JSA at FAU Libraries receives gift in memory of Barry Serota

By , October 14, 2011 12:04 pm
Photo of Blanche Serota embraces a copy of the specially-created record label that honors her son, Barry Serota.
Photo of Blanche Serota embraces a copy of the specially-created record label that honors her son, Barry Serota.

 BOCA RATON, FL (October 4, 2011) –Florida Atlantic University recently received a gift in memory of the late Barry Serota, an attorney, record producer and executive director of the Chicago-based Institute for Jewish Sound Recording. Serota was widely known for his deep knowledge of Jewish music and produced more than 100 recordings of Jewish sacred and secular music. His productions at the Institute for Jewish Sound Recording included choral,   instrumental, folk and art music.

Serota’s mother, Blanche, donated 1,500 LPs, more than 700 78-rpm discs, 100 digital audio tapes and 1,443 audio reel-to-reel tapes to the Judaica Sound Archives (JSA) at FAU Libraries in honor of her son. The collection includes rare record masters and pre-production one-of-a-kind recordings. Read More About This…

Kol Nidre gets a Carribean beat

By , October 6, 2011 9:20 am
Album Cover of Kol Nidre Goes East
Album Cover of Kol Nidre Goes East

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…

L’Shana Tova: A good and sweet year

By , September 19, 2011 4:05 pm

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.

Photo of album cover A Still, Small Voice Is Heard by Udi Spielman
Photo of album cover A Still, Small Voice Is Heard by Udi Spielman

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…

For members only

By , September 15, 2011 3:01 pm
Album Cover of A Bis'l Taam
Album Cover of A Bis’l Taam

If you like Jewish music, you will love A Bis’l Taam  (A Little Flavor), JSA’s most recent compilation of songs now available on CD.

Recorded from early 20th century 78 rpm phonograph discs the album contains snippets of 21 songs. You will be amazed at the beautiful sound quality and the range of music. Read More About This…

Serota collection yields long-forgotten treasures

By , August 25, 2011 12:21 pm
Test Pressing of Never Released Collectors Guild
Test Pressing of Never Released Collectors Guild

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…