A Jazz Shabbat Service Track Listings 1. L’cha Dodi 2. Psalm 98 (Sing, Sing Sing) Buy Sheet Music 3. Barchu 4. Sh’ma 5. V’ahavta 6. Mi Chamocha 7. V’shamru 8. Yismechu 9. Shalom Rav 10. May the Words 11. Halleluyah Shout! 12. Bayom Hahu Buy Sheet Music 13. Blessing Buy Sheet Music 14. Havana Nagila 15. Psalm 98 (Sing, Sing Sing) Reprise 16. Blessing (Bonus Track) Buy CD at Amazon.com Editorial Reviews Joseph McLellan, Washington Post March 27, 2002 "Bowen...played with crisp brilliant and lyrical elegance..finely coordinated in their phrasing." Product Description Commissioned in 1988 by Cantor David Unterman for Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, CA, this service has recieved over 75 complete performances from coast-to-coast. It features the traditional Hebrew texts for a Friday night service set to a variety of types of jazz, latin and R&B. Unlike like other "jazz" versions of these prayers, this one really swings with lots of room for improvisation over driving grooves. And the prayers have been thoughtfully set. Bowen is a scholar and while initially resistent himself to the idea of writing jazz for Jews, he writes : "I soon learned, however, that Jews have always adapted our music to the culture where we lived and that the job of a sacred music composer is to find a way to unlock the emotional power of ancient words with music which moves the soul of contemporary listeners. Jewish liturgy was always meant to be a wide-ranging journey from quiet peace to exuberant joy and I hope the variety of styles used! in this service reflects the spiritual intentions of the rabbis and leads you to transcend the ordinary. That, of course, is what art and religion share; only human beings create meaning by giving thanks, celebrating anniversaries and creating art. All composers (of either sacred or secular music), desire to inspire us to live for more than just our physical needs and become more human by making art matter." This rare concert performance brought together 250 singers from the adult and children's choir of 7 Washington DC-area synagogues and over 250 singers. Two of these pieces have been featured on earlier Bowen CDs, but these are not available in the US and this CD features all of the original music plus a terrific new L'Cha Dodi: all in spectacular sound with a cookin band and the energy of a live crowd! Band Dave Detwiler - Trumpet Marty Nau - Alto Sax Peter Fraize - Tenor Sax Pepe Gonzales - Bass Ken McNair - Drums Jose Bowen - Piano, Conductor With special guest soloists Cantor Susan Adelman Cantor Susan Berkson Cantor Rosalie Boxt Cantor Laura Croen Cantor Michael Schochet Cantor Rhoda Silverman A Jazz Service Composed by José A. Bowen in 1989 A complete Friday night service for SATB Choir, Children's Choir and Jazz Sextet written for Congregation Beth Am,  Los Altos Hills, CA Performance History Each synagogue below performed the complete service; ·· indicates that the composer attended and conducted from the piano. ··Congregation Beth Am, Los Altos Hills, CA:  June 9, 1989 (Cantor David Unterman) ··Stanford University Hillel, Stanford, CA: Oct. 21, 1989 (Rabbi Ari Cartun) ··Congregation Sherith Israel, San Fransisco, CA: Jan. 12, 1990 (Cantor Martin Feldman) ··Temple Sinai, Atlanta, GA: April 13, 1990  (Cantor David Goldstein) ·Community Synagogue, Rye, NY: June 8, 1990 (Cantor Deborah Bard)  ·Temple Israel, Columbus, OH: March 8, 1991 (Cantor Vicki Axe) ··Temple Israel, Boston, MA: March 22, 1991 (Cantor Roy Einhorn) ·Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland, OR: April 1, 1991 (Cantor Linda Shivers) ·Central Synagogue, New York, NY: May 3, 1991 (Cantor Richard Botton) ··Temple Bat Yahm, Newport Beach, CA: Dec. 12, 1992 (Cantor Alan Weiner) ··Temple Isaiah, Los Angeles, CA: Dec. 13, 1992 (Cantor Evan Kent) ··Wilshire Blvd Temple, Los Angeles, CA: March 12, 1993 (Chuck Feldman) ·Temple Beth Zion, Buffalo, NY: March 19, 1993 (Cantor David Goldstein) ·Congregation Beth Israel, San Diego, CA: May 7, 1993 (Cantor Deborah Bard) ·Temple Israel, Columbus, OH: Dec. 3, 1993 (Cantor Vicki Axe) ··Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, New Brunswick, NJ: Dec. 17, 1993, (Cantor Gershon Seelins) ··Temple Israel of Hollywood, Hollywood, CA: Feb. 4 1994 (Cantor Aviva Rosenbloom) ··Northshore Synagogue, Northshore, NY: March 4, 1994 (Cantor Renee Colson) ··Temple Beth El, Huntington, NY: March 11, 1994 (Cantor Sandy Sherry) ·Shir Ami, Newtown, PN: March 18, 1994 (Cantor Mark Elson) ··Temple B'nai Abraham, Livingston, NJ: December 17, 1994, (Cantor Lee Coopersmith) ··Community Synagogue, Rye, NY: March 4, 1995 (Cantor Donna Goldstein)  ·Temple Israel, Dayton, OH: Jan, 1996 (Cantor Jay Weiss) ·Congregation Ner Tamid, Las Vegas, NV: Feb 6, 1996  (Cantor Bella Feldman) ·Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland, OR: May 5, 1996 (Cantor Linda Shivers) ·Congregation Rodef Sholom, San Rafael, CA: May 17, 1996 (Cantor David Margules) ·Westchester Reform Temple, Scarsdale, NY: May 24, 1996 (Cantor Stephen Merkel) ··Temple Emanu-El, Long Beach, NY: June 7, 1996 (Cantor Bette Cohen) ··Congregation Ner Tamid, Las Vegas, NV: Nov. 22, 1996  (Cantor Bella Feldman) ·Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, New York, NY: Jan 10, 1997 (Cantor Ellen Stettner) ··Adat Ari El, Hollywood, CA, March 14, 1997 (Cantor Ira Bigeleison) ··Temple Beth Hillel, Hollywood, CA, March 28 (Cantor Alan Weiner) ··Temple Chai, Long Grove, IL: April 4, 1997 (Cantor Judy Myersberg) ··KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, Chicago, IL: April 5, 1997 (Cantor Deborah Bard) ··Second International Conference on Jewish Music, City University, London: Apr 8, 1997 (Vivienne Bellos) ··American Conference of Cantors/Guild of Temple Musicians, 44th Annual Convention, NY: Jun 29, 1997 ··Temple Sinai, Del Ray, FL: Feb 13, 1998 (Cantor Elaine Shapiro) ··Temple Beth El, Boca Raton, FL: Feb 20, 1998  (Cantor Anne Turnoff) ··Temple Beth Am, Miami, FL: Feb 19, 1999  (Cantor Rachelle Nelson) ··Temple Sinai, Oakland, CA: Mar. 26, 1999 (Cantor Ilene Keys) ··Congregation Sherith Israel, San Francisco, CA: April 9, 1999 (Cantor Martin Feldman) ··Congregation Rodef Sholom, San Rafael, CA: April 10, 1999 (Cantor David Margules) ·Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, LO: April 30, 1999 (Elizabeth Goldstein) ··Congregation Beth Am, Los Altos Hills, CA: May 7, 1999 (Cantor Kay Greenwald) 10th Anniversary! ··Temple Emanu-El, San Jose, CA: May 9, 1999 (Rachel Michelberg) About the Jazz Service The entire service can be performed with only a keyboard and a small choir, but it is expandable to a rhythm section of piano, bass and drums.  There are also optional parts for children's choir and three horns (trpt & 2 sax); this is the recommended configuration.  A practice tape is available; copy the tape for your choir and they'll learn the piece in their cars. This music is intended to go into a regular Friday night service; a 5 minute introduction on keva and kavanah (emphasising that this new music is here to bring out the traditional meaning of the words) before the service starts, is usually enough to convince the congregation that this service is intended as a spiritual as much as a musical exercise. The composer is available to conduct from the piano, and introduce the service. It is easy to hire the other musicians locally, a good professional band can be hired in most cities for under $1000 ($200 x 5) including 1 long rehearsal. Any of the cantors or rabbis from the above synagogues could provide further details of an actual performance. The cost for performance rights, vocal scores and rental of a complete set of instrumental is $500. You can keep the vocal and piano parts, and use them whenever you like in your current synagogue; only the parts have to be returned. View Jose Bowen's Contact Information