Between Heaven & Earth: Music of the Jewish Mystics

by Andy Statman

Overview

Veteran klezmer musician Andy Statman, who inherited a clarinet from klezmer legend Dave Tarras, leaves the past behind on a series of John Coltrane-inflected voyages to the dark, mystical heart of Yiddish music. Featured are cosmic jazz interpretations of devotional music (deveykus niggum), table-songs (tisch niggunim), and traditional dances (rikkudim). While most of the material unfurls slowly, a pair of cuts with guesting newgrass banjo player Bela Fleck absolutely sparkle. On "Purim Niggun," Statman and Fleck even abandon the reverential tone of the rest of the disc to kick their heels at a dance tune Statman originally learned from an old Naftule Brandwein 78 rpm recording. Most of the pieces were recorded live in the studio with lots of improvising by Statman and quartet members Kenny Werner, Harvie Swartz, and Bob Weiner, and the lack of overdub diddling results in a terrific immediacy. ~ Bob Tarte

Product Details

Release Date:	01/21/1997
Label:	Shanachie
UPC:	0016351647924
Rank:	133108

Tracks

1. Maggid
2. You Were Revealed
3. Adir
4. Chassidic Waltz
5. Yonah
6. Reb Nachman's Deveykus Niggun
7. Purim
8. Tzamah Nafshi
9. If Not for...

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Andy Statman   Primary Artist,Mandolin,Clarinet
Andy Statman Quartet   Primary Artist
David Grisman   Guest Artist,Mandolin
Bela Fleck   Guest Artist,5-string Banjo
Harvie Swartz   Bass
Bob Weiner   Drums,Percussion
Scott Lee   Bass
Kenny Werner   Piano

Technical Credits

Dave Sears   Photography,Liner Notes,Producer
Andy Statman   Producer,Composer
Paul Wickliffe   Engineer,Mixing
Rich Lamb   Engineer
Joan Pelosi   Design
John R. Reigart III   Assistant Engineer
David Robbins   Assistant Engineer