JIVE Off to a Good Start

Last night at The Century Club of California, JIVE, the new quartet whose name is the acronym for “Jewish Innovative Voices and Experiences,” presented its debut recital. The title of the program was Dayenu: Celebrating Passover; and plans are already in place for further holiday-based programs for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and for Hanukkah. Pianist Ronny Michael Greenberg is the de facto leader, since he was the only member on stage for the entire evening. He accompanied two vocalists, baritone Simon Barrad and countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, and his wife, violinist Elizabeth Castro Greenberg.

The repertoire was impressively diverse. Composers included Samuel Barber, Ernest Bloch, and Lise Weber (one of the Theresienstadt prisoners in the early Forties). The program also included Sephardic folk music, arrangements of traditional songs (one by Barrad), and both pop and show tunes. There was also an encore that amounted to a klezmer tango.

Taken as a whole, the program progressed at a smooth clip, with each selection bringing its own fresh take on the overall repertoire. One does not associate a countertenor with Jewish music, but Cohen’s deliveries were consistently solid and expressive. Barrad’s style was more traditional and familiar but just as consistently engaging. Violinist Greenberg provided an instrumental reflection on all of these vocal works by performing the “Nigun” movement from Bloch’s three-movement Baal Shem suite.

From my vantage point, it appeared that JIVE played to a full house; and the audience was certainly appreciative. I also got the impression that this performance drew more than just members of the Jewish community, since the performers were known to many that follow recital events. The ensemble definitely got off to a good start, and I am looking forward to seeing how they will maintain their momentum!