ELA INE B EE RY

10 Mile at Southfield Road
559-4230

Extends Best Wishes
For A Joyous And
Healthy

a5$Ob PC

The Harlem Spiritual Ensemble

Jeff Marder's Talent
Has A Spiritual Side

Since 1939

MICHAEL ELKIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

A

7618 Woodward Ave.

871-1590

Heartily Extends The Very Utmost In
Happiness and Health
On This

Passover

We will be most happy to arrange your party
for any occasion ... up to 200 persons ...
Call and ask about our low prices

■■■ •••• ■ •11.1

Experience Ca un

Cookin a t
JAMBALAYA JOHNNIES, The Detroit Ar

Cr)

LLJ

Cf)

Lil

Newest Authentic Cajun Restaurant,
• We SONO Lunch and Dinner
With Daily Specials.
• Join Us For Happy Hour 4-6 prn,
Mit Free Hors D'Oeuvres,
• Fresh Seafood Flown in Daily
From Louisiana,
Don't Fly South „ . Celebrate Mardi Gras With Us!
Come in For Free Visors and Gifts

cC

1_11

26551 Evergreen

LLJ

Located in The Travelers Tower Building

H-

• Southfield

88

810-948-8964

Experienced Help Wanted!

t the soul of the Harlem
Spiritual Ensemble is a
music that kicks up its
heels to the heavens in a
spirited expression of love of life
and God.
As the sole white Jewish mem-
ber of the black group, pianist Jef-
frey Marder adds a distinctive
voice to the spiritual/gospel
group's concerts.
So why would the former
Bucks County resident — who
still performs part time for Tem-
ple Avodah in Fair Lawn, N.J.,
and once was piano accompanist
at Shir Ami-Bucks County Jew-
ish Congregation in Newtown,
Pa. — want to pedal spiritual mu-
sic full time?
The gospel according to
Marder is that he'd wanted to do
it for a long time.
"I've always been interested
in gospels and spirituals," says
the 25-year-old music man, who
learned of an opening in the
group from a sign posted in the
music department at New York
University, where Marder was
earning his master's degree in
1993.
To a degree, it was all a mat-
ter of timing. "I didn't have any
experience playing gospels or
spirituals. but I thought I may as
well have a go at it," he says.
An audition went well. "I pre-
pared a few spirituals, such as
`Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' and
`Amazing Grace,'" he recalls.
After the audition, Mr. Marder
made an amazing discovery. "I
learned later on that 'Amazing
Grace' is not a spiritual," he says.
But the NYU grad made the
grade. Jeff Marder, steeped in a

Michael Elkin is the
entertainment editor for the
Jewish Exponent in
Philadelphia.

classical tradition, was a classic
case of talent triumphing in the
end.
Wasn't Francois Clemmons,
leader of the Harlem group, sur-
prised when Mr. Marder turned
up for the audition?
"I think he had an idea I was
white when I called him on the
phone," says Mr. Marder. "He
was very nice, warm, friendly."
Within three weeks, Mr.
Marder was packing his suitcase
for his first concert with the
Harlem Spiritual Ensemble in
England.
Being Jewish and white has
not colored the reception Jeff
Marder has been accorded by the
group, nor has it proved a draw-
back in performance.
"The spirituals are very close
to the music I grew up with —
Jewish music born out of a tra-
dition of oppression," says Mr.
Marder. "After all, Jewish his-
tory is so similar to the history of
the African American, with its
history of slavery and oppres-
sion."
It sounds like Mr. Marder has
made a home for himself with the
Harlem music group.
There is little discord, he says.
"We have more understandings
than disagreements," he says.
Indeed, there have been no
flat-out problems in the two years
since Mr. Marder joined. Peace
and harmony have been in evi-
dence since the beginning.
"When I first came on board,
Francois spoke to another mem-
ber of the group about me, say-
ing, think we might have found
a pianist.'
"So the other member said,
`Tell me about him.'
" 'Well,' said Francois, 'one
thing may be a little surprising
— he's white."'
The reaction? 'The other mem-

