Cantor Bruce Benson has been dedicated to composing liturgy for the contemporary Jewish world for more than 40 years. He is, perhaps, best known for his Jazz Service, written and recorded with smooth jazz saxophonist, Kenny G. His blending of modern sounds with traditional Jewish prayers earned him a place in Chosen Voices: The Story of the American Cantorate by Mark Slobin.

The Jazz Service,was the largest selling Jazz album in the Jewish market for well over 10 years. The Rock Service(version 1), a collection of original compositions, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2002. The 2nd version, re-released in 2008, featured a now legendary performance of Cantor Benson’s The Healing Prayer with Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band. Read More About This…

Sometimes the unexpected comes with the daily mail. This recent addition arrived just in time for Yom Kippur. It  features Nicolas Jolliet a talented guitarist, sitarist,  and composer.

The Kol Nidre has fascinated composers for centuries. Now it has caught the attention of Guitarist and Sitarist Nicolas Jolliet. Using the sitar, surbahar, tabla, oud, dumbek and other exotic instruments, this CD was recorded on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia, and evolves from traditional ragas into a seductive Reggae beat. The subject of a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary, it was played at a Yom Kippur service held at a U.S. base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Read More About This…

New for the Holidays! This recently added album features music composed especially for the High Holy Days by Cantor Meir Finkelstein who also conducts the orchestra. It features the voices of Cantor Udi Spielman and his wife Varda.

Cantor Spielman and Cantor Finkelstein have partnered many times in the past with great success. Together they create a distinctive cantorial sound that is at once modern and traditional. Read More About This…

It was the “last box packed.” Now it was the last box to be unpacked. After going through 156 boxes of Cantorial, Yiddish and English-language recordings from the collection of Chicago record producer Barry Serota we stared at this box and knew that once it was opened our job of unpacking would be complete.

However, our work organizing, describing and investigating the music was just beginning! Read More About This…

In 1990 Jacquie Sussholz produced Yiddish Is Forever, a 3-CD album composed of 48 songs. From songs of praise to songs of love, from songs of heartbreak and sorrow to songs of celebration, Yiddish songs have a special quality that pulls at the heart-strings.

Jacquie Sussholz honors his heritage and recreates an authentic yet up-to-date sound with his music. “My style is soul with passion – I express the spirit of traditional songs, but in arrangements that are modern and exciting.” Read More About This…