Londonjazz CD Review - Songs of the Metropolis

Gilad Atzmon & the Orient House Ensemble - Songs of the Metropolis
(World Village 450024. CD review by Chris Parker)

For this, his seventh album with ‘the hardest-working band in jazz’, the Orient House Ensemble (which has been working and touring the world together for twelve years now), Gilad Atzmon has taken as his theme the ability, as he sees it, of the song to ‘counter detachment and alienation’ courtesy of the idea that ‘each city ha[s] a melody, a resonance, a bell, an instrument, a voice’, and that, consequently, ‘beauty is perhaps the last form of spiritual resistance’ to the contemporary malaise for which ‘the planet weeps’.

His band – keyboard player Frank Harrison, bassist Yaron Stavi and drummer Eddie Hick – has the ability to transform itself from a hard-driving acoustic jazz ensemble (their version of ‘Scarborough Fair’, for instance, develops into an almost Coltraneish polyrythmic thrash) into an elegant but punchy fusion band at the flick of a switch, so the various atmospheres Atzmon wishes to conjure up (Paris’s ‘love’, Tel Aviv’s ‘tragedy’, Buenos Aires’ ‘pathos’, Vienna’s sweet charm etc.) are all unfussily evoked by a series of compositions that, while they ostensibly bring out his more contemplative side (and his clarinet playing, in particular, is wonderfully expressive and considered), contain all the steeliness and controlled passion and power customarily associated with Atzmon’s music.

Harrison is all lyrical fluency one minute, operating on acoustic piano, then colouring and shading the next by resorting to everything from Fender Rhodes to glockenspiel. Hicks and Stavi are characteristically alert and vigorous throughout, and overall this is a hard-hitting but wide-ranging set from an admirably tight and robust band led by one of the most charismatic and focused reedsmen on the planet.

The Times - Gilad Atzmon: Songs of the Metropolis, Album Review

John Bungey
January 19 2013

"It’s perhaps ironic that the Israeli-born saxophonist who has fused sounds of the Middle East with US jazz so skilfully should make an album lamenting the loss of local musical identities in a globalised world. Defying bland homogeneity, the saxophonist has composed tunes for his band, the Orient House Ensemble, to celebrate the musical traits of eight cities. Among them, Manhattan is brisk and funky; Buenos Aires is dark and smouldering; and decadent Berlin has clearly had one too many to drink. But it may well be the inspired detour to little Scarborough and its fair that draws the biggest cheers out on tour." (World Village; out Mon)

Gilad Atzmon on Jeff Rense Radio Show Jan 2013

I spoke  for the first time about my future research projects. The Spanish Civil War being a Jewish 'progressive' interventionist war.   Progressiveness as a form of Choseness, History as  Concealment, Jewish power within the Left and beyond.

I will use this opportunity to thank Jeff for his continuous support and his relentless struggle to promote the prospect of a better future.

The Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics, the lobby, the power and Jewish 'progressive'  spin in particular 

Susan Abulhawa PennBDS Opening Keynote

Susan Abulhawa PennBDS Opening Keynote from PennBDS on Vimeo.

Pure Beauty

This Is One Of My Most Interesting TV Interviews Ever

Gilad Atzmon With Zeinab Assaffar On Al Mayadeen TV

This is probably the clearest interview I have given about my thoughts, The Wandering Who, Israel. Judaism, Zionism, Jewishness, Palestine, AZZ, identity vs. identification, the 'left',  One State Solution  and more.

Part 1

http://youtu.be/yKHXEUChKn0

Part 2

http://youtu.be/HGPrd3JtAXs

The Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics, the lobby, the power and Jewish 'progressive'  spin in particular 

Click to read more ...

Tribally United

By Gilad Atzmon

As one would expect the bond between the Islamphobic Zionists, the so-called ‘progressive’ Jews and the Red Sabbath Goyim is tightening up. Once again, I am in the centre of it all. Harry’s Place, The Jew Sans Frontieres Mark Elf, and the tribally led  Workers Liberty are pretty annoyed at me for exposing the ‘kosher’ sinister motivation behind the slander campaign against Martin Smith, the veteran SWP’s secretary accusing him of being a sex offender and a rapist.

However, I have now read the SWP report on the Martin Smith affair on Socialist Unity, another Zionised ‘Red’ outlet known to many of us as Socialist Jewnity. The document is written in an archaic revolutionary language and is at parts pretty amusing. However, it is obviously clear that the SWP went out of its way to investigate the allegations against Smith. It called a ‘disputes committee’ made of seven ‘female comrades’ and one male. They interviewed all parties involved and came to the conclusion that Smith is innocent.

Click to read more ...

Sax Offender Vs. Progressive Rapists

By Gilad Atzmon

Once again leading UK AZZs , their Sabbath Goyim (Laurie Penny and Richard Seymour) and Islamophobic Hasbara outlet Harry’s Place have been caught together in bed. The exact same Judeocentric tribal coalition that, a year and a half ago, was formed to wreck my career (and failed) is now pursuing Martin Smith AKA Comrade Delta, former secretary of the UK SWP (Socialist Workers Party) who, they insist, is a ‘sex offender’.

Between 2005-10 I worked closely with Martin and the SWP. At the time I was the SWP’s official Kletzmer. I toured with Martin, performed and spoke in quite a few of those Red gatherings. I met some very nice people in the SWP, but I also came across their many Jewish gate-keepers and tribal operators. But the one thing I never detected in any of those political gathering was a trace of libidinal enthusiasm let alone sexual desire. I assumed at the time that these militant young Marxists had decided to postpone having sex until after the revolution.  

However, it didn’t take long to realise that Martin Smith was not being pursued because he is a ‘sex offender’ – he surely isn’t – no, our so-called ‘progressive’ tribals chase Smith because he is a Jazz lover and an enthusiastic fan of my music. They harass him because he gave me a platform in spite of the Jewish demand to ban me. They want to bring Martin Smith down simply because he didn’t obey his tribal masters. So If anything, it is Martin who is the rape victim in this saga – he is punished because he refused to bow down to the tribal junta. 

Click to read more ...

Irish Times-Songs of the Metropolis (4 Stars)

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2013/0118/1224328981494.html

****

Gilad Atzmon

CORMAC LARKIN

Songs of the Metropolis World Village ****

This dissident Israeli musician, philosopher and sometime Blockhead seems condemned, if only by his own principles, to wander the world playing music. Atzmon is a thoughtful and articulate opponent of Zionism in his books and articles, so when he picks up one of his many horns it’s clear that there’s more than just music at stake. On Songs of the Metropolis, Atzmon makes a virtue of his peripatetic existence, offering eight fine original compositions inspired by cities around the world where he has performed, from Paris and Berlin to Buenos Aires and his native Tel Aviv. But perhaps the standout is the album’s only cover, an energetic reworking of Scarborough Fair, in which Atzmon and the excellent pianist Frank Harrison do to the old parsley-sage tune what John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner did to My Favourite Things. gilad.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk

What Dershowitz & Abunimah have in common? One simple wet dream (short video, very funny)

The Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics  in general and Jewish 'progressive'  spin in particular  Amazon.com  or Amazon.co.uk