Music

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When I was asked to sing at the book launch of Simcha’s volume Out of the Abyss at the Toronto Jewish Book Fair in 2003, I didn’t know this would be the beginning of a new direction for me. I got to know the man, and I came to know his poetry. Both made such an impression on me that I decided to try and provide a new perspective on his writing through my music. Simcha’s verse captured me with its breath-taking candor, modesty, and deceptive simplicity (hence our CD title). The poet’s humanity is encapsulated in words of pain, joy, humour, and unbending optimism. His words speak to me, as I hope they will to others. I feel very fortunate to have met Simcha, and equally blessed to have been joined on this project by my long-time colleague, Brian Katz. I believe this song cycle is a testament to the continued vitality of a rich culture almost destroyed in WWII, as well as an important contribution to the world music mosaic so widely enjoyed in our times. NOTE: CD booklet includes Simcha's own English translations.
~ Lenka, Toronto, June 2006

THANK YOU: Lenka thanks the Canada Council for the Arts for its generous support of this project through its Special Recording Grant.

LIST OF MUSICIANS:
Lenka Lichtenberg – vocals on all tracks except 7; piano, 5
Brian Katz – classical guitar, 1-3, 6,7,9,10; piano, 4,8
Daniel Barnes – drums, 8
Alan Hetherington – percussion (pandeiro, rebolo, 3, 6,10; mola, sementes. 3; surdo, tamborim, agogo, barulho da cozinha, 6; cymbals, shakers, spring, 10 )
Kathleen Kajioka – violin, 2,8; viola, 5
George Koller – double bass, 2, 8; fretless electric bass, 1, 10
Sasha Luminsky – accordion, 2, 10
Kathryn Moses – tenor saxophone, flute, 8
Ernie Tollar – soprano saxophone, 8, 10; bansuri flute, 1; ney flute, 10
Joan Watson – French horn, 8
Jill Vitols – cello, 5

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Informed by musical, thematic and linguistic traditions of her Czech and Jewish background, Lichtenberg’s new collection of 12 original songs combines her passionate singing with the instrumental virtuosity of eight of Toronto’s leading world musicians. Produced by the master string player Levon Ichkhanian, the tunes feature an eclectic crossroads of influences, ranging from Middle-Eastern to distinctly Eastern European and even Roma. Lichtenberg’s poetic lyrics in English and French are thoughtful, yet optimistic. Universal themes can be found – peace (I Still Believe), freedom (Wings of Eagles), inclusiveness– together with Jewish topics, such as the sometimes inconsistent yet fiercely contested manifestations of being a liberal Jew (Open The Gate), or a historical perspective on Jewish life in Prague, culminating with an immigrant’s coming to terms with the Diaspora (Bohemia).

Musically speaking, this album is very hard to label! It is “world”, not klezmer yet Jewish, and European in many ways, while, ironically, its multicultural influences are what makes it also very Canadian. As all the performers on this recording are long-time collaborators who stem from different cultural backgrounds and often work together in Toronto, the CD is a fitting testament to Canada’s cultural diversity.

The album was released independently by Sunflower Records, with the greatly appreciated Specialized Recording Grant in the category of world music, received from the Canada Council of the Arts.

LIST OF MUSICIANS:
George Koller: fretless acoustic bass guitar
Levon Ichkhanian: guitars, banjitar
Rick Shadrach Lazar: percussion
Sasha Luminsky: accordion
Wilson Laurencin: drums
Kathleen Kajioka: viola, violin
Roberta Janzen: cello
Eric Stein: cimbalom
Ernie Tollar: clarinet, soprano saxophones, bansuri and ney flutes

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Deep Inside is a twelve-song CD featuring exhilarating New Jewish Music from Czech-born singer-songwriter, Lenka Lichtenberg. Middle-Eastern melodies and rhythms, traditional klezmer elements, jazz improvisations and contemporary musical styles form a passionate, melodic mosaic. Deep Inside is a collection of six of Lenka's thought-provoking compositions, five Yiddish songs and one Ladino-Hebrew song.

Lenka's lofty voice is accompanied by eighteen of Canada's most acclaimed virtuoso musicians such as Juno Award winner, multi-percussionist and dumbaq player, Rick Shadrach Lazar, violinist Oliver Schroer, Middle-Eastern guitar wizard and bouzouki player Levon Ichkhanian and harpist Erica Goodman. Juno Award winner, Ken Whiteley, who also plays several instruments, produced the CD. The album showcases three arrangements, by the Flying Bulgar Band's David Buchbinder.

Out of the depths of Jewish tradition and music of the world, Lenka has created the joyful, startling and inspirational music that is Deep Inside.

LIST OF MUSICIANS and SINGERS:
Daniel Hoffman: violin - tracks 2 & 7
David Buchbinder: trumpet, flugelhorn
Ernie Tollar: clarinet, Arabic and Indian flutes, saxophones - tracks 9 & 12
Oliver Schroer violin - tracks 3, 5 & 12
David Wall: duet - track 6, harmony vocals- track 8
Rick “Shadrack” Lazar: percussion, dumbek, req, congas, cajon, shakers
George Koller: fretless, string, electric bass
Esther Gartner: cello
Bruce “Bucky” Berger: drums, timbales - tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 9 & 12
Alexander “Sasha” Luminsky: accordion
John Sheard: piano - tracks 3 & 9
Ken Whiteley: guitars, mandolins, organ
Levon Ichkhanian: bouzouki, guitars
Andrew Downing: bass - tracks 2 & 7
Erica Goodman: harp
Daniel Barnes: drums - tracks 6, 8, 10 & 11
Marilyn Lerner: piano - tracks 2, 10 & 11
Martin Van de Ven: clarinet - tracks 6, 8 & 10