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 Caught in the Carousel "There will be music despite everything"
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Black Sabbath
The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations
Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation
An aural explanation of the profound history between African Americans and Jewish Americans, Black Sabbath is a fifteen-track collection that finds artists as varied as Billie Holiday, Cannonball Adderley and Johnny Mathis covering songs from the popular Jewish songbook. Ranging from the 1930's all the way to the mid-'60s, this compilation is a soulful gem. Cab Calloway's sprightly take on "Utt-Da-Zy" is absolutely priceless, as is Eartha Kitt's lustrous reading of "Sholem." Jimmy Scott's "Exodus" is utterly exquisite; Nina Simone's interpretation of the Israeli folk song "Eretz Zavat Chalav" is a percussive wonder and Lena Horne's "Now!" is thoroughly rousing. Later, Slim Gaillard's self-penned "Dunkin' Bagel"—an homage to the pleasures of Jewish food—is a delightful romp and Billie Holiday's stunning and doleful take on "My Yiddishe Momme" is, as Josh Kun wisely observes in the album's wonderful and comprehensive linter notes, like "a wave of ache."
—Alex Green
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