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Gilad Atzmon's New Book: The Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics
Jewish identity is tied up with some of the most difficult and contentious issues of today. The purpose in this book is to open many of these issues up for discussion. Since Israel defines itself openly as the ‘Jewish State’, we should ask what the notions of ’Judaism’, ‘Jewishness’, ‘Jewish culture’ and ‘Jewish ideology’ stand for. Gilad examines the tribal aspects embedded in Jewish secular discourse, both Zionist and anti Zionist; the ‘holocaust religion’; the meaning of ‘history’ and ‘time’ within the Jewish political discourse; the anti-Gentile ideologies entangled within different forms of secular Jewish political discourse and even within the Jewish left. He questions what it is that leads Diaspora Jews to identify themselves with Israel and affiliate with its politics. The devastating state of our world affairs raises an immediate demand for a conceptual shift in our intellectual and philosophical attitude towards politics, identity politics and history.
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
Reedsman Gilad Atzmon is renowned for his virtuoso, high-speed, post-bop attack, and also for his equally hyperactive personality. This concept album explores a highly alternative resting ground, where nearly every song is a ballad, and even the occasionally faster-paced tunes emit an aura of relative calm.
Atzmon’s concept is to dedicate his pieces to individual cities, inevitably conjuring an atmosphere of evocative cinematic suggestion. Although this Israeli wit has long resided in London, that’s one of the obvious cities missing from the tracklisting. Instead, Atzmon skirts from Berlin to Buenos Aires, and from Scarborough to Somewhere in Italy.
Some of his followers might find this album frustratingly reflective, but Atzmon should be commended for changing his pace, and opening up his compositional space. It’s an imaginative side-step, and there are already many other Atzmon recordings that capture his fully accelerated soloing skills.
The saxophonist/clarinettist eloquently mixes modal jazz, Middle Eastern scales and funky beats
Gilad Atzmon’s seventh album with his long-running quartet is a peon to a recent past, when urban spaces belonged to the people who lived in them, and cities had distinct emotional characters.
The saxophonist/clarinettist portrays the idiosyncrasies with a masterly blend of controlled passion and sharp focus, eloquently mixing modal jazz, Middle Eastern scales and funky beats.
“Vienna” is captured with a charming waltz, tragedy-haunted “Tel Aviv” with a funk-driven mash-up and “Buenos Aires” with a haunting, stately theme that gains pathos from an echo of accordion.
When I was seven I was living In a beautiful village North of Jerusalem Near the heart of Palestine
I used to play Where Jesus used to pray I ran up the hills Where he used to walk Listening through the wind To the echo of his talk “Oh, children of God, Love one another”
A man of Palestine Gentle, kind, and giving A true prince of peace Ever so loving…
Up above my head White fluffy clouds Slept all day On my blue sky’s lap
I used to lie down Jumping with my soul Up in to heaven Weaving with the clouds Snow white and teddy bears
I’d make up stories Dressed up as a princess Dancing with the fairies Flying on the wings Of a pure white bird
With a magical brush That no one could see I painted the world With colours of the rainbow
I flew wiping tears away Of every human face Putting a big smile Right in their place
I spoke every language With no words at all With all words of love They answered my call
Every drop of water Every grain of sand Every green leaf Felt God’s loving hand
UNTIL One summer day My life was turned Up-side down
(SACRAMENTO / LONDON) - Gilad Atzmon's sax sings beautifully in the new film produced by Tali Atzmon, 'Gilad Atzmon & the OHE Songs Of The Metropolis'.
Beautifully and thoughtfully executed, the program is a wonderful introduction for less familiar listeners and a serious delight for those of us already addicted to the music of this man who has made such a difference in the world not only as a musician, but as an activist, reporter and author. Originally from Israel, Gilad is a fierce supporter of Palestinian human rights and a vocal political opponent of Israeli policy.
He wages his campaign for people the same way he and the group deliver their live performances; in a way that could only be considered spectacular, delightful, and full of personality, character, and life.
Gilad's interview segments are interspersed throughout the vi
deo and he talks about the music, the ideas, the politics and the images.
"I express there, some very strong criticism of multi culturalism and spiritual globalisation," Gilad said. "We are always listening to the same music, drinking the same coffee, reading the same books."
He expresses critical thoughts about the western population spending far too much time and money supporting Starbucks while failing to cons
ider what is happening to indigenous culture. People tend to live within their comfort zones, enjoying their place in the rat race where everything makes sense on a superficial level. The weak, corporate controlled mainstream media is the final ingredient. Unlike the western world of even twenty years ago, there now exists a population programmed to ignore the suffering of other human beings. Thoughtful souls like Gilad Atzmon are trying to explain, musically in this case, how we are all different for myriad reasons and never will be in lock step with one another.
"Rather than delaying an obvious multicultural attempt to flatten everything and to present an i
mage of manifold or most duplicity, the beauty of it comes out when the African flute really doesn't agree with the hip-hop drums, and this is the instant when my understanding of beauty comes into play. This is where I want to start, to start merging those things that don't agree with each other, to let them not agree. With the Orientals, we have been struggling forward for more than a decade, more than a decade, playing all this music. We have managed to convince a lot of people, even ourselves... that we can do it. But when you listen to a real Iraqi Oud player or a beautiful Palestinian singer, you realize that we will never be able to achieve it," Gilad said.
The Onion (a spoof publication) reports that “top-ranking government officials in Jerusalem confirmed Tuesday that Israel would exercise its longstanding, constitutionally granted veto power over American policy if U.S. lawmakers confirmed retired congressman Chuck Hagel as the United States’ next Secretary of Defense.” Israeli government spokesperson Mark Regev is quoted saying “In light of Mr. Hagel’s worrying remarks on Israeli-Palestinian relations and questionable classification of Israeli interests as ‘the Jewish lobby,’ we consider him a highly inappropriate choice for Defense Secretary who stands far out of line with our national priorities, and therefore we are prepared to swiftly and resolutely use our official veto power over this U.S. action.”
Israeli Arab party Balad suggests in this clip that the Israeli anthem Hatikva better integrate the cultural aspiration of the Palestinian Israeli citizens. After all, if Israel is the 'only democracy on the region' it better be as well 'a state of its citizens'...
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 2:30AM 
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