RavShmuel
Rav Shmuel is a rabbi who hangs out in Greenwich Village and plays original compositions on his guitar. He has a beard and sidelocks, loves The Dead and does not see an inconsistency between the two.
A Rosh Yeshiva by day, Rav has toured the country with the band Gefiltefish, playing sold-out parking lots after Phish shows. He does not play klezmer, but makes the odd Maimonidean joke.
Born in Brooklyn, Rav spent seven years in Jerusalem teaching by day and playing in the clubs at night before moving back to New York in 2001, performing regularly at East Village's landmark venue The Sidewalk Cafe. He became a house favorite on a scene that has produced such stars as Beck, Hamell On Trial, Moldy Peaches and recently, Regina Spektor.
"Rav Shmuel's solo debut is an immediately likable bit of good-humored anti-folk that doesn't require the visuals or even the knowledge that, yes, Rav Shmuel really is a Hasidic rabbi ... like the old slogan for Levy's Rye Bread used to say, you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy Rav Shmuel". Billboard
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Even Sh'Siyah
evën sh'siyah blends original music with words taken from an array of classic Jewish texts as well as their own English lyrics. The band's musical influences are eclectic and include Mid-Eastern, jazz and a heavy dose of Southern Rock ala the Allman Brothers. They have been playing together for over thirteen years and have released three CDs: Through your gates, Jerusalem, The Way Jews Rock, and Wake Up. evën sh'siyah is Hebrew for "foundation stone". According to Jewish tradition, the original element of the Creation was this primordial stone, from which the entire world came into existence.
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Alan Sufrin
In the DIY spirit of Prince, Beck, and Jackie Chan, Alan produces, arranges, composes, and performs all his own stunts. He's the new breed of singer/songwriter/producer. His sound is natural and pure, but with synthetic computerized elements (imagine a majestic, snow-covered mountain wearing a polyester jacket for warmth). His voice is prettier than Jeff Tweedy's, yet he's not quite Jay Clifford. His lyrics are Paul McCartney-like, but he's no Beatle. It's blues, folk, R&B, rock, and pop, but it's really something else entirely. What you've got here, my friend, is FOLKY AMERICAN POP. F.A.P. It's FAP music. It's FAPulous. FAPtastic. Okay, I'll stop now...
Miriam Brosseau
Hailing from the burgeoning metropolis of Racine, Wisconsin (and yes, she's seen "A League of Their Own"), singer-songwriter Miriam Brosseau recently moved to Chicago to test out the musical waters down south. Though she considers herself a solo artist, Miriam has had bands in the past playing with artists like Alan Jay Sufrin, with whom she released a 5 song acoustic demo in 2004, and pianist Big Joe Kennedy. She was also a featured artist on Ryme C's "Missing You" from his debut album, "Last Man Standing." Her full-length acoustic album, "The Promising Pupil Parade," is due to be released in summer of 2007. Until then, Miriam is biding her time playing occasional shows around Chicago, getting her name out in the city, writing and recording, and loving every minute of it.
Evan Jacover
During the day Evan programs computers, but during the night... well, during the night Evan also programs computers. It can be a demanding job. Sometimes Evan plays songs too. Lots of them are stupid songs. Another lots of them are about breaking up. At least one is about food. Yeah, that's the way these songs go. Truth be told, Evan's not that great a singer. And frankly, his guitar playing isn't all that amazing. And while we're on the subject, I've seen him wearing socks and sandles. What the hoo? But if you go to his shows, I'm 83% certain you'll have fun. After all...
Rachel Kohl Feingold
Although she has sung in many venues, Rachel still prefers singing in the shower to anything else. She served as musical director of her college a cappella group (Boston University’s Kol Echad), was a member of the Zamir Chorale of Boson, and performed at numerous women’s open mic nights in Jerusalem. She recently directed her first musical, Wizard With a Twist, at the Heschel High School in Manhattan. Despite her musical and theatrical success, she hasn’t quit her day job. A graduate of the Drisha Institute, Rachel teaches Talmud and Torah as the Programming and Ritual Director of Congregation Anshe Sholom Bnai Israel in Lakeview. Look for her debut album in 2008 in stores and showers near you.
Adam Davis
A graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and a veteran of Chicago's off-loop theatre community, Adam's day job is directing KFAR and other projects. But every once in a while the performing bug bites and the itch must be scratched. Performing onstage for the first time in 6 years, Adam has written a few special songs for the occasion and hopes you'll indulge him.