- The Baal Shem Tones
- Featuring my amazing wife, Helene. This is our "official" Jewish music site.
Friends and Family
- Laurie McClain
- Laurie is one of our favorite songwriters, the perfect combination of intuition, skill, and intelligence. I guess she's an anachronism because her music is unique and uncompromisingly honest, and I dig that. I wish we had more writers like her.
- Gesher
- One of our favorite bands in Jewish music, featuring multi-platinum songwriter Michael Hunter Ochs & Daniel Leanse from Nashville. These guys are a cut above the rest.
- Sally Barris
- An extraordinarily talented songwriter and wonderful human being. I listen to her songs over and over, mostly wishing I'd written them.
- Guy Mendilow
- A great artist and a good friend with a whole new spin on world music... it might be more accurate to call it global music. Guy was born in Israel, grew up in South Africa, Brazil, Mexico and the USA. His shows are mesmerizing; you never want them to end.
- Linda McRae
- A good friend and a true original. No one writes and sings a Linda McRae song like Linda McRae! Roots music from deep in the heart and soul... is there any other way? Nope.
- The Sexy Accident
- I've been a dad and an artist for a long time, so I can say this with confidence: I'm pretty good at assessing my kids' artistic endeavors fairly. When I tell you that my son's band is really, really GOOD, it's true by all standard, scientifically proven, objective cosmic measurements.
- Jeff Klepper
- Another true original, one of the pioneers of guitar-based Jewish liturgical songwriting and songleading. Still going at it full-tilt and a real nice guy, too.
Tools I Enthusiastically Endorse and Use
- Santa Cruz Guitars
- The best sounding, most musically pleasing acoustic guitars being made in America today, bar none. Other hand-built guitars might look more exotic, some might even sound great... but every Santa Cruz is exquisitely voiced, from their least expensive model to the most ornate custom order. Every guitar gets the same meticulous attention to sound and build quality. Whenever I pick one up I never want to put it down; I always want to play just one more song! Unsurpassed customer service, too. Good people!
- Peluso Microphones
- You could save your hard-earned money for a classic vintage mic, one that sounds fantastic and carries a pedigree that no one can hear. Or you could buy a Peluso mic, sound just as good, lie about the pedigree and spend the money you saved on a Santa Cruz guitar. The choice is yours! Seriously, these are some of the best-sounding recreations of vintage mics available, hand-built in the USA and surprisingly affordable.
- G&L Guitars
- Leo Fender's last company and my favorite builder of classic design bolt-on maple-neck guitars. Made in Fullerton, CA. on machines designed by Leo himself. They use excellent hardwoods, much better tone woods than any major manufacturer, and hand-wind their own pickups. These things are built to last. The prices are so reasonable that at first they look like a mistake... but they sound fantastic! Not just good "for the money," these are GREAT guitars by any measure.