Book of J – Sunday, September 30 at 4 pm
Book of J
Jewlia Eisenberg, voice; Jeremiah Lockwood, voice & guitar
Ingathering: Jewish Music of Harvest and Holiday
The Jewish festival of Sukkot is in autumn, as the final fruit is brought to harvest. During Sukkot we honor labor, celebrate migration, welcome our beloved dead to feast with us, and pray for sweet rain. Gather with Book of J (Jewlia Eisenberg and Jeremiah Lockwood) as they sing from the traditional canon of Sukkot. They will perform khazanut (liturgical chants) from Eastern Europe, piyut (medieval sacred poetry) from North Africa, and Judeo-Spanish women’s songs from the Balkans. These ancient devotional forms thrill with joyous sensuality, exuberant expression, and a lot of raw power. Bring in the rain with Book of J!
The New Yorker says: “The affecting, expansive musical landscape of Book of J encompasses gothic Yiddish songs, Piedmont blues, and queer politics. Both musicians have deep roots in Jewish music: Lockwood grew up singing in the High Holidays choir of his grandfather, a renowned cantor, while Eisenberg continues to lead the experimental, politically-minded Jewish vocal group Charming Hostess.” And the San Jose Mercury News calls Book of J “soulful and weird in all the best ways.”