Song of the Grasses

Song of the Grasses a coming together of distinct and equal voices to create a unified song - the blending of old and new sounds in a wide open space, where each musician has freedom to bring in their individuality and unique sensibility. The songs, niggunim from the Chassidic and Sepharvdic Jewish traditions, were created as vehicles to reach the depths of spiritual space. Many of them have passed through fire and water to reach us, and are not known outside of the communities where they are still sung. While they are distinctly Jewish, they express something deeply universal, something that can only be expressed in wordless melody, and that could be obscured by text. Here, they become platforms for improvisation and musical conversations. Siach Hasadeh is a duo of double bass and clarinet, two musicians from different backgrounds who explore this repertoire in a minimal, open and spontaneous way. For this record we are joined by a number of wonderful musicians and friends, with violin, cello, oud and harmonica. Together, we delve into new textures and landscapes, carving another path through the field of this music. 1. R' Levi Yitzchak Berditchever's Niggun Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev ??'? (1740-1809) was known for always finding the good in everyone, and through his holiness and prayers was able to overturn harsh decrees against his people. As a quartet, we approach this niggun as a basis for a hisbodedus, an open improvisation on the theme. The idea was developed in the Laurentian mountains, along with Jackie Fay, and inspired by work with Marcelo Moguilevsky at Klezkanada. 2. Nora Venisgav / Song of the Seven Beggers (Breslov) One of the first generation of Breslover Chassidim, R' Natan Beitelmacher, heard this niggun from the Chassidim in Czeryn, and he taught it to R' Avraham Yaakov Goldreich, who taught it to R' Nachman Borstein. R' Borstein could not remember the tune after R' Goldreich passed, and prayed for weeks with a broken heart until he remembered it, and he then repeated it over and over in order to memorize it. 3. Niggun Firn di Tsaddikim in Gan Eyden (Breslov) A long lost Breslover niggun that was found in the Kiev archives by Nachum Karlinsky, recorded in 1913 by ethnographers of the Ansky Expedition. The recording was of a chassid named Shmuel Gaster, and was accompanied by a note stating that this niggun, received from Rebbe Nachman, was sung to accompany the tzaddikim (holy people) to heaven. 4. Rabbeinu's Niggun (Breslov) This awesome niggun is attributed to Rebbe Nachman ??'? (1772-1810) and is often sung by Breslover Chassidim at the third meal of Shabbes. We take a fairly minimalist approach and are joined by oudist Ismail Fencioglu, who sets up with a taksim. 5. Niggun Radishitz I know next to nothing about this niggun, except that it comes from Radishitz, and that it is beautiful. I learned it from a good friend and source of many great nigunnim, Shmaya Gestetner. Here it serves as an introduction to the Breslover Dror Yikra. 6. Dror Yikra - Terhovitzer Maggid (Breslov) The Terhovitzer Maggid was one of the original disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement. In his eighties, a well-known rabbi in his own right, he became a devoted follower of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. This niggun was used for the prayer quot;Hayom Horas Olamquot; in the Rosh Hashana services, and is sung today in the gathering in Uman, as well as for a shabbes table song, Dror Yikra (Freedom will be Proclaimed). 7.