Welcome to AaronAlexander.com |
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The website of Drummer/Composer Aaron Alexander |
Aaron
Alexander's click here for a press release. You can buy the recording here A native of the Seattle scene who moved to New York in 1993, Aaron Alexander has performed with many of the great groups in the new Jewish Renaissance, from the Klezmatics to Hasidic New Wave, Klezmer Madness, Klezmerfest, Babkas, Klez-Jazz, Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars, and many more. Midrash Mish Mosh, his first CD for Tzadik, presents nine powerful compositions exploring the intersections of klezmer with thrash punk, free jazz and world music rhythms. Exhilarating, lyrical and intense.
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| This CD, on John Zorn's Tzadik label, came
about as a result of my desire to do a different kind of klezmer
record, to incorporate thrash punk and jazz with traditional klezmer
sound, because I see a similar kind of trance energy at orthodox
weddings and mosh pits. When I spoke to Zorn he insisted I should
write all-original music. At first I was surprised, because the
market value of original music is traditionally paltry, in comparison
with folk music or pop music. But I felt challenged and also appreciated
so I quickly agreed. In so doing I was given an opportunity to
explore my own identity - Jewish, American, New Yorker, Jazz musician,
Klezmer musician, mixed marriage, - and bring to the music my
own take, at this point in my life, on klezmer, with other influences,
along with my friends and collaborators on this project. I
hope the result conveys a sense of fun, as well as reflecting
a serious attempt to bring together some of the disparate influences
in my life, through a Jewish medium, eastern european jewish party
music: klezmer.
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Midrash!? huh? what is that? "He had set his heart to seek the Torah of
the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments"
(Ezra vii.10). The Hebrew verb used in this sentence for 'to seek,'
darash, is of the utmost importance for our theme. Its
true sense is 'to deduce, interpret' the ideas which profound
study of the text could elucidate. This
process of deduction is called Midrash and is the system of interpretation
employed throughout the Rabbinic literature. for other answers to the question "What does "Midrash" mean?" click here |
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We went into the studios at WNYC
Radio and taped three pieces and an interview with John Schaefer
for his show New Sounds! If you want to hear the show, click
here.
L-R John Schaeffer, Brad Shepik,
Aaron Alexander, Alex Kontorovich, |
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| Radio
Play - see who's playing Midrash Mish Mosh on
the radio |
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| The
song titles are mostly in Yiddish - click here for a page with translations and explanations of the titles |
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| Ari Davidov
had an interesting perspective on Klez Kanada which mentioned |
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| All pieces composed & arranged by Aaron Alexander Produced by Aaron Alexander Recorded by Randy Crafton and Sal Mormando
at Kaleidoscope
Sound |
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