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"The Rabbi's Lover" is violinist Jenny Scheinman's debut as a leader. It contains seven Jenny originals and two Jewish traditional songs. Just like many other John Zorn Tzadik label's releases from the "Radical Jewish Culture" series, this album contains music deeply rooted in Jewish traditional music, but it lays miles away from "fiddle klezmer" some could expect.
Jenny has taken classical training at the prestigious Oberlin College conservatory and she skillfully mixes epochs and genres here. Her violin is very precise and very lyrical. The quintet produces sounds like a bigger combo and it sounds as if playing the overture to Bolero more often than a band playing at Jewish weddings. Two Jewish traditional songs ("Seating Of The Bribe" and "Firn De Mekhutonim Aheym") are the closest to klezmer, the latter is full of the melancholy so specific to the genre.
Scheinman's own compositions are quite a different thing - besides of the Jewish tradition, there are Middle East, Latin, Irish and some other influences that can be heard. The skilled team of Tzadik regulars including bassist Greg Cohen and drummer Kenny Wollesen among others, build a very intimate atmosphere. Trumpeter Russ Johnson's work should be especially mentioned.
While being strongly influenced by Jewish traditional culture, "The Rabbi's Lover" is very much the music of today. Perfectly played and very atmospheric, it is the best bridge between the past and the future one can imagine. Being originally released more than two decades ago and just re-issued by Tzadik in the form of a digital download, "The Rabbi's Lover" is one among the label's better works and an excellent introduction to Zorn's "Radical Jewish Culture" world.