Segala AAJ Review

Whoever has been following the activiities of groups like Hasidic New Wave and the Klezmatics is acquainted with drummer Aaron Alexander. He is a native of Seattle who's been active for about a decade in the New York scene, where he's been a key player in the movement to revitalize traditional Jewish music by having it meet up with jazz, rock punk and world music in general.

In Midrash Mish Mosh, his first album, put out by Tzadik, we again find at Alexander's side musicians like trumpeter Frank London, saxophonist Greg Wall and clarinetist Merlin Shepherd, who've played with him on other occasions in Hasidic New Wave, Later Pophets and Klezmer Brass All-Stars. Coralita [?..], a sense of humor, sometimes unbridled vitality, and skating fluidly from one stylistic context to another are the characteristics of this recording, which should be listened to for its enjoyability and for the soloistic contributions of the musicians mentioned above, and of guitarist Brad Shepik and trombonist (and guitarist on two tracks) Curtis Hasselbring.

Aaron Alexander shows himself to be a prolific composer as well and a "sapido" [?... maybe knowledgeable?] arranger (certain concoctions of the winds are also enjoyable), besides being a solid drummer who's able to unite rhythmic impulse to melodic meaning, in the manner of his teacher Jerry Granelli and of Bob Moses. In his work for Midrash Mish Mosh, the felicitous decision to join forces with another versatile interpreter of the new Jewish music and of contemporary jazz, Michael Sarin, has given life to an amalgam that offers exhilirating moments in tunes like Peep Nokh a Mol adn Balagan Balaban.

	Giuseppe Segala, All About Jazz, Italy http://www.allaboutjazz.com/italy/reviews/r0105_035_it.htm
	Whoever has been following the activiities of groups like Hasidic New Wave and the Klezmatics is acquainted with drummer Aaron Alexander. He is a native of Seattle who's been active for about a decade in the New York scene, where he's been a key player in the movement to revitalize traditional Jewish music by having it meet up with jazz, rock punk and world music in general. In Midrash Mish Mosh, his first album, put out by Tzadik, we again find at Alexander's side musicians like trumpeter Frank London, saxophonist Greg Wall and clarinetist Merlin Shepherd, who've played with him on other occasions in Hasidic New Wave, Later Pophets and Klezmer Brass All-Stars. Coralita [?..], a sense of humor, sometimes unbridled vitality, and skating fluidly from one stylistic context to another are the characteristics of this recording, which should be listened to for its enjoyability and for the soloistic contributions of the musicians mentioned above, and of guitarist Brad Shepik and trombonist (and guitarist on two tracks) Curtis Hasselbring. Aaron Alexander shows himself to be a prolific composer as well and a "sapido" [?... maybe knowledgeable?] arranger (certain concoctions of the winds are also enjoyable), besides being a solid drummer who's able to unite rhythmic impulse to melodic meaning, in the manner of his teacher Jerry Granelli and of Bob Moses. In his work for Midrash Mish Mosh, the felicitous decision to join forces with another versatile interpreter of the new Jewish music and of contemporary jazz, Michael Sarin, has given life to an amalgam that offers exhilirating moments in tunes like Peep Nokh a Mol adn Balagan Balaban.
	translated by Alicia Svigals