Musician Hadar Orshalimy’s upcoming album features songs from the Great American Songbook. Jewish women wrote all covered arrangements. Orshalimy’s ninth album ‘Witchcraft’ featured jazz music and celebrates feminism. On March 8, the album will appear on digital music platforms.
For ‘Witchcraft,’ Orshalimy resembled her jazz ensemble. Music engineer Robert L Smith mixed the tracks. Yaniv Taubenhouse played piano and arranged the songs. Ronen Itzik played drums while Danny Weller played the bass. Sam Sadigursky played both the clarinet and saxophone. She collaborated with these musicians on her jazz debut.
Through her soulful album, she paid tribute to under-appreciated women of jazz. She revitalized some of music history’s most iconic songs. To learn more about ‘Witchcraft,’ read the interview below.
The Knockturnal: Please describe your vision behind the upcoming album.
Hadar Orshalimy: A few years ago I was invited to sing with my jazz trio at a reception for president Barack Obama. While putting my setlist together I discovered that an overwhelming number of tunes written for The Great American Songbook were written by Jewish writers! I had no idea! So I decided to shed a little light on these writers by recording my own album of jazz standards written by Jewish writers titled “It Never Was You”. It was released on Dec of 2019 and The Knockturnal so graciously covered that release.
Shortly after the release the pandemic broke and I was forced to tour virtually from my NYC home studio. With the help of my incredibly talented and vision driven husband, Sheldon Low, we put together a fully produced, live band, storytelling concert of the album, featuring the music and the stories behind the music of these wonderful writers. It certainly was a different experience than touring in person but we were able to reach thousands and thousands of audiences and I felt that I was able to connect with my fans in a much more personal and intimate way.
We interacted live through the chat and Q & A after each show and the recurring question kept coming up – “when’s the next album and what songs will you put on it”? Fans even made actual requests for other Gershwin and Hammerstein tunes and while I absolutely love these writers and their incredible music I knew that whatever struggles they must have had being Jewish and trying to “make it”, their struggles must have been miniscule in comparison to their female colleagues.
So I did a little more research and discovered the brilliant, fierce and achingly talented Jewish women behind some of the most iconic songs in history and I wanted to share them with the world. Specifically now, as a Jewish woman in America who’s also a mother to a young girl I wanted a project that would celebrate and highlight Jewish women in the height of rising antisemitism and the war on women’s rights. This album is my way of saying we’re here and we’re not going anywhere… and we’re also really talented and awesome.
The Knockturnal: Why did you decide to call your album ‘Witchcraft?’
Hadar Orshalimy: The title of my album “Witchcraft” was inspired by the great Frank Sinatra classic “Witchcraft” which is track number 7 on my album. But it’s also a nod to The Salem Witch Trials and the overall persecution of women throughout history.
I discovered feminism years ago through my younger sister Sharon, who’s a big women’s advocate in Israel, but it was the combination of the rise in antisemitism and the war on women’s rights that really made me want to make this record now. I wanted an opportunity to feature women, to celebrate their talents and accomplishments and make sure their voices and ours are heard loud and clear. The title, which by the way was suggested to me by my husband, was a playful way to say “we’re not playing.. We’re here to stay!”
The Knockturnal: I’m curious to learn more about the inclusion of jazz music. How does jazz discuss Jewish history and contemporary life?
Hadar Orshalimy: I don’t know that jazz discusses Jewish history and contemporary life per se but I think it’s an integral part of the music both lyrically and certainly musically. For example… The Gershwin brothers tune “It Ain’t Necessarily So” has opening lines that are nearly identical to the melody of the Torah blessing and “Rhapsody in Blue”, another Gershwin tune, features that signature klezmer sounding clarinet part. But I think what makes The Standards “Jewish” is that resilience and toughness that I was referencing earlier and which I feel exists in every one of these songs.
Remember, this music was created as early as the 1920s when Jews really didn’t have many career opportunities. My grandmother, for example, was denied a job at Henry Ford because she was a Jewish woman. And I specifically think of the female Jewish writers that were trying to make it in a man’s industry who had to overcome social norms and at times their own parent’s disapproval, not to mention antisemitism and ended up contributing the creation of some of the most iconic songs in history. So while these songs are not overtly Jewish, to me, there is an undeniable connection between the music and Jewish identity.
The Knockturnal: During the album’s recording, which Jewish singers inspired you most?
Hadar Orshalimy: To prepare for the album I listened to a long list of male and female jazz singers, some Jewish and some not. I learned a lot about my own voice just by listening to them and I think it helped shape my delivery and execution on the album. But what really inspired me the most was the female Jewish writers of these masterpieces. Not just because they were incredibly talented and fierce and tough but because they were trailblazers and as revolutionaries.
Ann Ronell for example, was one of the first writers to write both lyrics and melody, something no one was really doing at the time. Carolyn Leigh wrote the last song Sinatra ever performed and the lyrics of that song were inscribed on his tombstone: “The Best Is Yet To Come”. Ruth Low contributed to the creation of the Canadian Songwriter Hall of Fame.
Betty Comden and Dorothy Fields, who were two of the most significant female Jewish writers of the Great American Songbook, had won Oscars, Tonys and Grammy awards amongst many other accomplishments and the list goes on… That was the biggest inspiration throughout the making of the album.
The Knockturnal: What were some challenges in recording this album? How did you overcome them?
Hadar Orshalimy: Overall I’d say this was a pretty smooth process. My band members are amazing both as musicians and as people and every experience with them is incredibly positive. I adore my arranger and friend Yaniv Taubenhouse and my mixing and mastering engineer Robert L Smith who’s a legend! The studio we recorded in for the second time, “Teaneck Sound ” is just phenomenal and my husband was there to co-produce with me every step along the way so it really was an incredible experience.
The only challenge I had, aside from being away from my daughter, was finalizing the set list. There were just so many good songs and I had to make some tough choices but ultimately I went with my heart. I chose the ones that evoked a strong emotional response in me both musically and lyrically like “Some other time” or the ones I felt I could have written about someone I love like “The Way You Look Tonight” which always makes me think of my baby girl. I chose the songs that I felt could have been written about someone close to me like “I’ll never smile again” which always makes me think of my mom after my father passed away or songs that could have been written about me like “Young at Heart”.
The Knockturnal: What do you hope audiences will walk away with after listening?
Hadar Orshalimy: I hope they love it! I hope they enjoy the creative arrangements that breathe new life into these classics, I hope they’re mind boggled by the unbelievable musicianship of some of the best jazz instrumentalists in NYC, and I hope they connect to these iconic tunes through my delivery. But more than anything I hope they recognize the important role Jewish women played in creating this American artform.
