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Brother Moses Smote the Water

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Brother Moses Smote the Water
Live album by
The Klezmatics
Released2005
GenreKlezmer, gospel
LabelPiranha Records[1]
The Klezmatics chronology
Rise Up! Shteyt Oyf!
(2003) 		Brother Moses Smote the Water
(2005) 		Wonder Wheel
(2006)

Brother Moses Smote the Water is a live album by the American klezmer group the Klezmatics, with Joshua Nelson and Kathryn Farmer.[2][3] It was released in 2005 by Piranha Records. The album mixes together traditional Yiddish songs and gospel.[4]

The Klezmatics and Nelson supported the album by touring together in 2005.[5]

Production

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Recorded live in Potsdamer Platz, the songs on the album are about the Jewish exodus from Egypt, and the commonality of Jewish and African American historical experience.[6][7]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[1]
Philadelphia Daily NewsA−[9]
The Plain DealerA[10]

The Times thought that "it's not so much a world music fusion as a spiritual transformation, and the result is as soulful as it is uplifting."[11] The Philadelphia Daily News deemed the album "an intriguing collaboration" concerning "the struggle against repression common to the histories of Jewish and African-American people."[9]

The Plain Dealer determined that "while some musical fusion sounds forced, the Jewish kosher music updated by the Klezmatics blends naturally with the black gospel songs newly interpreted by vocalists/keyboardists Joshua Nelson and Kathryn Farmer."[10] The Virginian-Pilot called the album's performances "stirring, joyful, reverent and triumphant."[12]

AllMusic wrote that "the styles are crunched together nearly seamlessly, the languages used (alternately Hebrew, Yiddish, and English) being the only differential in some parts."[8]

Track listing

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  1. Eyliyohu Hanovi
  2. Elijah Rock
  3. Ki Loy Nue
  4. Shnirele Perele
  5. Walk in Jerusalem
  6. Go Down Moses
  7. Moses Smote the Water
  8. Oh Mary Don't You Weep
  9. Didn't It Rain
  10. Ale Brider

References

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  1. ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: The Klezmatics". www.robertchristgau.com.
  2. ^ Gorce, Tammy La (January 15, 2006). "IN PERSON; He's Getting Over" – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ^ Partridge, Christopher; Moberg, Marcus (April 6, 2017). "The Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion and Popular Music". Bloomsbury Publishing – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Engelberg, Karen (April 1, 2005). "African American Jewish singer Joshua Nelson joins The Klezmatics...". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Calendar.
  5. ^ "BULLETIN BOARD". Amherst Bulletin. Briefs. April 15, 2005. p. 20.
  6. ^ Honigmann, David (5 Mar 2005). "CDs & DVDs". Financial Times. FT WEEKEND MAGAZINE. p. 39.
  7. ^ Regenstreif, Mike (4 Mar 2005). "Guthrie's Jewish legacy". The Gazette. p. D9.
  8. ^ a b "Brother Moses Smote the Water - The Klezmatics | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  9. ^ a b Takiff, Jonathan (8 Mar 2005). "THAT'S WHAT I CALL KOSHER". Philadelphia Daily News. Features. p. 36.
  10. ^ a b Salisbury, Wilma (March 6, 2005). "The Klezmatics with Joshua Nelson & Kathryn Farmer". The Plain Dealer. p. J4.
  11. ^ Williamson, Nigel (5 Feb 2005). "The Klezmatics with Joshua Nelson & Kathryn Farmer". The Times. Features. p. 18.
  12. ^ Feber, Eric (March 11, 2005). "CD REVIEWS". The Virginian-Pilot. p. E6.
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