February 28, 2000
Gal Paz
Shalsheles's self-titled first release is simply the best album to come out of 1999. It features 10 new songs, all composed by group leader Yitzchok Rosenthal, formerly of the Miami Boys Choir.
The other three members of the group are newcomers Baruch Arieli, Chaim Block, and Simcha Sussman. Their music is upbeat and exhilarating. Their harmonies are flawless on both slow and fast songs.
"To me there is no greater way to bring out a song than a group of guys taking turns singing together and harmonizing," says Rosenthal, and he has done an excellent job of making this happen.
Fifteen-year-old Yosef Wartelsky, formerly a member of the Tzlil Vezemer Choir, is superb as a soloist on "Esa Einai." He holds his voice with professional assurance, and promises to be one of the hottest stars of Jewish music in the coming years. He and the other group members, particularly Baruch Arieli on such songs as "Yodu" and "Mi Ha'ish," sing their hearts out, and clearly enjoy what they are doing.
Rosenthal has proven himself as a bright new talent on the Jewish songwriting scene, and combined with the brilliant arrangements of Yisroel Lamm, this album is a masterpiece.
Shlomo Walfish
Open Up Your Eyes
SHLOMO Walfish is the leader of Aish Orchestras in New York. Together with the band, he has put out a debut album featuring his own compositions to some generally well-known lyrics. Walfish is a talented and versatile composer who mixes styles well. The songs on the album represent different Jewish genres, offering something for everyone's taste.
"Hashivenu" is representative of the fast-paced harmony-heavy music of acts like The Rabbis' Sons or the Noam Singers of the 1960s, with a dash of Kesher's musical influence from the early 1980s thrown in.
"Etz Haim" recalls early Eighties acts like Judea, with vocal styles reminiscent of Jonathan Rimberg or Gershon Veroba.
There are some outside influences apparent on this album as well.
"Yasis Alayich" has a hint of the Miami Sound Machine's trademark conga rhythm, while "Mizmor LeDovid" closes the album with a waltz.
The ability to suit many different tastes on one album stems from the fact that Aish Orchestras plays at many weddings and bar mitzvas for varying clientele.
My two favorites are "Mi Kamocha," which is described as Walfish's first composition, and "Od Yishoma," which he wrote on the occasion of his own wedding. But there are many different opinions regarding which song is the album's best, depending on the listener's taste. This is a good indication that all the songs are good examples of their different genres - a proud achievement for so ambitious a project.
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