Alisa Fineman “Closing the Distance” Cup of Kindness Music, 2004
‘Poems, Prayers and Love Songs’ is the subtitle of this offering of Jewish religious music. All are vocals, most in Hebrew. There’s plenty of interest here to lure the secular listener, however, as the music is well-done and varied, with Fineman’s strong voice leading the way. Exotic instruments, inventive arrangements, and
fine singing add up to a worthy production deserving of your attention.
Faves: 2,4,8,11,12 (Dr D 11-04)
(All track titles and times on back of case)
1 Med, morning prayers; mid-east sound, excellent percussion
2 Med, trad Sephardic melody with text from Song of Songs; nice flute breaks
3 Slow, plaintive. Couple verses in English in this one, a prayer to the sand and the sea
4 Slow/med, cinematic ‘orchestral’ scoring (not talking about Spielberg‘s E.T., though)
5 Slow/med, duet of Arabic and Hebrew wishes for Peace. A verse in English for flavoring
6 Slow; mostly in Englsh, simple instrumentation. A prayer for unification with the One
7 Slow, a chant for the new moon ceremony, a blessing for women’s nurturing
8 Med/fast, Shabbat prayer from Psalm 92. Violin solo, exuberant feel, dancey
9 Med, Amerindian flavor. English verses. Full instrumentation adds depth
10 Slow, an ancient blessing, English verses, piano and cello accompaniment
11 Slow, majestic; very Mid-eastern with Arabic verses and instrumentation
12 Med, Hanukhah song. Done in Spanish–based dialect from Sarajevo, this is ‘busiest’ of the vocals, as the chorus(in Spanish) has additional voices and embellishments. Has a happy, celebratory feel, as befits the subject.