Gilad Atzmon's Blog, page 109
January 17, 2013
What Dershowitz & Abunimah have in common? One simple wet dream (short video, very funny)
The Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics in general and Jewish 'progressive' spin in particular Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
January 15, 2013
BBC Review - Gilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble Songs of the Metropolis Review
A calmer-than-usual concept set from the virtuoso saxophonist.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/cbzb
Martin Longley 2013-01-15
Reedsman Gilad Atzmon is renowned for his virtuoso, high-speed, post-bop attack, and also for his equally hyperactive personality. This concept album explores a highly alternative resting ground, where nearly every song is a ballad, and even the occasionally faster-paced tunes emit an aura of relative calm.
Atzmon’s concept is to dedicate his pieces to individual cities, inevitably conjuring an atmosphere of evocative cinematic suggestion. Although this Israeli wit has long resided in London, that’s one of the obvious cities missing from the tracklisting. Instead, Atzmon skirts from Berlin to Buenos Aires, and from Scarborough to Somewhere in Italy.
Some of his followers might find this album frustratingly reflective, but Atzmon should be commended for changing his pace, and opening up his compositional space. It’s an imaginative side-step, and there are already many other Atzmon recordings that capture his fully accelerated soloing skills.
January 11, 2013
4 Stars on FT - Gilad Atzmon & the Orient House Ensemble: Songs of the Metropolis
By Mike Hobart
The saxophonist/clarinettist eloquently mixes modal jazz, Middle Eastern scales and funky beats
Gilad Atzmon’s seventh album with his long-running quartet is a peon to a recent past, when urban spaces belonged to the people who lived in them, and cities had distinct emotional characters.
The saxophonist/clarinettist portrays the idiosyncrasies with a masterly blend of controlled passion and sharp focus, eloquently mixing modal jazz, Middle Eastern scales and funky beats.
“Vienna” is captured with a charming waltz, tragedy-haunted “Tel Aviv” with a funk-driven mash-up and “Buenos Aires” with a haunting, stately theme that gains pathos from an echo of accordion.
Gilad Atzmon & the Orient House Ensemble
Songs of the Metropolis
(World Village)
Songs of the Metropolis - Gilad Atzm...
Gilad Atzmon & The...
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When I was seven, Jesus cried…
nahidaexiledpalestinian.wordpress.com
When I was seven,
Jesus cried…
When I was seven
I was living
In a beautiful village
North of Jerusalem
Near the heart of Palestine
I used to play
Where Jesus used to pray
I ran up the hills
Where he used to walk
Listening through the wind
To the echo of his talk
“Oh, children of God,
Love one another”
A man of Palestine
Gentle, kind, and giving
A true prince of peace
Ever so loving…
Up above my head
White fluffy clouds
Slept all day
On my blue sky’s lap
I used to lie down
Jumping with my soul
Up in to heaven
Weaving with the clouds
Snow white and teddy bears
I’d make up stories
Dressed up as a princess
Dancing with the fairies
Flying on the wings
Of a pure white bird
With a magical brush
That no one could see
I painted the world
With colours of the rainbow
I flew wiping tears away
Of every human face
Putting a big smile
Right in their place
I spoke every language
With no words at all
With all words of love
They answered my call
Every drop of water
Every grain of sand
Every green leaf
Felt God’s loving hand
UNTIL
One summer day
My life was turned
Up-side down
Video Captures Heart and Ambitions of Gilad Atzmon & Orient House Ensemble
'Gilad Atzmon & the OHE Songs Of The Metropolis' is produced by Tali Atzmon.
Gilad Atzmon & Orient House Ensemble
(SACRAMENTO / LONDON) - Gilad Atzmon's sax sings beautifully in the new film produced by Tali Atzmon, 'Gilad Atzmon & the OHE Songs Of The Metropolis'.
Beautifully and thoughtfully executed, the program is a wonderful introduction for less familiar listeners and a serious delight for those of us already addicted to the music of this man who has made such a difference in the world not only as a musician, but as an activist, reporter and author. Originally from Israel, Gilad is a fierce supporter of Palestinian human rights and a vocal political opponent of Israeli policy.
He wages his campaign for people the same way he and the group deliver their live performances; in a way that could only be considered spectacular, delightful, and full of personality, character, and life.
Gilad's interview segments are interspersed throughout the vi
deo and he talks about the music, the ideas, the politics and the images.
"I express there, some very strong criticism of multi culturalism and spiritual globalisation," Gilad said. "We are always listening to the same music, drinking the same coffee, reading the same books."
He expresses critical thoughts about the western population spending far too much time and money supporting Starbucks while failing to cons
ider what is happening to indigenous culture. People tend to live within their comfort zones, enjoying their place in the rat race where everything makes sense on a superficial level. The weak, corporate controlled mainstream media is the final ingredient. Unlike the western world of even twenty years ago, there now exists a population programmed to ignore the suffering of other human beings. Thoughtful souls like Gilad Atzmon are trying to explain, musically in this case, how we are all different for myriad reasons and never will be in lock step with one another.
"Rather than delaying an obvious multicultural attempt to flatten everything and to present an i
mage of manifold or most duplicity, the beauty of it comes out when the African flute really doesn't agree with the hip-hop drums, and this is the instant when my understanding of beauty comes into play. This is where I want to start, to start merging those things that don't agree with each other, to let them not agree. With the Orientals, we have been struggling forward for more than a decade, more than a decade, playing all this music. We have managed to convince a lot of people, even ourselves... that we can do it. But when you listen to a real Iraqi Oud player or a beautiful Palestinian singer, you realize that we will never be able to achieve it," Gilad said.
January 10, 2013
Israel Vows To Use Veto Power If Chuck Hagel Confirmed As U.S. Secretary Of Defense
The Onion (a spoof publication) reports that “top-ranking government officials in Jerusalem confirmed Tuesday that Israel would exercise its longstanding, constitutionally granted veto power over American policy if U.S. lawmakers confirmed retired congressman Chuck Hagel as the United States’ next Secretary of Defense.” Israeli government spokesperson Mark Regev is quoted saying “In light of Mr. Hagel’s worrying remarks on Israeli-Palestinian relations and questionable classification of Israeli interests as ‘the Jewish lobby,’ we consider him a highly inappropriate choice for Defense Secretary who stands far out of line with our national priorities, and therefore we are prepared to swiftly and resolutely use our official veto power over this U.S. action.”
A brilliant film made by Tali Atzmon on OHE's New Album - Songs Of The Metropolis
The music, the ideas, the politics and the images...
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Songs Of The Metropolis –
Is now available on Amazon.co.uk
[image error] Gilad's music facebook page
Album Launch Tour
January
12 Plough Arts, Great Torrington, Devon / www.theploughartscentre.org.uk / 01805 624624
16 Grimsby Jazz, Grimsby / www.grimsbyjazz.com / 01472 873730
17 Seven Arts, Leeds / www.sevenleeds.co.uk / 0113 26 26 777
18 Sheffield Jazz, Sheffield / www.sheffieldjazz.org.uk / 01142496000
19 Hideaway, London / www.hideawaylive.co.uk / 020 8835 7070
20 With Roger Odell @ The Cherry Tree, Knowl Green, Belchamp St Paul, Suffolk / www.jazz-nights.com *
24 With Pete Oxley's 4tet @ The Spin Oxford / www.spinjazz.com *
25 The Victory Club, Cheltenham / www.cheltenhamjazz.co.uk / 01242 234488
27 Hen and Chicken, Bristol / http://jazzata.com/Venues.html / 07766 741 417
31 with Graham York's trio @ The Blue Vanguard, Exeter *
February
1 Fleece Jazz, Suffolk / www.dovbear.co.uk/fleece / 01787 211865
2 The 606 Club, London / www.606club.co.uk / 020 7352 5953
5 Brook Theatre, Chatham / http://tickets.medway.gov.uk/ 01634 338338
8 St Mary's Church, Wivenhoe / www.wivenhoeevents.blogspot.co.uk / 07957 958724
9 Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth / www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk / 01970 623232
10 The Swan Hotel, Abergavenny (lunch time) / http://bmjazz.tumblr.com/
January 9, 2013
Genius- Avigdor Lieberman the Debka Artist
Israeli Arab party Balad suggests in this clip that the Israeli anthem Hatikva better integrate the cultural aspiration of the Palestinian Israeli citizens. After all, if Israel is the 'only democracy on the region' it better be as well 'a state of its citizens'...
United Against Beauty
By Gilad Atzmon
In the following election propaganda clip from Shas (an Israeli ultra-orthodox religious political party) we see a short, chubby oriental Jew, at his wedding, realising that his Russian super-model bride is not ‘properly’ converted into Judaism. For him everything is over, all passion gone.
http://youtu.be/Y5wCALTOhCU
Clearly, we are dealing here with a chauvinist and exclusivist culture. But it is not the only one in town. For at the same time as the oriental Jewish boy expects his future wife to be converted according to the Halacha law, the so called ‘anti Zionist’ Jews (who care nothing for rabbinical rules) choose to operate within Jews-only cells defined by race and ethno centrism. Ask yourself, can Mohamed from Gaza join the Jews for Palestinian Right of Return list?
The verdict is clear. Jewish politics, whether left, right or centre, just stinks!
The Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics in general and Jewish 'progressive' spin in particular Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
