Adrienne Cooper has a new CD titled Enchanted: A New Generation of Yiddishsong. With “Enchanted,” Cooper has launched an exploration of the emotional and textural possibilities that Yiddish song can provide; from deeply traditional a capella passages to multi-layered arrangements a la Spike Jones.
The cornerstone of the CD is the heart-wrenching song collage “A Lider Bukh” (A Song Book), which opens with a 1949 vaulted recording of Cooper’s grandfather chanting a portion of the Yom Kippur High Holy Days prayer, overlaid with ambient sound mists that clear into various songs, woven around parents, grandparents and even Cooper’s own child’s voice in the background.
The effect of this piece – created by Marilyn Lerner and based on a poem by Meir Kharatz, with music by Fima Chorny – is mystical and haunting, deeply connected to family and history.
Cooper has stood at the forefront of the Yiddish scene for decades, and can comfortably be called the Grand Dame of Yiddish. She has a powerful stage presence, which, even in studio productions, comes through directly to the listener. Her interpretations utilize the voice quality, diction and detailed research of a seasoned Lieder singer, whereby every word is understood, shaded, and given nuances that inspire the listener to experience deeper levels of meaning in the text, while transported in transcendent emotion.
And yet, Cooper does not shy away from extroversion. The theater song, “Gefilte Fish,” arranged by Michael Winograd, is Spike Jones inspired, complete with cartoon-like xylophone and klezmer big band styling. Humor and orchestral color combine in levity and just good fun, with playful instrumental hoodwinks weaving in and out of the vocal playground.
The styles on this CD are so varied one may be tempted to ask what genre it really fits into. No doubt, it is an amalgamation, with singer-songwriter vibe in the guitar accompanied Harbst Lid (Autumn Song), jazz ballad collaboration with the masterful Lerner and London in In Der Finster (In the Dark), to the delicate pop Bekhers Mit Vayn (Cups of Wine), the marbling of styles welcome throughout.
Cooper is joined by a collection of luminaries in the klezmer, Yiddish, Jazz and even Irish scenes on this CD, including Marilyn Lerner (piano), Mike Winograd (clarinet), Benjy Fox-Rosen (bass), Avi Fox-Rosen (guitar), Patrick Farrell (accordion), Kenny Wolleson (drums), Jon Singer (marimba) and Frank London (trumpet). Half the songs are new works – products of a contemporary Yiddish songwriting revival; but the songs that are drawn from traditional folk and theater music are re-imagined, restyled, and a revelation.
Buy Enchanted: A New Generation of Yiddishsong
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
