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Play It Again, Sam

L.A. singer/songwriter brings exuberant music

with a Jewish soul to JCC-sponsored concert.

LYNNE SCHREIBER
Special to the Jewish News

S

14 - March 11,2001

For ticket information call

248-788-2900

fax: 248-788-5160

Performances
Wed. 7:30 p.m.,
Thur. 7:30 p.m., Sat. 8 p.m.,
Sun. 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
In The Aaron DeRoy Theatre

DIRECT FROM BROADWAY

- Associated Press

twts MAR 20-25
MUSIC HALL

Tickets available at the Music Hall box office and all ticketmaster outlets or shame by phone [2461645-666&

www.ficketmasteccom • www.olympiaentettainmentsom
*-P /M,- - --- www.Dame-Edna.com www.DameEdnaOnTouncom

'

- Michigan's Hottest Group

Mel Ball and Colours

Voted #1 Best Band by

Cram's

3/9
2001

66

Detroit
Business Magazine

(248) 851-1992

in the secular world. Right now it's
not," he says.
The 30-something Glaser admits that
his music is a subtle form of outreach.
An Orthodox Jew who now davens at
Aish HaTorah, he says music can go
where rabbinic lectures may not.
Many people play CDs while get-
ting ready for Shabbat, and beginners
to Jewish observance often learn how
to pray using familiar tunes, he says.
"Sometimes I almost feel like an
undercover agent. People's hearts are
open to music; there [are] places

am Glaser has never per-
formed in Detroit, so he
warned listeners planning to
attend his upcoming concert
with a cappella group Beat'achon to
"be ready for anything.
"I may play some Motown tunes,"
he says.
His appearance, a Jewish
Community Center Julius
Chajes/Encore Concert, is open to the
entire community and takes place
7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 18, at
Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield. The
program is co-sponsored by Yeshivat
Akiva and the Neighborhood Project.
Los Angeles-based Glaser's story is
one of those inspired-by-Judaism
tales that spirals into other forms of
enthusiasm. A longtime musician
influenced early on by Beethoven
and the Beatles, Glaser blends pop,
jazz and rock 'n' roll to exclaim how
invigorated his life has been since he
4..
was
turned
turned on" to Judaism in 1986
"
through the Jewish outreach group
Aish HaTorah.
"About 10 years ago, I was
approached to do a song for the
Operation Exodus campaign, helping
Soviet Jews immigrate to Israel. I wrote
a song for the cause called `Hineni,'
which means 'here I am, he says.
"I had a few Jewish songs that I
had written, and considered putting Sam Glaser: "Yiddishkeit is uplifting and
upbeat and fun, and if I could sum up my
an album together. I was just start-
entire reason for doing what I-do, it's to
ing to have a spiritual awakening,
getting into Shabbat, going to Israel communicate that."
whenever I could."
music can go that a dvar Torah can't
After a six-week scholarship turned
penetrate."
into four months in a yeshiva, Glaser
Like Glaser, the six guys who com-
combined his passions for music and
prise
Beat'achon put a fun spin on
Judaism. " I had a lot of inspiration. I
Jewish observance. Formed a decade
was intoxicated with the whole con-
ago by 20-somethings from Chicago
cept of Judaism being alive and rele-
and Detroit, the group will debut its
vant, not some history lesson or some-
third album, West Side Zn2irot, at the
thing we do because we were
upcoming concert.
oppressed by the Holocaust," he says.
"I love their style," says Glaser.
Thanks to a Conservative but rela-
"Their
essential message is that yid-
tively secular upbringing, Glaser says
is uplifting and upbeat and
dishkeit
sophistication"
his music has "more
fun, and if I could sum up my entire
than it might have had he been
reason for doing what I do, it's to
exposed only to Jewish music. "I'm
communicate that.
hoping that Jewish music continues to
"Every Jewish artist has to reinvent
evolve so that it is on par with music