Music

Doing it to the Max

Acclaimed drummer sticks to a 'four-act' life

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Born to drum. And then some. His roles as TV sidekick, author, raconteur, former music distribution executive, GQ-coiffed quipster ... all are side shows to his showcased talent: Max Weinberg doesn't bang the drum slowly; he makes it dissolve with riffs that roar and reveal a hands-on artistry of perfection. Certainly the forever Bruce buddy and Springsteen E Street star...

Music

We Are the World, We Are Israeli ...

Idan Raichel Project to bring fusion to Sunday's 62nd birthday party

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Michael Elkin

The Ashkenazi Lawrence Welk? Don't mean to burst your bubble, Idan Raichel, but how could such a cool kid commit to an accordion to start his iconoclastic climb up rock's rocky highway? "It helped keep my eyes and ears open to sounds all over the world," says the now 32-year-old sabra from Kfar Saba, so far away from those early...

Music

Two for the Pride of One

Noa and Mira lend their voices to a note of Mideast peace and harmony

By:

Michael Elkin

Give peace a chance? How about giving it a musical backbeat? Chances are that Noa and Mira Awad are aware of and in sync with the possibilities. The two -- vocalist Noa, known to millions of Israelis as Achinoam Nini; and Arab-Israeli singer Awad -- awake each day to the steely soundtracks of combative and combustible backgrounds that is the...

Music

Bruce, Bennett ... Big Time

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Michael Elkin

Eddie Bruce is still "dancin' on air" -- decades after serving as host of the popular Philly-based TV stomp of a treat, he's got good reason to step to the front of the line dance that he once touted. And that's because these days, he also has a song in his heart. That that song is "High Hopes" -- so...

Music

Doo-Wop 'Dreydl' or Sandler Ditty?

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Cantor David F. Tilman, JE Feature

Music for Chanukah, which begins on a Friday evening this year, varies widely from the traditional to the modern, from the serious and sublime to the silly, from the liturgical to contemporary whimsy and humorous satire. Cantors and music educators strive to bring the joy of the festival into the homes of students and their families through the music they...