</i></b> CD. But before I talk about the music I want to talk a bit about where we recorded the music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew from the start that where we recorded the basic tracks for this album was going to matter a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was concerned with finding a room with a good sound and also a room that would work from some kind of spiritual perspective. I was also aware that there were a lot of musicians in the group who were recording for the first time and so having the right feel to the space mattered to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there were some obstacles to overcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting a good sounding recording and recording over 30 people at once is not an easy combination to make happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I really wanted to use a room that was large enough to accommodate the full ensemble. That turned out to be its own challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old cavernous New York recording studios where Duke Ellington and other big band leaders recorded don’t exist anymore and besides if they did they would have been well outside of our budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Room after room in the New Haven area turned out to be unavailable for this recording project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then, at almost the last minute we were given the okay to record in the Chapel, the smaller sanctuary space at <a href="http://cmihamden.org/">Congregation Mishkan Israel</a> in Hamden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spiritually this made a lot of sense, since we have been playing Mishkan Israel (albeit in the social hall) every December 25 since 1998.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this space turned out to be more than just great from the karmic spiritual perspective, the room turned out to be an acoustic space that was perfect for a large ensemble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, please take a moment to give a listen to the drum sound on this recording.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s really amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s all natural. We didn’t use any added reverb to find that big deep reverberating drum voice and that great splashy sound on the cymbals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is all the sound of the CMI small sanctuary.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">The pieces</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">We recorded basic tracks for 13 different pieces in two days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That might sound impressive but that’s what you’re stuck doing when you are working on a tight budget. You make do. And so we made did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some thoughts about the songs, the arrangements, and I have also sprinkled a few origin stories here and there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope the stories and rambles are enlightening are worth slogging through.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Kiev Sher</span></i> is a tune I found while reading through tunes in the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Instrumental-Folk-Music-Collection/dp/0815606915">Beregovski collection</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was about a three year period where I used the music in that collection for my daily sight reading practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned a lot from the exploration of the Klezmer themes that Beregovski compiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I learned a bit about me and my relationship to phrasing as I tried to make sense of how these melodies all strung together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this was one of the tunes that I sight read in that collection that I liked so much I put a star next to it and would come back and revisit from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ideas for this arrangement were primarily generated from the music of David Bowie and the drumming and generous spirit of Aaron Alexander. The David Bowie influence can be is in the way the rhythm section supports the melody (think “Fashion” or “Stay”) as well as the horn lines during the solo section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.aaronalexander.com/shortBio.html">Aaron Alexander</a> has this great way of making klezmer drumming sound traditional and super funky at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few years ago I was attending a wedding (<a href="https://www.templeisraelcenter.org/About_Us/Who_We_Are/Clergy">Louis Polisson</a> and Gabriella Feingold’s) and Aaron was playing drums with this great group of Klezmer musicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aaron didn’t play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kiev Sher</i>, but he played with some of the energy that this arrangement tries to express.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially the last part of the piece.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Joseph, Joseph (Yosl, Yosl)</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was playing a gig in Brooklyn with <a href="http://www.paulshapiromusic.com/paulshapiromusic.com/Home.html">Paul Shapiro</a> where we were asked to play some background music. Paul suggested that we play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yosl, Yosl</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I couldn’t. I didn’t have a fake book and I didn’t know the tune. Paul suggested I check it out and for whatever reason that suggestion stuck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was the beginning of a fascinating exploration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began by finding recordings and listening. I really got into this song in every configuration that I discovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then I began to listen to try and find my arrangement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did I want to put that would work for the Seltzers singing with the Kapelye?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before Paul had suggested the song I’d never played it before and so my first listen sessions began. I started with a recording by Abe Schwartz and it just grabbed my ears and wouldn’t let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course when I start listening to a song, every new discovery seemed to lead to two more (the longer story here which I won’t go into is that I am now on the lookout for these Yiddish swing tunes that can be both jazzy and klezzy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The slightly shorter version of the story involves discovering the popularity of this song under the name <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Joseph,</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Joseph, Joseph</i> on the Gypsy Jazz scene and then from there discovering the Andrews Sisters version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this arrangement has a little bit from each of those explorations, though to me what Jackie and Hedda have created with this arrangement goes beyond homage and presents another cool perspective on this song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like the way the band swings on this tune and our featured soloist really has a time with this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time of this recording tenor soloist Miles Singer was in his freshman year in high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His tone is perfect for this tune and he really struts his stuff.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Belaia Tserkov Freylekh and Skotshne</span></i> are pair of dance tunes I found in the Beregovski collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one of my earliest attempts at taking my arranging skills beyond playing lead sheets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had some basic personal goals for this particular arrangement. I was interested in writing a feature for a member of the ensemble and I was interested in trying to create something that would last longer if we were playing for dancers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I thought I’d try arranging a little medley of Klezmer dance songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making a medley could have been a pretty simple and straight forward task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d heard plenty of medleys where the switch from song to song was done without any transitions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I wanted to try and write a transition. I tried a few and this is the latest iteration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we play it right it really pushes you into the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skotshne</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that brings us to my first foray into writing a Klezmer feature. I found this tricky little melody and I knew that <a href="http://www.cooperlaw.net/bio.html">Isaiah Cooper</a>, one of our long time trombone players would have some fun learning to play this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I think it shows in his playing on this recording.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So getting to this took a bit of work, a key change and some reimagining of the tempo, but the end result is a nice trombone feature.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Bei Mir Bistdu Schon</span></i> is one of those songs that has a number of iconic performances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it took a while to figure out how much we would play homage to those performances and how much we would forge our own interpretation of the piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This arrangement has been rewritten so many times that I fully expect it may yet change again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s lots of part doubling so that everyone can lock in just by listening to one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed writing the call and response for Dalton’s solo and the band really starts swinging hard on the call and response between the brass and everyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jackie and Hedda sound so tight on this song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can hear how well they blend on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while working on this chart I found some ways to write that mostly allow for the horns and the voices to work together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Chiribiribom</span></i>is an arrangement by Christina Crowder that features the Seltzer Sisters interpreting the song in a way that’s a tribute to the legacy of the Barry Sisters. I like the way Christina’s lines support the singers and stay out of the way of their trickiest lines and some fun little moments where everyone really has to focus to make the lines all work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of energy throughout this chart. Christina has a great solo in the middle.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Ale Brider</span></i> has been in and out of the Nu Haven Kapelye repertoire several times over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was arranged and brought to the group by one of our violinists, <a href="http://www.yonibattat.com/">Yoni Battat</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yoni sang the song at least two different times at December 25 concerts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then Yoni moved to Boston--at first for school and now for his career--and he couldn’t play or sing with the Kapelye as much (and the fact that he took time out of his schedule to come and be a part of these sessions is something I will always be grateful for).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the thumbs up from Yoni to take his arrangement, change the key, and make just a few other fixes and voila, a feature for the Seltzer Sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire group even gets to sing a few bars at the beginning. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Gross</span></i>is an arrangement by Louis Polisson. Lou grew up playing the concert every December 25 and I can still remember how excited he was to have the Kapelye play one of his arrangements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is our most modern piece on the album, it’s a tune by the fantastic Israeli group, Balkan Beat Box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The arrangement features Lou and Henry Sidle in an epic guitar battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when we’ve played this song live we really stretch out the drum solo.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Zorg Nit Mama</span></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned earlier, for the past few years I have been using music from various collections of Klezmer and Jewish dance music for practicing sight reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find the recursive aspect of practice teaches me elemental language and phrase ideas from the music and I enjoy seeing what something I like hearing looks like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But all of this is such a slow process. So slow I don’t know if I can really tell when things have at all changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just know when things come more easily than they have in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I was surprised when I came across <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zorg</i>, in a copy of some music that I had borrowed from clarinetist Jim Serling<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I played the melody for the first time I was grabbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ideas for this arrangement came fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard that repeating trombone line grooving hard against the melody and I stuck with my first impression. I began to hear how it would feel if it was accompanied by a Motown/Stax influenced rhythm section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it was just a matter of figuring out the horn parts and the various accented hits that the piece would need to come alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The organ solo by <a href="https://www.reverbnation.com/eggylivemusic" target="_blank">Dani Battat</a> is the only overdub on this track. Everything else happened in the moment, including the upright bass and drum interaction during the organ solo which Jesse and I improvised in an inspired moment during the sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One last thing, as you might guess from their last names, Dani and Yoni are family—they’re first cousins and this track is their first recording together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Dovidl Bazezt Die Kalleh</span></i> is a reimagining of some music I first heard on a recording made by clarinetist Dave Tarras in 1926.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna Reisman replaces Tarras’ clarinet with her flute and she plays the opening doina and after she makes us all cry the rest of the band kicks into gear when we get to the happy celebratory freylekh. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I opened up the solo section here and created a solid backdrop for the instrumentalists to improvise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could imagine a live version where we open it up even more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Gas Nign</span></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This tune has been in and out of the Kapelye’s repertoire for at least the past five years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We first started playing it long before I began trying to write more elaborate arrangements. I found this melody early in my reading of Beregovski’s collection and made some basic lead sheets for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To date I have yet to go back and do something more with this tune.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This performance continues that practice. I worked out this head arrangement on the day of the recording.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesse counted us in and away we went. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone had a chance to be featured and we all listened to each other. Nice feel from beginning to end. Everyone really sounds like they are listening to one another.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Hora Midor di Romania</span></i> is an arrangement based on the 1920 Abe Schwartz recording.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a lot of fun figuring out how to arrange this piece for a large group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like the way violins and other instruments interact in the second section of the hora.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was singing on their instruments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then the band leaps into dance mode and transitions into a solid Freylekh dance feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a lot of energy in this part of the arrangement and I think the soloists, Eli Zabin and Steve Jacobs really play of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally the band comes back in after the solos to bring the song home. There’s a great feeling throughout the band as they come into a classic Klezmer ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really happy with how that came out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Eliyahu HaNavi</span></i> began as an arrangement almost 18 years ago. I first wrote and played it with <a href="http://davidchevan.com/bassology" target="_blank">Bassology</a>, a band that I led mostly in the late 1990s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the tune has continued to follow me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This arrangement was developed by Will Bartlett for a high school jazz band in Ohio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I adapted it for the Kapelye and we have been playing it ever since. It’s a great feature for the band members and Will’s quote of “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho” is a great start to the energetic finish of a chart that equally engages and entertains the band and the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Kostakowski Bulgar #2</span></i> is one of the more recent arrangements for the Kapelye. As my arranging skills have gotten a little better I’ve started trying out some ideas that involve more give and take, call and response and interaction between voices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this piece, a song I found while leafing through yet another good printed source, the Ultimate Klezmer collection I wanted to write a dance arrangement with contrasting sections</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/42170892016-06-07T07:37:00-04:002016-06-07T07:44:45-04:00Gig this Wednesday at the Outer Space<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> 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mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026"/></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext="edit"> <o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <br><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And as I finish pasting the announcement into the blog post a voice in my head with a thick Eastern European accent says, "Oy, and so now he uses the blog to announce gigs?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Coming to </span><a href="http://theouterspace.net/event/?p=18175"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">the Outer Space</span></a><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> on Wednesday, June 8</span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">the return of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">David Chevan meets the Spies of the Balkans</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6:30-8:00 p.m. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://theouterspace.net/event/?p=18175"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Outer Space</span></a><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">295 Treadwell Street</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hamden, CT</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hope you can come to the Outer Space on Wednesday to hear me play some new tunes, some old tunes, some introverted jams and some rock solid grooves </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">with an ever changing configuration of musicians known as</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Spies of the Balkans</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Spies of the Balkans is a musical configuration whose music is shrouded in enigma and mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reputedly the group plays music that explores the intersections between cultural identity, groove and the harmonic minor scale. What does that mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, as spies the group is willing to take on different identities and explore the sounds of those identities. Of late that has mostly been music from Eastern Europe with a mix of funk, jazz and jam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if needed, this identity could be shed and abandoned for something completely different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Curious? Frightened? So is the NSA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come hear the band that no one will admit on record to knowing anything about.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hope to see you there!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">David</span></div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39166672015-11-06T07:50:00-05:002015-11-06T07:51:50-05:00Some thoughts about playing the same tune for a year<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><br><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:DoNotShowRevisions/> <w:DoNotPrintRevisions/> <w:DoNotShowMarkup/> <w:DoNotShowComments/> <w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/> <w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> 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mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">About a month and a half ago I reached a personal milestone that felt important to me but I was very busy and I didn’t have time to write about<span> </span>it, but for the first time in a very long time I felt a compelling need to get something written.<span> </span>I had passed the one year anniversary of regularly and systematically playing one tune over and over, practice session after session. The idea isn’t original to me. I have long been familiar with some of the teachings of Lennie Tristano though I haven’t always used them in my own practice routine. I knew that he had his students work through their ideas using only a limited number of chord progressions.<span> </span>I’d dabbled with the idea before, but now I wanted to take it to a much deeper level.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">The germination of the playing began sometime in August/September 2014. Sometime in there I decided to systematically work through a series of rhythmic exercises while working exclusively on one piece of music.<span> </span>And I knew just the piece that I wanted to learn, John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.” That piece, long considered a milestone work by me and my many friends in jazz, was something of an Achilles’ heel for me. I’d played it quite a few times, but found it hard to follow and I often got lost playing it. I found it in some way to be the kind of tune that seemed more like a test than a tune.<span> </span>“Can you play “Giant Steps”?” was an intimidating question and one that would cause me worry if it was asked on a bandstand, especially if it was my first time playing with someone.<span> </span>I didn’t want to show my ignorance or reveal my inability to keep those tricky changes properly organized in my head. And so every year or so I’d play “Giant Steps”. Invariably I would get lost somewhere in the jam, and have little or nothing I could say profoundly on it on my instrument.<span> </span>And then not play it again for a long, long time.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">(I have a distinct memory of going to the Newport Jazz Festival and going to one of the small stages where Don Byron was leading his Ivey Divey band. And there on the stage, seated in a chair, Byron was playing ”Giant Steps”.<span> </span>But he was playing in a way that was not what I was used to hearing from him. What I heard or what I was feeling from what I heard was Byron searching, ides that were certainly deliberate and yet somehow incomplete, it was as though he was working on “Giant Steps” in public.<span> </span>In any case, that experience was a reminder that even someone I admire and taken for granted as a fully formed artist and soloist continues to work on their craft. ) </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">So, over a year ago I made it my practice to work on “Giant Steps” at least 3 or 4 times a week.<span> </span>I’m a person with limited practice time so I tend to create intentional activities that can teach as well as reinforce more than one conceptual aspect of my development at once.<span> </span>And so I knew or at least I hoped that by picking a piece and picking an exercise I would learn both at a profound level. The exercise I was doing comes from one of Jerry Bergonzi’s books on Improvisation, Melodic Rhythms.<span> </span>Early in the book there is a multi-page series of exercises that takes 22 short one bar rhythms and moves each rhythm through the bar so that if you do all of the exercise you will<span> </span>end up playing the same figure but displacing it so that eventually you play it <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>beginning on every possible part of the beat. I’d done the exercise a number of years ago, but this time I was going to apply it systematically to this one tune “Giant Steps”. </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">At first my practice sessions were quite difficult. I had trouble keeping focus.<span> </span>I could not play through the tune without some kind of major error.<span> </span>I got lost a LOT.<span> </span>I had trouble hearing the chord progression despite the fact that I was using a play-along recording.<span> </span>But little by little I noticed that I remembered more of the changes and could successfully get through the tune with fewer memory issues or problems finding the tonally correct notes for the chord at hand. After a while I could, with some effort, work my way through the daily rhythmic figure and play it very slowly, and then a little faster along with the play-along CD.<span> </span>I was like a musical version of the little engine that could.<span> </span>I kept at it each day. One of the big breakthroughs was when the chord progression was finally deeply embedded in my mind and I wasn’t relying on looking at the chords.<span> </span>When that happened I could begin to imagine what I was about to play.<span> </span>As that happened I was able to create different musical shapes and they often came out the way I wanted and correctly. Of course there were and still continue to be plenty of moments where I have train wrecks.<span> </span>But somehow I am more comfortable with them and I can hear my way out of them and back into the chord changes.<span> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">The thought came to me early this September. I thought to myself, I’ve been doing this project for a while now, how long have I been doing it? <span> </span>I thumbed through my practice log and traced my work back to last August.<span> </span>It had happened and I’d missed it.<span> </span>I was so busy doing the work I missed the anniversary. I’d played the tune for over a year. This discovery, for me, <span> </span>was anticlimactic.<span> </span>As far as I had gotten I am close but not done with this exercise.<span> </span>I still haven’t finished working through every permutation of the rhythmic figures in the exercise.<span> </span>And in the year since I've started this project I've come up with a list of other exercises I want to explore. The problem with limited practice times is there is just never enough.<span> </span>And there is so much that I want to work on (But I here I begin to ramble as there is no conclusion.<span> </span>There's just getting back in the practice room and continuing the process. With any luck I'll be inspired again in the near future to write, but the music comes first!).</span></span></span></div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110272015-04-22T10:35:00-04:002022-05-11T10:52:17-04:00At Eldridge Street Last Sunday several band members were invited to accompany Cantor Jack Mendelson at a baby naming. Jack was in great voice and we all had fun making music together.<br><br>Here are some candid shots from the day.<br><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-17ApmByDXbI/VTevWXburgI/AAAAAAAAAxc/LFhAqjH8_Sk/s1600/0419151528b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-17ApmByDXbI/VTevWXburgI/AAAAAAAAAxc/LFhAqjH8_Sk/s1600/0419151528b.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>Jesse Chevan<span id="goog_1100126170"></span><span id="goog_1100126171"></span><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TSf6YZ1WORE/VTevtXuQtXI/AAAAAAAAAxk/aEKWe-OpuvU/s1600/0419151519a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-TSf6YZ1WORE/VTevtXuQtXI/AAAAAAAAAxk/aEKWe-OpuvU/s1600/0419151519a.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>Will Bartlett</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-46AXhItre8A/VTev_HxzXjI/AAAAAAAAAxs/RSFt-ImkdzQ/s1600/0419151518a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-46AXhItre8A/VTev_HxzXjI/AAAAAAAAAxs/RSFt-ImkdzQ/s1600/0419151518a.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Warren Byrd</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J23TbU15cHg/VTewWZly-FI/AAAAAAAAAx0/5xDMoy0R87M/s1600/0419151527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-J23TbU15cHg/VTewWZly-FI/AAAAAAAAAx0/5xDMoy0R87M/s1600/0419151527.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">cantor Jack Mendelson with mom, dad, and baby Isabella</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqMeWdrOlGU/VTew_Qxy2-I/AAAAAAAAAx8/XMDQR3xE7bo/s1600/0419151528c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqMeWdrOlGU/VTew_Qxy2-I/AAAAAAAAAx8/XMDQR3xE7bo/s1600/0419151528c.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">David and Jesse Chevan</div><div>
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</div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110282014-08-26T10:40:00-04:002015-11-03T07:32:31-05:00PLEA FOR PEACE<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> 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5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br><div class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";'>The Afro-Semitic Experience is saddened by the events in Ferguson, Missouri. We mourn the killing of Michael Brown and we are troubled by the violence that has been inflicted upon the community. We are reminded once again that the Civil Rights movement is far from over and that this nation is in need of an ongoing dialogue on race, bigotry and unity in the community. As musicians there is only so much we can do. But do it we shall. We are healers. And so we share this link to a piece dedicated to healing. Healing in Ferguson. Healing in the United States of America. Healing wherever there is strife of any kind. Plea for Peace.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/afro-semitic-experience/plea-for-peace"><span style='font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";'>https://soundcloud.com/afro-semitic-experience/plea-for-peace</span></a></div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110292014-06-18T12:59:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:09-05:00Afro-Semitic Experience coming to Thomaston Connecticut this summer!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PrflNo98SmU/U6HEf3R_uvI/AAAAAAAAAwU/EoIsaakloRY/s1600/2014+Concert+Poster+-+Web+format.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-PrflNo98SmU/U6HEf3R_uvI/AAAAAAAAAwU/EoIsaakloRY/s1600/2014+Concert+Poster+-+Web+format.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="640" width="414" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PrflNo98SmU/U6HEf3R_uvI/AAAAAAAAAwU/EoIsaakloRY/s1600/2014+Concert+Poster+-+Web+format.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">How great it is to be a part of a summer series. Hope you go out and enjoy some of these other groups. See you on August 4 in Thomaston!</div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110302014-05-21T08:18:00-04:002015-11-03T07:32:31-05:00More music from the Atlanta Jewish Music FestivalHere's another video of the Afro-Semitic Experience from the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. This video from the festival is a story about the band and an interview with Warren Byrd and David Chevan that was aired on the Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasting network.<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/aQs8sCkzeHA/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/aQs8sCkzeHA&source=uds">
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br></div>Everyone sounds great. Saskia Laroo's trumpet playing is outstanding and she and Will Bartlett are making a pretty awesome team out front.<br><br>We also played the opening night of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. Here's a clip from YouTube of us from the Festival.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/PnwzmEJ0nc0/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/PnwzmEJ0nc0&source=uds">
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<span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>The Afro-Semitic Experience <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is proud to announce the release of its ninth CD,</b> <i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jazz Souls on Fire.</span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jazz Souls on Fire</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> pays tribute to some of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>Afro-Semitic Experience's</i></b> favorite composers, ones whose own creativity inspired that of the members of the group. </span></span><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;'>On this recording we visit pieces by Leon Thomas, Duke Ellington, Hank Mobley, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and others. </span><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>We honor their music, forged out of the struggles from which they emerged, lighting a way for us.</span><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'> It brings us back to the groove and passion of blowing, dancing, and soaring freely in sound and spirit—it brings us back to our musical roots.</span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>In support of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jazz Souls on Fire</i>, which comes out on Thursday, March 20, the Afro-Semitic Experience is giving CD release concerts in Atlanta and Northern California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="Body" style="tab-stops: 35.45pt 70.85pt 106.3pt 141.75pt 177.15pt 212.6pt 248.05pt 283.45pt 318.9pt 354.35pt 389.75pt 425.2pt 460.65pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>Thursday, March 20</span></b><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'> Atlanta Jewish Music Festival opening night concert at Steve’s <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Live Music, </span><span style='color: #191919; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>234 Hilderbrand Drive NE, Sandy Springs GA 30328, sets at 7:30 and <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>9:00 p.m.</span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>for tickets and more info please visit <a href="http://www.atlantajmf.org/">www.atlantajmf.org</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>Friday, March 21</span></b><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'> 7:30 p.m., Congregation Beth Shalom, 4746 El Camino Ave, Carmichael, CA</span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>for more info please visit <a href="http://www.cbshalom.org/">www.cbshalom.org</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>Saturday, March 22</span></b><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'> Berkeley Jewish Music Festival </span><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;'>8:00 pm, at Freight and Salvage, <span style="background: white; color: #222222;">202<span style="background-color: white;"><span></span></span>0 Addison St, Berkeley, CA</span></span><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'></span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>for tickets and more info please visit <a href="http://www.jewishmusicfestival.org/">www.jewishmusicfestival.org</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>Sunday, March 23</span></b><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'> 4:00 p.m. reception, 5:00 concert at Temple Isaiah, </span><span style='background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;'>945 Risa Rd, Lafayette, CA</span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style='background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;'><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>for tickets and more info please visit <a href="http://www.temple-isaiah.org/">www.temple-isaiah.org</a></span><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'></span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style='font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>Future CD release events are being planned including concerts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, New Brunswick, New Jersey, Hamden, Connecticut, and will be announced shortly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false" 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Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--><br>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110332013-09-26T07:35:00-04:002022-03-02T11:42:04-05:00PHOTOS FROM OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY CONCERT<b>The Afro-Semitic Experience</b> visited Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia for an outdoor performance on September 11. We honored the memories of those who had fallen on that day and celebrated our ancestors. The band played music that covered our entire repertoire, from the beginning of the group to the music from our forthcoming CD, <i><b>"Jazz Souls on Fire,"</b></i> in all the group played for over two hours.<br>Noted jazz photographer Mark Robbins was at the show and he shared some of his photos with the band. He's got a great eye for musicians and how they express themselves in their music. Thanks to Mark for allowing us to post these photos on our site. <span id="goog_830229863"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_830229864"></span>Mark Robbins' web site is: <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style='font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;'><span style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: white;"><span>markrobbinsphotography.com<span id="goog_830229867"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_830229868"></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span></span></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Please visit it and support his great work.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here are some of Mark's photos from the concert:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PjiKTa0tFIE/UkQYrbBCe-I/AAAAAAAAAVk/dzau7-E0PCc/s1600/ase+(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-PjiKTa0tFIE/UkQYrbBCe-I/AAAAAAAAAVk/dzau7-E0PCc/s400/ase+(6).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="367" /></a></td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td>
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</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A2Zg0uwVzuM/UkQYwuj8YzI/AAAAAAAAAVs/ZCdgdfhq8lI/s1600/ase+(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-A2Zg0uwVzuM/UkQYwuj8YzI/AAAAAAAAAVs/ZCdgdfhq8lI/s400/ase+(7).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="391" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alvin Carter, Jr. Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yzkw4bJ9TH4/UkQY0A1QUFI/AAAAAAAAAV0/G4345xVbQeA/s1600/ase+(9).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-yzkw4bJ9TH4/UkQY0A1QUFI/AAAAAAAAAV0/G4345xVbQeA/s1600/ase+(9).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Afro-Semitic Experience Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VaRIlce9TaU/UkQY4oOZy8I/AAAAAAAAAV8/jloWCgrytIo/s1600/ase+(8).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-VaRIlce9TaU/UkQY4oOZy8I/AAAAAAAAAV8/jloWCgrytIo/s400/ase+(8).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will Bartlett Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JWG9yv60axY/UkQY97uswqI/AAAAAAAAAWE/cIBhuvc5BJg/s1600/ase+(12).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-JWG9yv60axY/UkQY97uswqI/AAAAAAAAAWE/cIBhuvc5BJg/s400/ase+(12).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warren Byrd Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8hc9Ct1bwKU/UkQZD5JXfmI/AAAAAAAAAWM/ObmIRQq7dMQ/s1600/ase+(21).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-8hc9Ct1bwKU/UkQZD5JXfmI/AAAAAAAAAWM/ObmIRQq7dMQ/s400/ase+(21).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stacy Phillips Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wsUPjuWplHg/UkQZKYVbKwI/AAAAAAAAAWU/SxHtvcfy2i8/s1600/ase+(24).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-wsUPjuWplHg/UkQZKYVbKwI/AAAAAAAAAWU/SxHtvcfy2i8/s400/ase+(24).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="390" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Chevan Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M6QyNmOP0xc/UkQZPVSBZCI/AAAAAAAAAWc/IAQUtM_1azI/s1600/ase+(15).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-M6QyNmOP0xc/UkQZPVSBZCI/AAAAAAAAAWc/IAQUtM_1azI/s400/ase+(15).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="253" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David, Warren and Alvin Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7KlugLxqZA/UkQZUPsnsEI/AAAAAAAAAWk/8AUVkRxaUzo/s1600/ase+(17).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7KlugLxqZA/UkQZUPsnsEI/AAAAAAAAAWk/8AUVkRxaUzo/s400/ase+(17).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Will and Alvin Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ecGaHvgCc14/UkQZajubBtI/AAAAAAAAAWs/1IAtY9TTS2E/s1600/ase+(26).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-ecGaHvgCc14/UkQZajubBtI/AAAAAAAAAWs/1IAtY9TTS2E/s400/ase+(26).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="222" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warren Byrd and David Chevan Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8w5L4lsc9z8/UkQZfUETE8I/AAAAAAAAAW0/2UlQcv8pUFY/s1600/ase+(28).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-8w5L4lsc9z8/UkQZfUETE8I/AAAAAAAAAW0/2UlQcv8pUFY/s400/ase+(28).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="212" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. and Stacy Phillips Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Lm2y-UCk78/UkQZl1jsl1I/AAAAAAAAAW8/RyKl5ltxxvk/s1600/ase+(29).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Lm2y-UCk78/UkQZl1jsl1I/AAAAAAAAAW8/RyKl5ltxxvk/s400/ase+(29).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="341" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alvin Carter, Jr. Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IeiWWHZvMFg/UkQZthpKerI/AAAAAAAAAXE/8r8o1E8v79s/s1600/ase+(25).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-IeiWWHZvMFg/UkQZthpKerI/AAAAAAAAAXE/8r8o1E8v79s/s400/ase+(25).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="308" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0SL8nrwPdWQ/UkQZ1TbZDUI/AAAAAAAAAXM/FEfEpIb4mPY/s1600/ase+(36).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-0SL8nrwPdWQ/UkQZ1TbZDUI/AAAAAAAAAXM/FEfEpIb4mPY/s400/ase+(36).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="388" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YvvcqSwp4nQ/UkQZ8mdegTI/AAAAAAAAAXU/sCZU5DErlak/s1600/ase+(37).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-YvvcqSwp4nQ/UkQZ8mdegTI/AAAAAAAAAXU/sCZU5DErlak/s320/ase+(37).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="249" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu, Will and Stacy Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmuWdTAilLU/UkQaFECOCYI/AAAAAAAAAXc/NLKjSGrATKA/s1600/ase+(40).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmuWdTAilLU/UkQaFECOCYI/AAAAAAAAAXc/NLKjSGrATKA/s400/ase+(40).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. Old Dominion University Mark Robbins Photography </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110342013-08-08T08:01:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:09-05:00MITCHELL LIBRARY PARK CONCERTThe Afro-Semitic Experience played in the park by Mitchell Library in the Westville section of New Haven this past Monday. A good crowd turned out and there was a lot of dancing and celebration. Warren sang many of the songs that we are working on for our new CD and in general we had a blast.<br><br>David Sepulveda of the New Haven Indepedent shared some of his photos of the concert with us. Here are some of our favorites from the night:<br><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okEuCzxzyWw/UgOFWDV878I/AAAAAAAAATE/W2grLG59CIk/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-okEuCzxzyWw/UgOFWDV878I/AAAAAAAAATE/W2grLG59CIk/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+1.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Road that Heals the Splintered Soul</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-twTgcFVHA2E/UgOFf1rDgHI/AAAAAAAAAUE/3oo3eP9dtPE/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-twTgcFVHA2E/UgOFf1rDgHI/AAAAAAAAAUE/3oo3eP9dtPE/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+2.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dancing to the sounds of the Afro-Semitic Experience</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>The band broke into a Klezmer tune and it seemed like the entire audience got up in a circle and started dancing. It was a beautiful sight. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65YckNzsp1M/UgOFjuDWcII/AAAAAAAAAUk/ebLE0N_eto4/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-65YckNzsp1M/UgOFjuDWcII/AAAAAAAAAUk/ebLE0N_eto4/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+3.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></div><br>Happy concert goers enjoying a great evening. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BTGG2-KG5dM/UgOFlHu12rI/AAAAAAAAAUs/ZPsco1SRjaY/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-BTGG2-KG5dM/UgOFlHu12rI/AAAAAAAAAUs/ZPsco1SRjaY/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+4.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></div> There was a good turnout for the event--it seemed like every community in New Haven was represented. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCZR5scR3jI/UgOFm6Z-rSI/AAAAAAAAAU0/SFuWld1muXk/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCZR5scR3jI/UgOFm6Z-rSI/AAAAAAAAAU0/SFuWld1muXk/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+6.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></div> Saskia Laroo, our amazing trumpet player, never lets anything stand in the way of giving a good performance (she forgot her music stand, but that did not stop her for one second).<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGQe6RgMGvs/UgOFppEYC2I/AAAAAAAAAVQ/HtsBYZRf3qw/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGQe6RgMGvs/UgOFppEYC2I/AAAAAAAAAVQ/HtsBYZRf3qw/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+9.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="295" width="400" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IdNcxL1sCLY/UgOFUxNjGAI/AAAAAAAAAS4/HT2D-O-llIo/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-IdNcxL1sCLY/UgOFUxNjGAI/AAAAAAAAAS4/HT2D-O-llIo/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+10.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></div> Warren sounded great both on keyboard and in his singing. He was in the zone that night. You can see how relaxed and intense he looks.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qs3st_wz-w/UgOFUqk2LvI/AAAAAAAAAS0/S4ypmJliTAs/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qs3st_wz-w/UgOFUqk2LvI/AAAAAAAAAS0/S4ypmJliTAs/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+11.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NTxDi3ddsLs/UgOFahXxxyI/AAAAAAAAATc/RyMKzGEXZSY/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-NTxDi3ddsLs/UgOFahXxxyI/AAAAAAAAATc/RyMKzGEXZSY/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+15.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></div> The dancing was such a great part of the night. And everyone in New Haven knows that when this guy is at a show there WILL BE DANCING!!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iGCKlpv8cuA/UgOFbwAkkJI/AAAAAAAAATo/PZAz3m_Srdc/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-iGCKlpv8cuA/UgOFbwAkkJI/AAAAAAAAATo/PZAz3m_Srdc/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+16.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="266" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_e6mw3A6mN8/UgOFcxmvv9I/AAAAAAAAAT0/UHWnJeMaTXk/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-_e6mw3A6mN8/UgOFcxmvv9I/AAAAAAAAAT0/UHWnJeMaTXk/s320/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+17.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HpabBrQV38E/UgOFeVprQ7I/AAAAAAAAAT8/fPJbz1WT96g/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-HpabBrQV38E/UgOFeVprQ7I/AAAAAAAAAT8/fPJbz1WT96g/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+18.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alvin Carter, Jr. and Alvin Carter, Sr.--the heartbeat of the band</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qcd-dMrHtKI/UgOFZ1l6d6I/AAAAAAAAATU/s8ofFdy8cOQ/s1600/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qcd-dMrHtKI/UgOFZ1l6d6I/AAAAAAAAATU/s8ofFdy8cOQ/s400/Mitchell+Library+Sepulveda+12.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks again to David Sepulveda for documenting this magical night of music and community</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110352013-06-28T14:14:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:09-05:00PHOTOS FROM THE PORTER-PHELPS-HUNTINGTON MUSEUMThe <i><b>Afro-Semitic Experience</b></i> performed in the Sunken Garden at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum in Hadley, Massachusetts on June 19. The Sunken Garden is a beautiful setting for music and long time friend of the band, Julie Chevan (and our bass player's wife!!) took some great photos of the group.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The band arrived to find Art Steele, their long time friend, sound-man, and local blues guitar legend hard at work getting things ready for the band to play. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aHkeWfP8pZE/UcygozGFziI/AAAAAAAAAR0/VlLHc0yayQQ/s1600/photo+22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-aHkeWfP8pZE/UcygozGFziI/AAAAAAAAAR0/VlLHc0yayQQ/s400/photo+22.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="298" width="400" /></a></div><br>Everyone quickly got to work setting up instruments and equipment. Here's Saskia, Abu, and Alvin getting their gear ready for the concert. Isn't this a great setting for a concert? <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQl3dzzZXSw/Ucyf5xWXQiI/AAAAAAAAAQo/eVfGfQjBK3g/s1600/photo+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQl3dzzZXSw/Ucyf5xWXQiI/AAAAAAAAAQo/eVfGfQjBK3g/s400/photo+10.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="298" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br>Here's the band during the sound check:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O5iUJ5WKyFM/UcygTMTDZ4I/AAAAAAAAARQ/ocUbRNW6K1g/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-O5iUJ5WKyFM/UcygTMTDZ4I/AAAAAAAAARQ/ocUbRNW6K1g/s400/photo+2.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="298" width="400" /></a></div><br><br>After the sound check David's parents prepared a vegetrian feast for the band. Here's Will and Abu munching on some of the delicious salads. And below that is a shot of David with his mom. Thanks for all the good food!!<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I53ZN_f0aNk/UcygGzkTNyI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/ZhiGXKe4L6o/s1600/photo+16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-I53ZN_f0aNk/UcygGzkTNyI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/ZhiGXKe4L6o/s320/photo+16.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="239" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZLoDhUh4mM/Ucyf-kJKy4I/AAAAAAAAAQw/Mab7TUFfk-U/s1600/photo+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZLoDhUh4mM/Ucyf-kJKy4I/AAAAAAAAAQw/Mab7TUFfk-U/s320/photo+12.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="239" width="320" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before the band began playing Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. gave a benediction and blessing for the performance.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rr7h_3zULa4/Ucyg11UTsWI/AAAAAAAAASQ/NiWn9l6XL2A/s1600/photo+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rr7h_3zULa4/Ucyg11UTsWI/AAAAAAAAASQ/NiWn9l6XL2A/s400/photo+8.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="298" width="400" /></a>
</div><br><br>After Abu's benediction the band began to play--and what a night and what a setting!! Some great music for a receptive and joyous audience of all ages.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHtAGTP3kZY/UcygzutF4RI/AAAAAAAAASI/ySHofKrBN3Q/s1600/photo+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHtAGTP3kZY/UcygzutF4RI/AAAAAAAAASI/ySHofKrBN3Q/s400/photo+6.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="298" width="400" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5uvF2h64TQM/UcygGwRaegI/AAAAAAAAARE/6cstBmvCpek/s1600/photo+15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-5uvF2h64TQM/UcygGwRaegI/AAAAAAAAARE/6cstBmvCpek/s320/photo+15.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="239" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fd8jv40miAQ/UcygbMuf88I/AAAAAAAAARg/CmZb9vGbQp4/s1600/photo+17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-fd8jv40miAQ/UcygbMuf88I/AAAAAAAAARg/CmZb9vGbQp4/s320/photo+17.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="239" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4cTDDYnNRSg/Ucygb-p8WoI/AAAAAAAAARo/YEQ6z3H0hqw/s1600/photo+20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-4cTDDYnNRSg/Ucygb-p8WoI/AAAAAAAAARo/YEQ6z3H0hqw/s400/photo+20.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will Bartlett, David Chevan and Saskia Laroo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3j0eHbWMxXo/UcygHUOvPLI/AAAAAAAAARI/c97xfP07kGA/s1600/photo+14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-3j0eHbWMxXo/UcygHUOvPLI/AAAAAAAAARI/c97xfP07kGA/s400/photo+14.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saskia Laroo, Abu Alvin Carter, Sr., Warren Byrd, and Alvin Carter, Jr.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>What a night! Many thanks to Susan Lisk and her staff for a good night in a beautiful setting.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dBeURzVihgg/Ucyg_jLPv6I/AAAAAAAAASg/2QBxXipU3pc/s1600/photo+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-dBeURzVihgg/Ucyg_jLPv6I/AAAAAAAAASg/2QBxXipU3pc/s400/photo+9.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="298" width="400" /></a></div><br>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110362013-03-22T09:55:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:09-05:00NBMAA PHOTOSEarlier this month the Afro-Semitic Experience had a great time playing at the New Britain Museum of American Art. (By the way the current exhibit of the works of Toulouse Lautrec is great!) Everyone was in such great spirits. There was loads of dancing and we had a pretty incredible Klezmer jam. Just a great night from beginning to end.<br>One of the staff, Long Lin, sent us some great photos from the evening. THANKS LONG!! And thanks to everyone at the New Britain Museum of American Art. We are planning to come back next year for even more fun.<br><br> Here are some highlights from the night:<br><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TRf9ifmbUIM/UUxeSMTM-dI/AAAAAAAAANw/QQ5_uFq59hc/s1600/IMG_0973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-TRf9ifmbUIM/UUxeSMTM-dI/AAAAAAAAANw/QQ5_uFq59hc/s400/IMG_0973.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will Bartlett soloing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zyaBFuLggxE/UUxeXEle6HI/AAAAAAAAAN4/54qmaxDP4Xo/s1600/IMG_1009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-zyaBFuLggxE/UUxeXEle6HI/AAAAAAAAAN4/54qmaxDP4Xo/s400/IMG_1009.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saskia completely got in synch with this couple who must have danced the entire night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3tCTE1FZhU/UUxeXgp6x5I/AAAAAAAAAOA/QS22jPGBgqA/s1600/IMG_1011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3tCTE1FZhU/UUxeXgp6x5I/AAAAAAAAAOA/QS22jPGBgqA/s400/IMG_1011.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go Saskia!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VUIyRqM4i8A/UUxea4jnHKI/AAAAAAAAAOI/ldoo8zsNq6k/s1600/IMG_1013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-VUIyRqM4i8A/UUxea4jnHKI/AAAAAAAAAOI/ldoo8zsNq6k/s400/IMG_1013.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This couple had some moves!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V7LrNOc7b98/UUxegArrKHI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/O2SsSxnU-Aw/s1600/IMG_1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-V7LrNOc7b98/UUxegArrKHI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/O2SsSxnU-Aw/s400/IMG_1017.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will blowing on tenor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3XeD37DOlX0/UUxegQq_qVI/AAAAAAAAAOU/apX1hm-Yz2Y/s1600/IMG_1023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-3XeD37DOlX0/UUxegQq_qVI/AAAAAAAAAOU/apX1hm-Yz2Y/s320/IMG_1023.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stacy Phillips on lap steel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rrCFjEmEMRU/UUxem7qNn4I/AAAAAAAAAOg/1DUhx2wrZEU/s1600/IMG_1027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-rrCFjEmEMRU/UUxem7qNn4I/AAAAAAAAAOg/1DUhx2wrZEU/s400/IMG_1027.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Alvin Carter laying it down on the congas: a real drum master</td>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td>
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</tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ocbu6uVqMsA/UUxeqF9XVUI/AAAAAAAAAOo/Z08Fw-PkBro/s1600/IMG_1024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ocbu6uVqMsA/UUxeqF9XVUI/AAAAAAAAAOo/Z08Fw-PkBro/s400/IMG_1024.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saskia Laroo!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-szFPkU2Dmpg/UUxeq7JZYAI/AAAAAAAAAOw/qVHn7ZF41uA/s1600/IMG_1028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-szFPkU2Dmpg/UUxeq7JZYAI/AAAAAAAAAOw/qVHn7ZF41uA/s400/IMG_1028.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Alvin Carter making it sweet and funky</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqWGlpBx__s/UUxewp7mjvI/AAAAAAAAAO4/5BbZ3XfzDFQ/s1600/IMG_1030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqWGlpBx__s/UUxewp7mjvI/AAAAAAAAAO4/5BbZ3XfzDFQ/s400/IMG_1030.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alvin Carter, Jr. on drum set Abu Alvin Carte, Sr. on percussion what a team!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9nJroY_u6w/UUxe21VYw2I/AAAAAAAAAPI/aoa4Z9DLUSM/s1600/IMG_1037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9nJroY_u6w/UUxe21VYw2I/AAAAAAAAAPI/aoa4Z9DLUSM/s400/IMG_1037.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Chevan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-imo9JBJZwhU/UUxe7Rk-u5I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/-Q-cOtYd89Q/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-imo9JBJZwhU/UUxe7Rk-u5I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/-Q-cOtYd89Q/s400/IMG_1039.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Band Co-Founder Warren Byrd singing and playing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FItdhHYDdhQ/UUxe-8p5NXI/AAAAAAAAAPY/XLFx2-9ha1g/s1600/IMG_1041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-FItdhHYDdhQ/UUxe-8p5NXI/AAAAAAAAAPY/XLFx2-9ha1g/s400/IMG_1041.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warren singing that thing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CS10ovR57fY/UUxfCFW-r3I/AAAAAAAAAPg/Fdcx_YXBu6Q/s1600/IMG_1069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-CS10ovR57fY/UUxfCFW-r3I/AAAAAAAAAPg/Fdcx_YXBu6Q/s400/IMG_1069.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afro-Semitic Experience--Will Bartlett soloing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MBmWL4k-inI/UUxfCjJoqCI/AAAAAAAAAPo/boPK6Utm-PY/s1600/IMG_1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-MBmWL4k-inI/UUxfCjJoqCI/AAAAAAAAAPo/boPK6Utm-PY/s400/IMG_1055.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afro-Semitic Experience--the whole band is GETTING DOWN!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-47Mkx73BVJQ/UUxe0AP9ysI/AAAAAAAAAPA/puUL3ge8BX0/s1600/IMG_1033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-47Mkx73BVJQ/UUxe0AP9ysI/AAAAAAAAAPA/puUL3ge8BX0/s400/IMG_1033.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Chevan singing and walking</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110372012-12-25T10:18:00-05:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00Photos from The Afro-Semitic Experience concert in White Plains at the Hebrew Institute<span style="font-size: large;"><br><i><b>The Afro-Semitic Experience</b></i></span> <span style="font-size: small;">had a great performa<span style="font-size: small;">nce last week<span style="font-size: small;">end at the H<span style="font-size: small;">ebrew Institute in White P<span style="font-size: small;">lains.</span></span></span></span></span> The band played a show that lasted just over two hours and included music for Hanukkah as well as a touching tribute to the victims of the Newtown Massacre. Warren Byrd sang up a storm and his rendition of the 23rd Psalm (in memory of the Newtown Massacre victims) brought the room to tears.<br>Leah, the band's new friend shot some video snippets of the concert and posted them on YouTube. Click here (<a href="http://youtu.be/yXXO2ftv-q4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Afro-Semitic Experience at the Hebrew Institute</a>) to get to that video. Thanks Leah!!!<br><br>Leah also sent the band some great photos of the performance. Here's the group at sound check.<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jOfsevceacs/UNm9hd9KPxI/AAAAAAAAALc/ZG2JXW19C-g/s1600/pc150372+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-jOfsevceacs/UNm9hd9KPxI/AAAAAAAAALc/ZG2JXW19C-g/s320/pc150372+(2).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="130" width="400" /></a></div><br>And here's a shot of of Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. at his congas. Go Abu!!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4wD7FeHBv8A/UNm9vkwhs9I/AAAAAAAAALk/1WIuNal-n40/s1600/pc150373+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-4wD7FeHBv8A/UNm9vkwhs9I/AAAAAAAAALk/1WIuNal-n40/s400/pc150373+copy.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="225" /></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;">Will is getting down on the clarinet. Everyone is pretty focused here.</div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-__jiEXHLmi4/UNm-QfXdxuI/AAAAAAAAALs/q69pQMsXLv4/s1600/pc150374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-__jiEXHLmi4/UNm-QfXdxuI/AAAAAAAAALs/q69pQMsXLv4/s400/pc150374.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;">Stacy Phillips laying into his violin. Go Stacy!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5cs7mrhwf_0/UNm-iqybFlI/AAAAAAAAAL0/k_mWAhVsHUI/s1600/pc150377+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-5cs7mrhwf_0/UNm-iqybFlI/AAAAAAAAAL0/k_mWAhVsHUI/s400/pc150377+copy.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="233" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HublRPGHk9A/UNm_DhAXCCI/AAAAAAAAAL8/MNW1Ys5IcB8/s1600/pc150378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-HublRPGHk9A/UNm_DhAXCCI/AAAAAAAAAL8/MNW1Ys5IcB8/s400/pc150378.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="307" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alvin Carter, Jr., Abu Alvin Carter, Sr., and Stacy Phillips</td>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td>
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</tbody></table>A shot of the band singing the last part of the "Road That Heals the Splintered Soul." You can almost hear Alvin's mellifluous baritone voice coming through the photo!!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GjT6YEfzNoY/UNm_0EaeHsI/AAAAAAAAAMI/dX_YYxEqJrs/s1600/pc150404+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-GjT6YEfzNoY/UNm_0EaeHsI/AAAAAAAAAMI/dX_YYxEqJrs/s640/pc150404+(1).jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="332" width="640" /></a></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;">Warren Byrd--singing and playing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKE4ki54vsU/UNnAbX-LARI/AAAAAAAAAMU/2esWVGif7i8/s1600/pc150408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKE4ki54vsU/UNnAbX-LARI/AAAAAAAAAMU/2esWVGif7i8/s400/pc150408.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="318" /></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;">Will Bartlett bringing it on the tenor sax!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4sUYIh-DfeU/UNnBBmKc25I/AAAAAAAAAMc/2UIZcP58Bxs/s1600/pc150411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-4sUYIh-DfeU/UNnBBmKc25I/AAAAAAAAAMc/2UIZcP58Bxs/s400/pc150411.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="188" /></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;">David Chevan laying down the lines on the bass. Oh, slap that thing!!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6BZmyj2Fts/UNnBEb_5x7I/AAAAAAAAAMk/q4wHEAnZOKc/s1600/pc150413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6BZmyj2Fts/UNnBEb_5x7I/AAAAAAAAAMk/q4wHEAnZOKc/s400/pc150413.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="198" /></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;">The heartbeat and drumbeat of the Afro-Semitic Experience-- Alvin Carter, Jr. on drum set and Abu Alvin Carter on percussion!!</div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPZGeWqmRog/UNnBRWx8fzI/AAAAAAAAAMs/2B9xSegg7Ws/s1600/pc150427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPZGeWqmRog/UNnBRWx8fzI/AAAAAAAAAMs/2B9xSegg7Ws/s640/pc150427.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;">Nothing compares to the good feeling of a well played two hour show </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iOrHGJLZwpA/UNnBitIpxTI/AAAAAAAAAM0/kHINUu6pH4o/s1600/pc150434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-iOrHGJLZwpA/UNnBitIpxTI/AAAAAAAAAM0/kHINUu6pH4o/s640/pc150434.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="306" width="640" /></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;">Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. shares a final blessing with the audience </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FIUq3AV2PdM/UNnB0zdx0TI/AAAAAAAAAM8/gbt3PEnKqGI/s1600/pc150435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-FIUq3AV2PdM/UNnB0zdx0TI/AAAAAAAAAM8/gbt3PEnKqGI/s640/pc150435.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;">Dec. 15, 2012 This is the Afro-Semitic Experience!!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Warren Byrd, Alvin Carter, Jr., David Chevan, Will Bartlett, Stacy Phillips, and Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1jtpJmbZN1o/UNnCJxjqocI/AAAAAAAAANE/Gu1SNq2EqLg/s1600/pc150439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-1jtpJmbZN1o/UNnCJxjqocI/AAAAAAAAANE/Gu1SNq2EqLg/s640/pc150439.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>Thanks again to Leah for sharing these great photos with the band. See y'all at our next show!!David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110382012-12-19T06:20:00-05:002018-07-27T07:02:31-04:00Photos from Wellesley Concert <b><i>The Afro-Semitic Experience</i></b> visited Wellesley College on Wednesday, December 5 for a concert in the school's Art and Soul series. The group played new pieces including "The Creator has a Master Plan," Shout 'Em, Aunt Tillie," "Wise One", and "Soul Station." Abu Alvin Carter had everyone mesmerized with his opening blessing and the band just rocked the room from beginning to end. Jennifer Dennis, from Wellesley sent the band some photos from the event. In this first photo you can see <br>Abu making his invocation from the stage.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MupdrqApJoo/UNGhNMUXA0I/AAAAAAAAAKY/ICqG4zYYAYU/s1600/IMAG0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-MupdrqApJoo/UNGhNMUXA0I/AAAAAAAAAKY/ICqG4zYYAYU/s400/IMAG0007.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>Here's a great photo of Will jamming on his clarinet.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ztRDknKbBNg/UNGh1uLAcKI/AAAAAAAAAKk/kRDWr5jSxTI/s1600/IMAG0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-ztRDknKbBNg/UNGh1uLAcKI/AAAAAAAAAKk/kRDWr5jSxTI/s400/IMAG0026.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>And here's a great shot of Stacy, Saskia, and Will jamming together. Don't you wonder what tune they are playing? Maybe it's "Shout Out from the Mountain"? If only photos could have sound.<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwV7bwnMm2w/UNGiC3VNzWI/AAAAAAAAAKw/eWX4vrTA-AY/s1600/Afro-Semitic%2BExperience%2Bat%2BWellesley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwV7bwnMm2w/UNGiC3VNzWI/AAAAAAAAAKw/eWX4vrTA-AY/s400/Afro-Semitic%2BExperience%2Bat%2BWellesley.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br><br>And here's a great shot of Warren in motion on the piano!!<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tO4AxFisXNQ/UNGiiA0a8_I/AAAAAAAAAK8/TbGfbJi3XDg/s1600/Warren%2BAt%2BWellesley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-tO4AxFisXNQ/UNGiiA0a8_I/AAAAAAAAAK8/TbGfbJi3XDg/s400/Warren%2BAt%2BWellesley.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>And David on the bass:<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M5rSOlQ07tE/UNGitpMBeHI/AAAAAAAAALI/Tn-x1Gsaq_8/s1600/David%2Bat%2BWellesley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-M5rSOlQ07tE/UNGitpMBeHI/AAAAAAAAALI/Tn-x1Gsaq_8/s400/David%2Bat%2BWellesley.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>It was a terrific evening. Everyone was getting up and dancing all through the concert and we all had a great time musically and spiritually.<br>Thanks to Patti and Jennifer at Wellesley for putting together this evening of spirit and grooves!!<br>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110392012-10-10T20:57:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00PICTURES FROM THE BETH ELOHIM PERFORMANCEThis past Sunday (October 7), the <b><i>Afro-Semitic Experience</i></b> played in Park Slope Brooklyn at Congregation Beth Elohim. The synagogue is celebrating it's 150th anniversary and they sure know how to celebrate. The day began with a service in the sanctuary and was supposed to then become a street party, but the weather turned rainy. Instead the band played in the Beth Elohim ballroom. Here are some shots of the band getting down at Congregation Beth Elohim: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pVv8itp8oH4/UHYTBw136mI/AAAAAAAAAIw/2L9M7MByBZM/s1600/IMG_3198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-pVv8itp8oH4/UHYTBw136mI/AAAAAAAAAIw/2L9M7MByBZM/s400/IMG_3198.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>Abu Alvin Carter, Sr. gives a benediction before the band begins it's set. <br><br> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_yMkhCbXwE/UHYTse3O0jI/AAAAAAAAAI8/g7U-6wRi4Ik/s1600/IMG_3202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_yMkhCbXwE/UHYTse3O0jI/AAAAAAAAAI8/g7U-6wRi4Ik/s400/IMG_3202.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>Saskia Laroo on trumpet!! <br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PUIXKuV8Hcg/UHYUZh6WXgI/AAAAAAAAAJI/IRgHQ2OQfiA/s1600/IMG_3203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-PUIXKuV8Hcg/UHYUZh6WXgI/AAAAAAAAAJI/IRgHQ2OQfiA/s400/IMG_3203.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="252" width="400" /></a></div><br>The Carter family!!! Alvin, Jr. and Alvin, Sr.<br><br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6p6xaR_3E2U/UHYVEMLKoWI/AAAAAAAAAJU/x8RuWv-STDA/s1600/IMG_3206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-6p6xaR_3E2U/UHYVEMLKoWI/AAAAAAAAAJU/x8RuWv-STDA/s400/IMG_3206.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QUVQNKTKb6Q/UHYWa-H0OCI/AAAAAAAAAJg/B3ugStyqi7s/s1600/IMG_3207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-QUVQNKTKb6Q/UHYWa-H0OCI/AAAAAAAAAJg/B3ugStyqi7s/s400/IMG_3207.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>Will Bartlett on tenor sax with Warren chillin' on the keys<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8-VnZXYElT8/UHYXQzAXIuI/AAAAAAAAAJs/tUuyFRBo3Ks/s1600/IMG_3213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-8-VnZXYElT8/UHYXQzAXIuI/AAAAAAAAAJs/tUuyFRBo3Ks/s400/IMG_3213.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>The backline: Warren Byrd on keys, David Chevan on bass, Alvin and Abu Carter<br><br> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vTc2jIt3GP4/UHYYFCuAnJI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/tVEtH3h5tjQ/s1600/IMG_3221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-vTc2jIt3GP4/UHYYFCuAnJI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/tVEtH3h5tjQ/s400/IMG_3221.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>The band played a hora and everyone in the room made a big circle and started dancing!!!<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p8b1J4JjcB0/UHYYf96zIHI/AAAAAAAAAKE/N0G4vk8k7Ms/s1600/IMG_3222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-p8b1J4JjcB0/UHYYf96zIHI/AAAAAAAAAKE/N0G4vk8k7Ms/s400/IMG_3222.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br><br> <a href="http://youtu.be/-0C09HOyRVs"><b>Here's a link to a YouTube video of Beth Elohim's Cantor Josh Breitzer dancing that same hora with his newborn son, Jonah. Give a click!!</b> </a> You can hear the <b><i>Afro-Semitic Experience</i></b> jammin' in the background. All in all a great time was had by all. Thanks to Congregation Beth Elohim for asking us to be a part of this special day. David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110402012-08-19T08:36:00-04:002018-07-06T06:43:32-04:00Afro-Semitic Experiece to Premiere "Jazz Souls on Fire" on September 5 in New Haven<div>Just wanted to let you all know about a few performances coming up in September for <i><b>the Afro-Semitic Experience</b></i>.</div> New Haven concert to Premiere of <b>Jazz Souls on Fire</b> (and reprise music from Further Definitions) <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--_5SNuJVd7k/UDDa3r9eaEI/AAAAAAAAAIc/f2RAhVvBOgc/s1600/11%2Bx%2B17%2BPOSTER%2B-%2BAfro-Semitic%2BExperience%2Bconcert%2B9-5-12-page-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/--_5SNuJVd7k/UDDa3r9eaEI/AAAAAAAAAIc/f2RAhVvBOgc/s400/11%2Bx%2B17%2BPOSTER%2B-%2BAfro-Semitic%2BExperience%2Bconcert%2B9-5-12-page-001.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="259" width="400" /></a></div><br> On <b>Wednesday, September 5</b> the <b><i>Afro-Semitic Experience</i></b> will be giving their first concert in the New Haven area since 2010. We’re playing at Congregation Beth El Keser Israel (better known as BEKI) in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven. We’re playing two sets of music that night—for our first set (which begins at 6:30 pm) we are going to premiere music from our new project, “JaZZ SouLs oN FiRE”. And for our second set (around 7:30 pm or so) we are being joined by Cantor Erik Contzius to sing music from Further Definitions of the Days of Awe our ongoing spiritual musical exploration of music for the High Holy Days. Erik was with us when we performed (and recorded) the Further Definitions concerts in New York and Greenfield, but he wasn’t able to make the New Haven concert. But this won’t be Erik’s first concert in New Haven (that I know of) as he sang some of our music from our setting of “Yizkor” at an SCSU Holocaust event a few years ago. <br> BEKI ‘s address is 85 Harrison Street—it’s just off Whalley Avenue in New Haven. Here’s the important info: A light supper/dessert will be served. Tickets at the door are $18 for adults and $12 for seniors (65 and over) and students. For more information, please contact Darryl Kuperstock (kuperst@aol.com / 203-387-0304), Isaiah Cooper (icooper@cooperlaw.net / 203-233-4547), or the BEKI office (office@beki.org / 203-389-2108). <br>On <b>Saturday, September 8</b>, Will, Warren, and David are going to Temple Israel Center of White Plains to accompany Cantor Jack Mendelson and a choir made up of several members of the Western Wind for a Selichot service. If you’re in the Greater New York/Westchester area and you haven’t heard Cantor Mendelson daven, then you don’t know what it is like for you to be so taken into that hazzonos realm that it takes a good long while for you to realize that you’ve been standing so long your feet are starting to hurt. The service begins around 11 pm and goes till . . .? Temple Israel Center of White Plains is located at 280 Old Mamaroneck Road White Plains, New York. <br>The next day, on <b>Sunday, September 9</b>, <i><b>the Afro-Semitic Experience</b> </i>is going to be performing at the <i>Syracuse Jewish Festival</i>, in Syracuse, New York. Actually we are not going to Syracuse, we are going to DeWitt, because that is where the JCC is located. We’re going to be the featured artists at the festival and in addition to our own music we’ll be also playing with the Syracuse Chapter of the Gospel Workshop of America. And, if that isn’t enough they want us to play some traditional Jewish Dance music so that they can compete to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for the worlds largest Hora!!! For more information about the <a href="http://www.syracusejewishfestival.com/">Syracuse Jewish Festival</a> <a href="http://www.syracusejewishfestival.com/">please click here</a> to visit their web site. David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110412012-08-12T00:12:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00PICUTRES FROM THE GREATER HARTFORD JAZZ FESTIVALSome more pictures from our concert at the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz. These are some good action shots from during the performance. Ignore the date in the corner. These were just taken this past July!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6MExo2X52k/UCcrvXOLEJI/AAAAAAAAAHM/Uche_w1kwJc/s1600/Hartford%2BJazz%2BFestival%2BJulie%2Bshot%2BIMG_1109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6MExo2X52k/UCcrvXOLEJI/AAAAAAAAAHM/Uche_w1kwJc/s400/Hartford%2BJazz%2BFestival%2BJulie%2Bshot%2BIMG_1109.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div> Will and David jamming. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IXzML4llYqc/UCcr4FR-jhI/AAAAAAAAAHY/C1eJdVgrcwQ/s1600/IMG_1104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-IXzML4llYqc/UCcr4FR-jhI/AAAAAAAAAHY/C1eJdVgrcwQ/s400/IMG_1104.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="180" width="400" /></a></div> Full shot of the band <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0eXc2HO0ApE/UCcsIJEs-KI/AAAAAAAAAHk/R4wXfTrE0RA/s1600/IMG_1107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-0eXc2HO0ApE/UCcsIJEs-KI/AAAAAAAAAHk/R4wXfTrE0RA/s400/IMG_1107.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="259" width="400" /></a></div> And still another. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2RGz0_RIrjI/UCcsW2uB6kI/AAAAAAAAAHw/4myXJmnYo2E/s1600/IMG_1108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-2RGz0_RIrjI/UCcsW2uB6kI/AAAAAAAAAHw/4myXJmnYo2E/s400/IMG_1108.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div> David getting into it. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k-cfA-8ZSXU/UCcsgf9eUYI/AAAAAAAAAH8/N8mX2Mq6QlY/s1600/IMG_1105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-k-cfA-8ZSXU/UCcsgf9eUYI/AAAAAAAAAH8/N8mX2Mq6QlY/s400/IMG_1105.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="170" width="400" /></a></div> And the band again! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7hpZ6eFDBI/UCcswC_rhVI/AAAAAAAAAII/W6sPlHOOqYk/s1600/IMG_1109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7hpZ6eFDBI/UCcswC_rhVI/AAAAAAAAAII/W6sPlHOOqYk/s400/IMG_1109.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div> And last a photo of Will, David, and Alvin (where's Warren?--a little to the left)David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110422012-08-05T17:54:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00The Afro-Semitic Experience at the Hartford Festival of JazzThe Afro-Semitic Experience had a great time playing at the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz on July 22. We premiered pieces from our new work, "Jazz Souls on Fire", including arrangements of Pharoah Saunders' and Leon Thomas' "The Creator Has a Master Plan," and John Coltrane's "Wise One." Abu Alvin Carter took ill and could not be with us, but the legendary Connecticut percussionist Asher Delerme stepped up and did a great job of filling in at the last minute. Here are some photos from the concert. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBf_LnM-6Pc/UB7pqM708vI/AAAAAAAAAF4/-NBShuZmAWQ/s1600/IMG_3159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBf_LnM-6Pc/UB7pqM708vI/AAAAAAAAAF4/-NBShuZmAWQ/s400/IMG_3159.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div> David mugs in front of the festival banner <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fLBrtxE_VcY/UB7qBWFlMYI/AAAAAAAAAGE/PQEuAtfio24/s1600/IMG_3155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-fLBrtxE_VcY/UB7qBWFlMYI/AAAAAAAAAGE/PQEuAtfio24/s400/IMG_3155.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div> Warren warms up for the concert <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wpfc88qZlDM/UB7qXDTc8mI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/oz1NEIqjVsg/s1600/IMG_3149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wpfc88qZlDM/UB7qXDTc8mI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/oz1NEIqjVsg/s400/IMG_3149.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>Saskia Laroo sets up for the show <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifMrtD7H0x8/UB7qwrI0cOI/AAAAAAAAAGc/gASkuX5WX9w/s1600/IMG_3147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifMrtD7H0x8/UB7qwrI0cOI/AAAAAAAAAGc/gASkuX5WX9w/s400/IMG_3147.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div> Stacy checks out his gear <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZYUhdvH3oM/UB7rFIwEV1I/AAAAAAAAAGo/9np6INvNsoo/s1600/IMG_3163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZYUhdvH3oM/UB7rFIwEV1I/AAAAAAAAAGo/9np6INvNsoo/s400/IMG_3163.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div> Saskia and Stacy jamming <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BcQVegW4-0/UB7rZXEyy6I/AAAAAAAAAG0/hFQHRV7_GgQ/s1600/IMG_3161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BcQVegW4-0/UB7rZXEyy6I/AAAAAAAAAG0/hFQHRV7_GgQ/s400/IMG_3161.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div> Asher and Alvin getting ready for the showDavid Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110432012-02-02T07:24:00-05:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00New Reviews of Further Definitions of the Days of Awe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bsrd8wjcXwE/Typ70uvpKsI/AAAAAAAAAFs/O2JrDbao5QU/s1600/ase_furtherdef_art_rev_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-bsrd8wjcXwE/Typ70uvpKsI/AAAAAAAAAFs/O2JrDbao5QU/s400/ase_furtherdef_art_rev_300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="354" width="400" /></a></div><br>New reviews are still coming in for our most recent CD, <b><i>Further Definitions of the Days of Awe</i></b>. Here are some links to a few of them:<br><br>In it's December issue, <a href="http://jazztimes.com/articles/29109-further-definitions-of-the-days-of-awe-the-afro-semitic-experience"><b>JazzTimes</b></a> called the recording, "a joyous, soulful aggregate" of "highly spiritual music." <br><br>If you read French you might want to check out the review published in France's premiere jazz magazine, <a href="http://jazzhot.oxatis.com/PBEvents.asp?ActionID=67240448&PBMItemID=19688"><b>Le Jazz Hot</b></a>. The review calls the CD, "indispensable "! It also goes on to say, "c'est une musique totalement originale, où se mêlent la ferveur et le recueillement, l’humour et l’émotion. Une forme d’exaltation spirituelle qui est une dimension essentielle du jazz." (ie, 'a radically original sound, fraught with fervour and meditation, humour and emotion. Such spiritual enthusiasm is an essential dimension of jazz')."<br><br>Finally, <a href="http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/148182/"><b>The Jewish Daily Forward</b></a> listed <b><i>Further Definitions of the Days of Awe</i></b> as one of their top five CDs of 2011, stating that “the music descends towards the cantorial melancholy as if revealing jazz’s own dark underside — the blues — and with that the collaboration moves towards even more complex and haunting places.”David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110442011-11-26T18:32:00-05:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00WINNIPEG TRIP PHOTOS<b>The Afro-Semitic Experience</b> visited Canada last week to perform at the <i><b>Tarbut Festival of Jewish Culture</b></i> and we took some candid shots during the trip. We flew into the airport in Fargo, North Dakota and drove north to Winnipeg. Here's a shot of Warren Byrd at the car rental lot.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tW5o3D9zsNw/TtFz_KzN0rI/AAAAAAAAAD0/XsEy1YMCMPY/s1600/IMG_2173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-tW5o3D9zsNw/TtFz_KzN0rI/AAAAAAAAAD0/XsEy1YMCMPY/s400/IMG_2173.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>And here's Alvin Carter and Will Bartlett<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2sxuVBnzJZI/TtF0bMk_XYI/AAAAAAAAAEA/E9MSlgHmlVc/s1600/IMG_2175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-2sxuVBnzJZI/TtF0bMk_XYI/AAAAAAAAAEA/E9MSlgHmlVc/s400/IMG_2175.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd4qOXGp-cQ/TtF0oZ3OaPI/AAAAAAAAAEM/gjxe_hzgBw8/s1600/IMG_2174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd4qOXGp-cQ/TtF0oZ3OaPI/AAAAAAAAAEM/gjxe_hzgBw8/s400/IMG_2174.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>It was pretty cold in Fargo and it was snowing in Winnipeg. Here's David and Warren trying to stay warm.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jpWEcdd7e7c/TtF1AjmiYFI/AAAAAAAAAEY/11PNRQn2Ckw/s1600/IMG_2176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-jpWEcdd7e7c/TtF1AjmiYFI/AAAAAAAAAEY/11PNRQn2Ckw/s400/IMG_2176.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>We arrived at the Festival site, the Rady JCC in Winnipeg where we met up with Karla Berbreyer, the festival organizer. Here we are at the JCC with Karla.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X6gGVj86H6U/TtF1do53_kI/AAAAAAAAAEk/x9CWY0avCpY/s1600/IMG_2178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-X6gGVj86H6U/TtF1do53_kI/AAAAAAAAAEk/x9CWY0avCpY/s400/IMG_2178.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>Here are some shots of the band at sound check. We're hoping that some of the people who took pictures of us at the show will send copies to us so that we can post them.<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OiGq6hB2f1U/TtF10BkJrzI/AAAAAAAAAEw/xILMHMUH4dM/s1600/IMG_2187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-OiGq6hB2f1U/TtF10BkJrzI/AAAAAAAAAEw/xILMHMUH4dM/s400/IMG_2187.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HUrL4twZy7I/TtF2G_KK6eI/AAAAAAAAAE8/tUVfcllQnzY/s1600/IMG_2188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-HUrL4twZy7I/TtF2G_KK6eI/AAAAAAAAAE8/tUVfcllQnzY/s400/IMG_2188.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0mBKxbf6ps/TtF2XiTSbhI/AAAAAAAAAFI/6Q77bc3_LfY/s1600/IMG_2190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0mBKxbf6ps/TtF2XiTSbhI/AAAAAAAAAFI/6Q77bc3_LfY/s400/IMG_2190.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P092L4-leTg/TtF2mvzZhYI/AAAAAAAAAFU/uWezL6ByEaY/s1600/IMG_2191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-P092L4-leTg/TtF2mvzZhYI/AAAAAAAAAFU/uWezL6ByEaY/s400/IMG_2191.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-j8pfnY6Zg/TtF23yCe1sI/AAAAAAAAAFg/gYjU4VZOZIc/s1600/IMG_2192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-j8pfnY6Zg/TtF23yCe1sI/AAAAAAAAAFg/gYjU4VZOZIc/s400/IMG_2192.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110452011-11-02T13:38:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00NPR features FURTHER DEFINITIONS OF THE DAYS OF AWE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0VB5xFpro8/TrF_w5Ok2pI/AAAAAAAAADo/GnQPafZ1v5I/s1600/ase_furtherdef_art_rev_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0VB5xFpro8/TrF_w5Ok2pI/AAAAAAAAADo/GnQPafZ1v5I/s400/ase_furtherdef_art_rev_300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="354" width="400" /></a></div><br><br>A story about the new CD, “Further Definitions of the Days of Awe” by the <i>Afro-Semitic Experience</i> on the NPR News Show, Tell Me More, aired on Wednesday just before the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. Samples of four tunes from the new CD were aired along with an interview of Alvin and David by NPR’s Jacki Lyden.<br>There is a pod cast that you can stream or download (for free!): <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/09/28/140876465/jewish-new-year-brings-new-music"><b>Interview with Alvin Carter, Jr. and David Chevan</b></a><br><br>And if that was not enough NPR also chose “Adoshem, Adoshem,” one of the tracks on the album to be Wednesday’s SONG OF THE DAY!!<br><br>Here’s a link to that site:<br><br><a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/09/28/140875436/afro-semitic-experience-pray-sway-love-the-lord"><b>NPR SONG OF THE DAY</b></a>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110462011-09-26T14:08:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00FIRST REVIEWS OF THE FURTHER DEFINITIONS CD ARE IN!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvrNVHQWtQM/ToC-y83_U8I/AAAAAAAAADc/RtzzPGoJceE/s1600/ase_daysofawelive_cover_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvrNVHQWtQM/ToC-y83_U8I/AAAAAAAAADc/RtzzPGoJceE/s400/ase_daysofawelive_cover_300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="364" width="400" /></a></div><br>Reviews and responses to our new CD, Further Definitions of the Days of Awe are starting to appear and the news is all good!!<br><br>We got our first review from a major U.S. national publication. We were reviewed in the on-line edition of USA Today, here’s a link that review:<br><a href="http://travel.usatoday.com/alliance/destinations/perceptivetravel/post/2011/09/music-Further-Definitions-of-the-Days-of-Awe/548789/1"><br>USA Today Review</a><br><br>And we were reviewed in a major international music web site. Here’s a link to the review from the Klezmershack:<br><a href="http://www.klezmershack.com/bands/chevan/further/">Klezmershack Review</a><br><br>The band also got an e-mail from Barry Reiser, the Program Host of a Jewish Radio show on WWDB and wwdbam.com in Philadelphia. Barry wrote:<br><br>I have received "Further Definitions of the Days of Awe" by The Afro-Semitic Experience, and it is SUPERB!! On my Jewish radio program on WWDB and wwdbam.com in Philadelphia, I play traditional as well as contemporary Jewish music. The captivating aspect of your new CD is that you've got both styles on the same track! It is a unique and exciting approach to music for the High Holidays, and my listeners will be hearing a lot of it.<br>Thanks for the vibrant new addition to my playlist!<br>Shana Tovah!<br><br>Barry <br><br>Barry Reisman <br>Program Host / Account Manager<br>WWDB AM 860<br><br>Alvin and David are scheduled to do an interview for NPR and we will post info about that as soon as we know more.David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110472011-09-21T13:43:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00HOW TO ORDER THE NEW CD: FURTHER DEFINITIONS OF THE DAYS OF AWE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xwOTR2B0LXU/TnohQaOR9-I/AAAAAAAAADU/UBQ623qkWKM/s1600/ase_daysofawelive_cover_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-xwOTR2B0LXU/TnohQaOR9-I/AAAAAAAAADU/UBQ623qkWKM/s400/ase_daysofawelive_cover_300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="364" width="400" /></a></div><br>Our new CD, <i><b>Further Definitions of the Days of Awe</b></i>, is out and now available. So, you may be asking, where can I get this amazing new CD?<br><br>Sadly, you cannot get this CD at your local music store. You can only get this CD directly from the band or at the following three online locations:<br><br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Further-Definitions-Afro-Semitic-Experience-Mendelson/dp/B005FW0V7A/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1316625970&sr=1-1">Amazon.com</a><br><a href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/theafrosemiticexperience">CD Baby</a> <br>and at iTunes.<br><br>If you wish to buy the CD directly from the band we are offering the CD at a special price with an added special bonus from now until just after Yom Kippur. For the next two weeks the CD is available from the band for $10 per CD and that includes the price of postage!! Plus, if you order a copy of Further Definitions of the Days of Awe from us we will send you a link to free download of an amazing extra bonus track that was too long to fit on the new CD but really has to be heard.<br>Please send us your e-mail address (so that we can send you the link for the bonus track) along with a check made out for $10 per CD to:<br><br>The Afro-Semitic Experience<br>PO Box 6183<br>Whitneyville, CT 06517<br><br>Your order must be received by October 10 in order to get the special price and the free bonus track.David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110482011-09-05T22:33:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00NEW CD: FURTHER DEFINITIONS OF THE DAYS OF AWE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K4q56x2dR0E/TmWGWArp9KI/AAAAAAAAADM/mQfvWLtWWm4/s1600/ase_furtherdef_art_rev_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-K4q56x2dR0E/TmWGWArp9KI/AAAAAAAAADM/mQfvWLtWWm4/s400/ase_furtherdef_art_rev_300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="354" width="400" /></a></div><br><br>As the High Holy Days approach, the <b><i>Afro-Semitic Experience</i></b> offers <b><i>Further Definitions of the Days of Awe</i></b>, an inspirational reimagining of the music of repentance.<br><br>For most of the past decade the <b><i>Afro-Semitic Experience</i></b> has played the midnight Selichot service with Cantor Jack Mendelson at his synagogue in White Plains. We have, in the process, created a new way to accompany cantorial music and we decided to document it. We recorded three concerts in August, 2010 just before the High Holy Days, one in New York City, one in New Haven, Connecticut, and one in Greenfield, Massachusetts. And now that music is ready for you to hear. The new CD is called <b><i>Further Definitions of the Days of Awe</i></b> and it features the band with special guests <i>Cantor Jack Mendelson, Cantor Lisa Arbisser, Cantor Erik Contzius, cantorial soloist Danny Mendelson</i>, and <i>trumpeter Frank London</i>.<br><br>The CD officially drops on Tuesday, September 13, but it is already on sale at iTunes and amazon.com—if you want to hear the music first you can listen to three tracks for free at this website:<br><br><a href="http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz/GO/afro-semitic">http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz/GO/afro-semitic</a><br><br>To hear the tracks just scroll down the page a bit and you will find a sound player on the left side of the page just below the picture of the CD album cover. <br><br>We’re very excited about this new release and hope you will want to order your own copy. Please give the music a listen and help us spread the news about our new album by sharing this With your friends.<br><br>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110492011-08-02T22:23:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00NEWS ABOUT THE UPCOMING CDAfro-Semitic Experience bassist David Chevan has been working with Vic Steffens of Horizon Music Group on the band's new CD, <i><b>Further Definitions of the Days of Awe</b></i>. The CD is currently slated to be out on September 13 and it features the voices of Cantor Jack Mendelson, his son, Danny Mendelson, and Cantors Erik Contzius and Lisa Arbisser.<br>This is how the the CD currently looks:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rxdZVFnf6wA/TjiujtMO0xI/AAAAAAAAACk/njdef5YbQDg/s1600/IMG_2133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-rxdZVFnf6wA/TjiujtMO0xI/AAAAAAAAACk/njdef5YbQDg/s400/IMG_2133.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>Here's a shot of Vic Steffens working on the music:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UorHZX7ZqNw/TjivM0WEYFI/AAAAAAAAACs/-jrt0tnXSjI/s1600/IMG_2130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-UorHZX7ZqNw/TjivM0WEYFI/AAAAAAAAACs/-jrt0tnXSjI/s400/IMG_2130.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>You might think Vic is asleep in this next shot but years of working with him has taught me that he is actually listening very carefully to the music. This is Vic deep in concentration.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LJmAVWC4igo/Tjivr2-CLJI/AAAAAAAAAC0/0lUSFaVK3tI/s1600/IMG_2134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-LJmAVWC4igo/Tjivr2-CLJI/AAAAAAAAAC0/0lUSFaVK3tI/s400/IMG_2134.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>Here is Vic and David after a long day in the studio. This kind of work can make you exceedingly goofy!!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1yUur06JibU/TjiwCmKsnAI/AAAAAAAAAC8/vJzEMVK-K8c/s1600/IMG_2137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-1yUur06JibU/TjiwCmKsnAI/AAAAAAAAAC8/vJzEMVK-K8c/s400/IMG_2137.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>There will be more news about the new CD in the next few days. Here's what the new CD cover will look like:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lCyMdu_bblw/Tjiw1djMqgI/AAAAAAAAADE/tv12HVzWS5s/s1600/ase_furtherdefinitionsdaysofawel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-lCyMdu_bblw/Tjiw1djMqgI/AAAAAAAAADE/tv12HVzWS5s/s400/ase_furtherdefinitionsdaysofawel.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="354" width="400" /></a></div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110502011-06-30T23:32:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00Northampton Concert HighlightsWe got some photos of the Northampton concert from David's wife Julie and from David's mom. The weather last night was just right--warm, but not too hot or humid. The band sounded great under the trees on the lawn of the Forbes Library.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gvJX6uuUK1U/Tg08il9yUII/AAAAAAAAABY/pNJaxWFt91U/s1600/Forbes%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-gvJX6uuUK1U/Tg08il9yUII/AAAAAAAAABY/pNJaxWFt91U/s400/Forbes%2B1.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>And here's a shot of David:<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-61aqLLkfA3I/Tg08_AIiAMI/AAAAAAAAABg/25YZKp0Fask/s1600/IMG_0203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-61aqLLkfA3I/Tg08_AIiAMI/AAAAAAAAABg/25YZKp0Fask/s400/IMG_0203.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>And Saskia Laroo was sounding great:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xm6WyAlM6Fk/Tg09ZVFFYlI/AAAAAAAAABo/MMI0k-YqkTQ/s1600/IMG_0204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xm6WyAlM6Fk/Tg09ZVFFYlI/AAAAAAAAABo/MMI0k-YqkTQ/s400/IMG_0204.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>Will Bartlett:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yTdBLn3YeUk/Tg09s07yk1I/AAAAAAAAABw/ierv8fXg8fU/s1600/IMG_0205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-yTdBLn3YeUk/Tg09s07yk1I/AAAAAAAAABw/ierv8fXg8fU/s400/IMG_0205.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>Another shot of the band:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sdLTfLTzqcM/Tg095rLssaI/AAAAAAAAAB4/EO9oNGtDFzg/s1600/Forbes%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-sdLTfLTzqcM/Tg095rLssaI/AAAAAAAAAB4/EO9oNGtDFzg/s400/Forbes%2B3.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>And Stacy Phillips:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wxSLPUamyrY/Tg0-SlYmeLI/AAAAAAAAACA/SNAsn328P2M/s1600/IMG_0206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//4.bp.blogspot.com/-wxSLPUamyrY/Tg0-SlYmeLI/AAAAAAAAACA/SNAsn328P2M/s400/IMG_0206.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br>And here are some of the people in the audience enjoying the music:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3RPISdb5WVM/Tg0-qNI3a7I/AAAAAAAAACI/RSfWxlNn9DA/s1600/Forbes%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-3RPISdb5WVM/Tg0-qNI3a7I/AAAAAAAAACI/RSfWxlNn9DA/s400/Forbes%2B5.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br>If you have any photos of the Afro-Semitic Experience in concert please send them to <i>info@afrosemiticexperience.net</i> and we will post them.<br><br>One last shot of the group:<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ub0BK5j2tck/Tg0_fU0K5iI/AAAAAAAAACQ/3bXesRFbkoM/s1600/IMG_0202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ub0BK5j2tck/Tg0_fU0K5iI/AAAAAAAAACQ/3bXesRFbkoM/s400/IMG_0202.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>David Chevantag:davidchevan.com,2005:Post/39110512011-06-08T08:18:00-04:002017-01-16T09:00:10-05:00Classic Posters from the ArchivesAs I was looking through a pile of old papers I discovered a number of older posters from early Afro-Semitic Experience gigs. In a fit of nostalgia I scanned several of them and have decided to post a few to the blog just so you can see some of really nice posters that have been made over the years by others to advertise the band. <br>This first poster is amongst the oldest that I found. This one goes back to a 2003 concert at Dartmouth College. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5PToK1bErqs/Te9l-xgJFMI/AAAAAAAAABA/ZmfD5lFZF6w/s1600/dartmouth%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-5PToK1bErqs/Te9l-xgJFMI/AAAAAAAAABA/ZmfD5lFZF6w/s320/dartmouth%2Bposter.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="207" width="320" /></a></div><br>And here is a poster for a concert at UMass from around that same time period. The photo was taken by Kathleen Cei back when we were still playing once a month at The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown. You can see our friends Richard McGhee and Mixashawn jamming away with us in this shot.<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2uOrPaHZBO8/Te9nMuhxguI/AAAAAAAAABI/gmjNjXyv9C4/s1600/umass%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-2uOrPaHZBO8/Te9nMuhxguI/AAAAAAAAABI/gmjNjXyv9C4/s400/umass%2Bposter.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="259" width="400" /></a></div><br>The last poster for this blog post comes from a concert we gave in Lakeland, Florida a few years ago. The design of this one is great. It has a vintage vibe to it that makes it look even older. That was a very cool concert and we got to meet an interesting cantor, Victor Geigner, who has a rich and resonant voice and who really got down with us.<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6d8N2hamto/Te9oWBS3m1I/AAAAAAAAABQ/JUbYVs4IMs8/s1600/lakeland%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6d8N2hamto/Te9oWBS3m1I/AAAAAAAAABQ/JUbYVs4IMs8/s400/lakeland%2Bposter.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="400" width="243" /></a></div>David Chevan