Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (post 2) - Jazz!!

Some time ago, I posted about the difference between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Yesterday, Haaretz posted an article about Jazz in the Jerusalem scene. Here too, the "higher," more spiritual dimensions of Jerusalem come to the fore!

See these quotes for example:

"Tel Aviv jazz's approach is entertainment, an immediate celebration of the imagination, while Jerusalem jazz's approach is existentialist, to change the soul."

"Jerusalem is more abstract," adds Haber. "Something in this city brings you to more abstract thinking. Maybe it's the mountain air," he adds with a smile. "There's a feeling that you're in a place with significance beyond the material. And this affects the way the audience listens to music. When I play in Tel Aviv, I feel like I'm in the background; here the people are more attentive. This influences the playing a lot. It makes you play differently."

Now, I have no idea who these players are, but it is amazing how even in an area such as Jazz, Jerusalem has a more spiritual texture! (I am also pleased to hear that Jazz is doing so well in Jerusalem. For Jazz enthusiasts, on the Hebrew Haaretz site, there is a list and review of the recent Jerusalem Jazz album releases.)

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