Jason Rosenblatt & Orkestra Severni – Brass Fabulous

JASON ROSENBLATT & ORKESTRA SEVERNI

Brass Fabulous

www.jasonrosenblatt.com

(A version of this review is published in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.)

Jason Rosenblatt established his initial reputation by playing harmonica and leading Shtreiml, an inventive klezmer band based in Montreal. He has since branched out with other projects including Jump Babylon, a rock band featuring songs on Jewish themes, and a solo album steeped in jazz, blues and roots influences.

On Brass Fabulous, Jason is at the piano with Orkestra Severni, a group of horn players and a drummer – including his wife, trombonist Rachel Lemisch – playing a set of original compositions steeped in klezmer and other Eastern European traditions.

Among the highlights are “Sirba a la Oscar,” a three-part dance with sirba, hora and freylach sections; “A Mother’s Pain,” which has a sadder motif than most of the rest of the album; and the inventive “Chassidic Love Tango,” which adds a South American touch to the Eastern European base of most of the music.

The album is well-named because Jason's compositions are constructed to highlight the sounds of the horns – tuba, trombone, trumpet and saxophone – and they really do sound fabulous.

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Jason Rosenblatt – Wiseman’s Rag

JASON ROSENBLATT
Wiseman’s Rag
www.jasonrosenblatt.com

(A version of this review was published in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.)

Jason Rosenblatt is well established as the leader of Shtreiml, the Montreal-based klezmer band, and Jump Babylon, a rock band whose songs centre on Jewish themes. But, on Wiseman’s Rag, Jason steps away from those projects to feature his own compositions, drawing on jazz, blues and roots music influences.

Jason is an innovative harmonica player who also plays piano and organ, sings, and offers some terrific playing as he surrounds himself with a tight quartet, including guitarist Joe Grass, bassist Joel Kerr and drummer Evan Tighe.

The album kicks off with the title track, an infectious swing tune on which Jason’s harmonica playfully interacts with Joe’ guitar. It’s one of several tunes in the 13-song set named for streets in the Mile End/Outremont area of Montreal. Others include “Fairmount Blues,” a jazzy blues tune that again has Jason and Joe delightfully trading licks; “Waltz Querbes,” a slower piece that features some nice work by Jason on harmonica and Joel on the bass; and “Hutchison,” a contemplative jazz tune on which each of the musicians gets time to stretch out.

Among the tracks that showcase Jason as a singer are “Cold Outside,” a jumping blues about the weather at this time of year; “You’ll Take the Highway,” a Chicago-style blues song; and the rollicking “You’ll Miss Me.”

The Jason Rosenblatt Quartet will launch Wiseman’s Rag in Montreal on Sunday, December 6, 8 pm, at the Segal Centre, 5170 Cote St. Catherine Road. Call 514-739-7944 for tickets. And in Ottawa on Saturday, December 12, 7:30 pm, at Gigspace Performance Studio, 953 Gladstone Avenue. Call 613-729-0693 for tickets.

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--Mike Regenstreif

Jump Babylon – Soldier Woman

Soldier Woman

Jump Babylon

jumpbabylon.com

(This review is from the September 10, 2012 issue of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.)

For the past decade, the Montreal-based Shtreiml, led by inventive harmonica and keyboard player Jason Rosenblatt, has been one of Canada’s most innovative klezmer bands. But, sometimes the klezmorim just want to play some rock and roll (and write some rock and roll songs). So Rosenblatt and several Shtreiml band mates, singer-guitarist Adam Stotland, trombonist Rachel Lemisch and drummer Thierry Arsenault, along with bassist Joel Kerr and horn players James Rhodes and Andrew Skowronski formed Jump Babylon.

The newly-released Soldier Woman is Jump Babylon’s debut release and the 11 songs – 10 written by Rosenblatt, one by Stotland – mostly focus on Jewish or Israeli themes.

Among the highlights is “Canada,” a rootsy rock song sung from the perspective of an elderly Holocaust survivor looking back on the life he built for himself in this country after the war. Another is “Zion,” a celebration of both the city of Jerusalem and the end of Jewish exile, and a defiant rejection to those who would delegitimize Israel. The most fun song is “The Bride,” a hilarious recounting of typical Jewish weddings as perceived by the hired musicians.

Stylistically, Jump Babylon moves from rock to ska and reggae rhythms – even to New Orleans-style jazz.

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