Yehuda • Piamenta

From the very heavenly Strings of My Heart recording (1998)—8 tracks of surreal guitar riffing backed by heavy bass and bass drumming and complemented with flute. (Tracks are named after their wives and kids, I believe.)

Choni and I would spend hours covering this song—he on the vocal bass and guitar; me on the whistle flute and table drum, climaxing in the drum gem at 2:27.

La Campanella • Evgeny Kissin

We, of course, love this incredible piano performance for what it is: an incredible piano performance. But we share this with you for the pianist's recent display of pure and powerful Jewish pride:

The Times of Israel reports:

Last Saturday night, Kissin received Israeli citizenship. Though Kissin, 42, has no plans to reside permanently in Israel, the Moscow native was granted approval by senior government officials for his citizenship request, which he filed for last year.

“If I, as a human being and artist represent anything in the world, it is my Jewish people, and therefore Israel is the only state on our planet which I want to represent with my art and all my public activities, no matter where I live.”

“When Israel’s enemies try to disrupt concerts of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra or the Jerusalem Quartet, I want them to come and make troubles at my concerts, too: because Israel’s case is my case, Israel’s enemies are my enemies, and I do not want to be spared of the troubles which Israeli musicians encounter when they represent the Jewish State beyond its borders.” MORE

HT:Ber

Eternal Lights • Kenny G

Come join us on the live broadcast. Shabbos, with a sprinkling of Chanukah.
Live right now!

Ma'oz Tzur Yeshuasi • Meshugga Beach Party

The Third Shabbos Meal/Kel Adon • HaLev viHamaayan

AKA, Higoleh Na.



And this is they!

Kel Adon

WE. ARE. LIVING.

Good Shabbos, Good Yom Tov!
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The Mitteler Rebbe's Kapelye • Totally Chassidic / Yaron Gershovsky

Not sure why the Frierdiker Rebbe's photo is featured in this video. Today is the Day of Redemption of the second Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Dovber, known after his passing as The Mitteler (Middle) Rebbe.

Mimkomcha (Carlebach) • Daniel Ahaviel & His Heavenly Violin

LIVE. RIGHT. NOW!

Lullaby • Johann Brahms

What, you thought this was a simple nursery rhyme? Did you not realize this was a classical composition by one of the greatest Romantic Period composers [and I quote from Wikipedia]?

This is my dare: listen twice and don't catch yourself whistling or humming the tune for the rest of the day.

Bum-bidi-bum-bidi-bum-bidi-bum • Holyland's Greatest Hits

Think of yourself and three friends, all musically talented and all overtired, launching into a frenetic medley of camp play opening music, chassan/kallah welcomes and HASC overtures. You raise your eyebrows to effect a tune change and effect the change two beats before the last one ends. Now that was fun!

Bring in the professional musicians, the arranged notes and hit record for this:

Alison Balsom

She plays the trumpet very good. The timing throughout this feels reeaaaaally messed up and unnerving, but still!

Lazer Lloyd • Ethereal Waltz in C

It seems I'm late to the party, but I saw this man's name yesterday for the first time. He plays a lot of very very good guitar. Seymour here.

Niggun Lecha Dodi • Moshe Yess

The recording is called Shabbos on My Mind; 12 tracks in all, two about Shabbos ("If I would have the might" and "Shabbos on my mind") and this, the final of the album that says without saying a thing, You know that I've got Shabbos on my mind.

Good Shabbos, friends. a

Yaale • Yaron Gershovsky

With the same intro and arrangements as "Tatte bistu..." sung by Avraham Fried. Why mess with magic? Off of "A nigun is forever" one in a series of piano recordings—I think in the late 90s—of Chabad nigunnim performed by Yaron Gershovsky.



On Motz"sh, my brother gave me a shopping bag full of cassettes, this one among them. As luck and my paycheck would have it, I have a cassette player in my car and have been enjoying some listens to the not-so-new and the very exceptional.

One cassette from my kid-years that I miss: Achva, one of Abie Rotenberg's early groups. According to my opinion and memory, Yeedle's "Li'olam lo eshkach" on III Shiru Lamelech is an original Achva.

Enjoy!
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Heppiness • Tizmoret AmamitEDITOR'S PICK

The only disappointment is the lack of a WOOOOOOOOOOOONK-klunk tuba-and-snare ending so you can jump off the chair you're dancing on, fall to your knees and exhale.

HT:Shmuel, who originally sent "Tzomo, tzomo", which I could not find on Youtube. Check out their other stuff, including "Village" and "Light"

Niggun Simcha • Akiva ben Horin

The name I have seen countless times... scrolling through my music drive, quickly past the Aidan & Dotan and past Aleichem V'aleinu (Oif Simchos). And this has been sandwiched between those two all these years. Listen to him breathe between fluting. A keyboard cannot well replicate that sound.



And see/hear him in a 1991 recital.

R' Michel Zlotchover's Niggun • Israel Edelson

For Yammo, wherever it may be. Good Shabbos!
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Ki Anu Amecha • Israel Edelson

And we blessed Chodesh Elul. Here is the first HH tag of the season :)

Asader • Chabad Centennial Celebration

It's not a song, it's an introduction to Shabbos. Gut Shabbos, Gut Chodesh!

"ONE" • Sarah Dukes

From Sarah Dukes, the composer:

This song is about one boy, a boy whom we all loved but never met. It is about the effect that this one, young, innocent child had on the entire world: he united a nation. He proved that we can work together as one, and showed us that we ARE one. He taught us that we can have pure, baseless love- even towards someone we have never met. He taught us the power of one: of one individual, of one people, of one heart.

His name was Leiby.

Let's continue to live Leiby's lesson. Let's be there to help one man, one woman, one child one soul. Let's have baseless love towards a complete stranger.

We can do it. Leiby showed us that we can.

Tzama Nafshi • Andy Statman

mellow, mindful, magnificent.