Mike Butler - A Great Concert Review

 http://www.dyversemusic.com/2013/03/giilad-atzmon-orient-house-ensemble.html

Band on the Wall, Manchester, March 15, 2013 

Good music is not enough: Gilad Atzmon has always favoured high concepts to help convey his message. This gets him into trouble when the high concepts are overtly political. Atzmon must be the only jazzman whose merchandise contains the last half dozen CDs and a book of polemic entitled The Wandering Who? "Stick to the music," has been the refrain of conservatives since the radical anti-Zionist arrived from Israel in 1994. Except that his world view is evident in every note of the music: variously etched with white-hot passion or withering scorn and brimming with controlled anger or raucous glee. 

His latest CD, Songs of the Metropolis, contains pieces inspired by cities and locales. What could be more harmless? 

The focus here is on his composing as much as his playing. 'Moscow' is an iron romance held together by rolling Borodin chords, shifting between severity and prettiness, and 'Berlin' invokes the shade of Kurt Weil with a spot of Weimar-style decadence. 'Tel Aviv' begins with an urgent clamour before the soprano digs into some deep blues, coloured by Arab modes, and rapidly gains in intensity. The power and bite of Atzmon full-on is breathtaking. A mighty handful, indeed. 

If the records are powerful, they only hint at the unfettered force of Atzmon in the flesh.

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Gilad Atzmon on Jason Liosatos' Radio Shaw

Listen to internet radio with JasonLiosatos on Blog Talk Radio

We spoke about Jewish domination within the Palestinian solidarity discourse, truth and denial, the Holocaust, the next Zionist global conflict and many other topics.

The Curse of Chutzpa

By Nahida Izzat

nahidaexiledpalestinian.wordpress.com

Gilad Atzmon argues that in order to best support Palestine we must cease to view the Palestinian struggle as “just another apartheid” or “just another colonial project”

What makes the occupation of Palestine “unique” is not the “specialness” of the suffering of Palestinians, nor is it the “uniqueness” of their tragedy or the “importance” of their cause.

What makes it “unique”is the fact that: those Jewish Zionists who occupy Palestine, those Jewish Zionists who support them, and even many of those Jewish anti-Zionists who oppose them view themselves as “unique”.

Many Jewish anti-Zionists view themselves as unique in the sense that they frantically hold on the notion of the “uniqueness” of the “Jewish suffering” and the inevitability of future “multi-holocausts” due to historic, intrinsic and incurable human-condition called “anti-semitism” which is in their view a “special” case of racism of inexplicable “hatred” for Jews.

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Atzmon: Give Jazz a Chance

By Ariadna Theokopoulos

http://www.boldfacenews.com

Stick with Atzmon: He’ll Take You Places!

Atzmon’s newest release, Songs of the Metropolis, is a must in any jazz lover’s collection. “Multireedsman” but primarily a superb saxophone player, Atzmon has produced a bouquet of homages to some of the greatest cities of the world, their music and their culture.
Stick with Atzmon, he’ll take you places! Places like Paris, Tell Aviv, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Manhattan, Moscow, “Somewhere in Italy,” Berlin and yes, Scarborough too.

Atzmon’s “Paris” is sweet and flavorful as a madeleine, without being maudlin. It is the love story between a tender yet confident sax and a lovingly attentive and crystalline piano (Frank Harrison). It is a madeleine that makes the search for “lost time” a worthwhile endeavor. The sax finale has the long finish of the best, properly aged French wine.
“Tel Aviv”’s staccato with brief, subtle allusions to oriental tones pulls off the remarkable evocation of declarative purpose and oneiric longing, to which the percussion accompaniment (Eddie Hicks) adds a sabra robustness.

“Buenos Aires” is a haunting piece, like a somber milonga danced late at night somewhere in La Boca while the waiters are already putting he chairs up on the tables. The sad, tuneful refrain makes you want to add lyrics to it. “Porqué me haces eso? Porqué a mi?” would fit.

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BBC Music Magazine's Album Review (4 Srars)

http://www.classical-music.com/

With this collection of lithe, witty compositions, Atzmon pays tribute to some great world cities, including 'Berlin', 'New York', his birthplace 'Tel Aviv' and, er, 'Scarborough',
which provides the pre text for an epic, mood-shif(ing re-tread of 'Scarborough Fair', Although the Orient House Ensemble is on superb form, some of Atzmon's  fans may
feel initial disappointment at the restrained surface of some tracks. Several albums and numerous gigs have accustomed us to fiery, edgy, often confrontational work, but he has indicated that this angry turbulence had in fact become a comfort zone, so he felt the need to move into new territory. 'Paris' provides a slightly schmaltzy opening, but Atzmon's sumptuous chalumeau clarinet tone is a delight. A nod to Sidney Bechet via Acker Bilk, perhaps, and the funky, rhythmically-sophisticated 'Tel Aviv' demonstrates that Anmon's soprano sound is also one of the most satisfying since Bechet.
Barry Witherden BBC Music Magazine April 2013
PERFORMANCE 4 STARS
RECORDING 4 STARS

Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

R2 Magazine Album Review (4 Stars)

http://www.rock-n-reel.co.uk/

“An interesting collection of locations inspires this album of musical evocations. Gilad Atzmon is in a reflective mood as he melodically recreates not only Paris and other cities, like Buenos Aires, Moscow, Tel Aviv and Berlin, but also such towns as Scarborough and, possibly, a more rural 'Somewhere In Italy'; certainly the work seems more pastoral than the others and even has Eric Dolphy-like bird song from the sax.

For this recording, Alzmon plays alto and soprano saxophones and, sometimes, clarinet and accordion. Frank Harrison offers extremely sympathetic support on piano and a variety of keyboards, Yaron Stavi the robust double bass and Eddie Hick percussively drums his way around each urban landscape. Rather than trying to instrumentally re-create actual street sounds, as Charles Mingus did in his famous New York Sketchbook, Atzmon opts for an altogether more impressionistic approach. There is a Christopher Isherwood, Cabaret-like feel to 'Berlin' complete with vocal chorus by Atzmon, Stavi and Hicks, while 'Buenos Aires' is a powerful, slow and atmospheric piece containing some of the album's finest playing.”

John Crosby R2 magazine 4 STARS

Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

British Labor leader Miliband pledges to oppose Israel boycott

The Global News Service of the Jewish People reported:

http://www.jta.org

(JTA) -- Ed Miliband, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, pledged to oppose boycotts of Israel and to protect Jewish customs, including circumcision and ritual slaughter. 

Speaking Thursday before a crowd of 300 at an event organized by Britain's main Jewish umbrella group, the leader of the British opposition, who is Jewish, warned of the need to be “ever-vigilant” against anti-Semitism, the Jewish Chronicle reported.

Asked whether he would work to ensure religious slaughter and circumcision practices could continue in Britain, Miliband said: “Yes, these are important traditions. The kosher issue has recently been brought to my attention. Ways of life must be preserved.”

The Chronicle also quoted Miliband as saying that he takes anti-Semitism "very seriously" and that delegitimizing Israel is "something we should call out for what it is and not tolerate it.”

“I think the boycotts of Israel are totally wrong," he said. "We should have no tolerance for boycotts. I would say that to any trade union leaders.”

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Foul sewage flooding raises Palestinian ire

BY Mohammed Omer

Gaza Strip - Gazans are crying foul after Egypt stepped up its campaign to wipe out an underground network of transportation tunnels by blasting raw sewage down them, sometimes with deadly results for Palestinian workers.

Some 2,000 men and boys work in the tunnel trade in the Gaza Strip. But over the past three months, more than 80 percent have lost the only work and benefits available in besieged Gaza, which remains stuck in an Israeli blockade.

That occurred after the government of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi ordered the destruction of the underground transportation network. As part of that effort, the military began dumping raw sewage into the passageways.

It's the most serious - and arguably the most dangerous - attempt by Egypt to close down the tunnels since 2006, when Palestinians began digging the warrens after Israel sealed off its borders with Gaza following Hamas' election victory.

An estimated 30 percent of goods that reach Gaza's 1.7 million Palestinians come through the tunnels.

Heralded by Israel as a necessary step to prevent weapons sales into Gaza and to keep attackers out, the blockade has resulted in Palestinians being cut off from many essential items such as food, fuel and building materials.

Egypt frequently seals its border in Rafah citing security concerns, as attackers have launched assaults on security forces on the Sinai peninsula by using the underground network. 

Hundreds of tunnels have been burrowed over the 14-kilometre stretch of land linking Egypt to Gaza. 

The transportation lines have come at a cost. Israel's Air Force frequently bombs them, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 Palestinians by direct missile hits, according to statistics from the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights.

One tunnel owner who identified himself as Abu Suliman said only 50 tunnels are functioning, as opposed to about 550 working at full capacity following Israel's last military operation on Gaza in November 2012.

Egypt's Interior Ministry spokesman, Islam Shawan, estimates about 900 tunnels had been operational between Gaza and Egypt until the recent campaign to flood them with sewage water.

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Songs of the Metropolis - The Last Leg of our OHE UK tour

Today in Shetland Island:

18:00 Improvisation Master Class.

20:00 The Primacy of the Ear -The Wandering Who, a book launch  Islesburgh Community Centre, Shetland Island (+master classes) 

13 Jazz Bar, Edinburgh / www.thejazzbar.co.uk

14 Band on the Wall, Manchester / www.bandonthewall.org

15 The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, Cumbria / www.breweryarts.co.uk  

17 Herts Jazz, Welwyn Garden City / www.hertsjazz.co.uk

30 The 606 Club, London / www.606club.co.uk

Gilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble

Gilad's music facebook page

Amazon.co.uk

   

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Lauren Booth - Jerusalem MPs demand Justice

'When the Israeli security agencies began their aggressive campaign against the PLC candidates, the men refused to be intimidated. Declaring the start of their electoral campaign from inside Al-Aqsa Mosque. As a result, they earned the trust of Jerusalemites, leading to the their election to the PLC.

As soon as the MP’s were successfully elected, the Israeli occupation authority began seeking measures with which to imprison or remove the MP’s permanently from their home city, Jerusalem.

This was not legally possible. The ‘Entry into Israel Law 1952’, does not provide occupation authorities with the justification to deport MP›s, or any other Palestinians, from Jerusalem.

However, the Israeli Interior Minister, Ronnie Bar, sought to enforce the MP’s deportation, under a new initiative. An illegal action, whereby the occupier expels Palestinians from Jerusalem, for «disloyalty» to the Israeli authority.

According to the rhetoric of Bar, the MP›s resided in ‘Israel’ (not Palestine). Therefore, they must pledge their loyalty to the Israeli occupation authority, in order to remain. Furthermore, Bar put forward that the MP’s membership of the Palestinian Legislative Council (a foreign parliament) proved their loyalty lay elsewhere, thus making them guilty of treachery to the Israeli authority, deserving permanent expulsion from Jerusalem.

But there is a problem with all of Bar’s aggressive rhetoric;. A small thing known as; international law.

Under International law (Security Council resolution 242 and 338 and other resolutions), Jerusalem is an Occupied Palestinian city - not an Israeli city. Therefore, International laws and statues must apply and Israeli political legislation (or wishful thinking), does not.

Furthermore, it is clear that, as stated in Article 45 of the Hague Regulations, 1907:

‘An occupying power, is prohibited from compelling residents, of the territory occupied from pledging loyalty, to them’.