Henry Herskovitz: Atzmon Tours Toledo and Ypsilanti

We have learned a secret about jazz musician and philosopher Gilad Atzmon in the last few days: the man only has two speeds, 100 mph (that's 161 kph for the Brits reading this) and zero. His energy wore out a crowd of 25 folks in Ypsilanti, Michigan Friday evening and about 50 listeners in Toledo, Ohio Thursday, yet at last sighting he was going strong.

Though leaving his audiences without a clear path of "what to do", he certainly provides a lot of thought-provoking ideas for the uninitiated to chew upon. So much so, that a Jewish doctor and friend stormed out of his Friday delivery midstream, shocked, shocked at the idea that an examination of Jewish collective behavior could possibly be helpful in understanding the actions of others. Gilad waxes nostalgic over the loveable bigot Archie Bunker, whom he describes as the last free self-expressing person and urged those in his audience to give up the shackles of political correctness and speak our minds. Patriotism, he instructed, is the ability to admire our surrounding rivers, valleys, mountains while using and preserving our First Amendment rights.

He expounded on the nature of Jewish Power for us -- it is the invisible hand that forbids us from speaking about Jewish Power. He claimed that AIPAC (American-Israel Public Affairs Committee) is *not* an example of Jewish Power, but the power resides in Jewish leaders of the peace movement who – like the anti-aircraft batteries protecting a military target – provide cover for targets like AIPAC. As such, Gilad identifies for us these leaders – Medea Benjamin of Code Pink and Rebecca Vilkomerson of Jewish Voice for Peace to name just two - who place Jewish tribalism and a faux focus on "anti-Semitism" at primary levels in the peace movement, while the effort to actually liberate Palestine remains secondary. This observation is now being questioned by Atzmon supporters like Paul Larudee in his recent piece, "The Palestine Liberation Movement is not about Anti-Semitism".

Gilad at JWPF Vigil

 Mr. Atzmon slowed down just long enough to join ten members of Jewish Witness for Peace and Friends at our May 25 vigil in front of the Zionist Beth Israel Congregation. Following that, after a quick breakfast with JWPF vigilers, he was hustled off to Detroit Metro airport to head east for his NYC and Washington DC appearances. Thank you, Gilad for recognizing the importance of our weekly vigils.

Judaism Today!!!

My Latest Production

Here is a  trailer of "Looking For Melody", a film about the making of an upcoming album of the music of Serge Gainsbourg which I musically produced at Abbey Road and Eastcote Studios with the Orient House Ensemble and other great people. It is a very unique project...

My 50th Birthday Tour Starts Today

I landed in London this morning after months on the road. My son is taller than me, and he is only 12! How depressing. And here is the schedule for my 50^th birthday tour: it starts today!!!

May

30 - Gilad Atzmon & The OHE @ The Spin, Oxford

31 - Gilad Atzmon & The OHE @ Wakefield Jazz Club, Wakefield

June

3 - With Nick Hill Trio @ The Bedford Arms, Bedford

4 - Film and Debate: GILAD AND ALL THAT JAZZ followed by a debate  Gilad Atzmon vs. Ray Keenoy, ALBION BEATNIK BOOKSTORE, 34 Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6AA

8 - 50^th Birthday party, celebrating with OHE and guests @ the 606 Jazz Club.  

9 - Gilad Atzmon lunch time gig @ The Green Dragon • 58-60 High Street, Croydon, London

12 - Gilad Atzmon & OHE @ No.1 Shakespeare Street Bar & Grill, Stratford Upon Avon

14 - Concert + Screening - Gilad Atzmon & the OHE @ the Vortex Jazz Club, London + Screening of Gilad and All That Jazz ahead of the concert

15 - Gilad Atzmon & the OHE @ the Vortex Jazz Club,  London

20 - Gilad Atzmon, Frank Harrison 4tet The Bloomsbury, 209 Staines Road, Twickenham TW2 5BB

22 - Gilad Atzmon & Frank Harrison, PIANO DI PRIMO AL PRIMO PIANO, Allschwil/BL  Switzerland.

27 - Gilad Atzmon & The OHE @ Norwich Art Centre

28 - Jazz Baroque Fusion, Gilad Atzmon with Jennifer Bennett (violin and viola de gamba) & Yair Avidor  (lute & theorbo) @ Harwich Festival

29 Gilad Atzmon & the OHE  St. Mary's church hall, Felpham, Bognor Regis

30 - Off to Italy to play with Mauro Grossi,  details soon 

July

4 - Gilad Atzmon & The OHE @ NC Jazz, The Castle,  North Hampton 

5 - Gilad Atzmon & The OHE @ Birmingham Jazz.

Bill Maher shredded by Glenn Greenwald on US intervention in Muslim countries

Bill Maher is taken apart by Glenn Greenwald for trying to absolve the US from any responsibility for the mass slaughter and destruction in Muslim countries, blaming it on Islamic fundamentalism, as if the Afghanistan and Iraq wars never happened, as if the US wasn't pushing for more war in Iran, as if it isn't intervening in Somalia and Yemen.

Mideast Masters of Jazz - Atzmon, Musa, Balasooriya, Austin, Price (The Mint, LA, May 2013)

Gilad Atzmon - Alto Sax
Zane Musa - Soprano and Tenor Sax
Mahesh Balasooriya - Keyboard
Tony Austin - Drums
Hamilton Price - Bass

recorded at The Mint, Los Angeles, May 17, 2013

The Palestine Liberation Movement is not about Anti-Semitism

by Paul Larudee

I don’t disagree that the cowardly removal by Aljazeera of everything written by Joseph Massad is a travesty of justice and journalism and that their reinstatement is justified.  But why was Massad trying to defend Palestinian rights based upon them being “the last of the Semites?”

The term “Semite” was born of the assumption that all the languages of the world are the result of the sons of Noah – Shem, Ham and Japheth – going to different parts of the globe after the flood and creating different language groups: Semitic, Hamitic and Japhetic.  The sons of Noah?  Are we seriously entertaining such nonsense?

To make matters worse, this absurdity was extended to fictitious “races,” not just languages.  “Anti-Semitic” therefore is descriptive of the Hamitic and Japhetic races turning on the descendents of Shem, the third brother.  No one seriously speaks of Hamitic and Japhetic races.  Is it not time to recognize the absurdity of the Semitic “race” as well?

Even more absurd is the attempt to use such mythological concepts to measure the virtue of the Palestinian cause.  The Palestinian cause has nothing to do with Jews, Semites, anti-Semitism, God, Abraham, Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, Noah, Jacob, Ishmael, Shem, Ham and Japheth, whether you believe in them or not.  It has nothing to do with the Holocaust, colonialism, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Turks or the British.

It has everything to do with the expulsion of Palestinians from their land and with denial of their right to sovereignty, to self-determination and above all their Right to Return.  It does not matter who expelled them.  It is their land and they have the right to return.  It does not matter who denies their existence.  They have a right to return.

Click to read more ...

United Against Scholarship

By Gilad Atzmon

In the last few years we have been witnessing the emergence of a self-gratifying populist culture in the midst of the Palestinian scholarly discourse. Two years ago we watched Ali Abunimah's lecture about ‘culture’ and politics setting a new record of intellectual ignorance.  We then came across  ‘anti’ racist Israel boycott campaigner Omar Barghouti preaching in favour of  biological determinism. This week I came across Columbia Professor Joseph Massad’s Last of the Semites, a talk on Zionism and anti-semitsm the Professor delivered in Stuttgart last month. Unfortunately Massad repeats the exact same pattern.

Watch Massad's Lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqtnY3aYuOo

Let’s us examine  some of Massad’s ideas. Towards the end of his talk Massad concludes that  “whereas Israel insists that European Jews do not belong in Europe and must come to Palestine, the Palestinians have always insisted that the homelands of European Jews were their European countries and not Palestine.” Nice set-up of conflicting views but made up out of whole cloth by Massad.  I can’t think of any Palestinian, including Massad himself, who has been brave enough to boldly suggest to Europeans Jews where they really belong. In fact, the only person who was courageous enough to express such a simple and truthful idea was American hero Helen Thomas. So the next question to ask is who are the ‘Palestinians’ Massad has in mind? Do they exist outside of his solipsistic universe?

Click to read more ...

Gilad Atzmon on Muhammad and Friends (TV Show)

Video streaming by Ustream

Spent two hours with Munir Muhammad earlier today. Munir and the C.R.O.E  team are engaged in a crucial battle and I will do everything within my capacity to support them. Those who follow my work will notice a change in my tone. I really do not hold back anymore. I pretty much say it all. And I am going to upset many more people in the near future.

On Truth...