Jewish Elements in Contemp. Pop Music

[GAronoff <GAronoff...>]

Last week someone raised the question of whether the work of Bob Dylan, Randy
Newman, Warren Zevon and other songwriters should be considered Jewish music.
 In some sense it should since it is the expression of the intellect and soul
of a creative Jewish person.  Similarly, Jewish lyricists like Ira Gershwin,
Irving Berlin, Lieber and Stoller, Carole King, Neil Sedaka and the other
Brille Building composers express Jewish ideas; even if the idea is
assimilation into an idealized American culture.

As far as Jewish musicians producing music that is both Jewish and
contemporary pop what I have heard most is light rock or pop settings for
explicitly Jewish themed songs.  Unfortunately, most of the music for these
songs is quite ordinary and unexciting to my ear, and has little chance of
crossing over to the broader public.

An alternative, and from what I can tell a very small alternative, is Jewish
themed music and songs that come from established artists.  My favorite of
this sort is Peter Himmelman who infuses subtle Jewish content into his
folk-rock based music.  Also the band Inasense manages to play middleastern
sounding music that easily appeals to Greatful Dead fans.  

Other bands who have tried this are the rap group Blood of Abraham, Phish,
and the Swedish disco group Army of Lovers.  Phish is known to play versions
of Yerushalim Shel Zahav at their rock shows.  Blood of Abraham, unlike
fellow Jewish rappers like the Beastie Boys, rap on Jewish themes like
black-Jewish relations, but reportedly have an authentic rap sound and not
the goofy kitch-rap of groups like the Two Live Jews.   Army of Lovers has
produced an album called "Israelism" which includes songs like the Tres Camp
David Mix and the Goldcalfhorahorror Mix.  Since I have yet to hear either
the Army of Lovers or Blood of Abraham recordings, I can't attest to their
quality.  As disco and rap are not my favorite kinds of music I reserve
judgment.  However, from what I've read, these artists have made serious
attempts to produce popular music in their preferred form that is Jewish.

When thinking about this type of music I make a distinction between this
music that is primarily contemporary with Jewish elements, and quality
contemporary Jewish music like that of Andy Statman and Wolf Krakowski.  The
latter, are wonderful and deserving of the broadest success possible, but
will not likely get Top 40 airplay in the immediate future.

Any comments?  Has anyone heard of any other groups trying to make this type
of "Jewish music"?   Does commercial viability in the general market mean
anything?

Gideon Aronoff