Ben Sidran: Life's a Lesson [by Lewis Saul]

BEN SIDRAN (1943-       )

Life's a Lesson (1993)

 

I first discovered Sidran when he was hosting a late-night program on VH1 called New Visions.

It was amazing -- he played the few jazz videos that would never get airplay on sister MTV (stuff like Donald Fagen's New Frontier; Pat Metheny's Are You Going With Me? and Weather Report's Procession).

 

And he did a lot of live stuff.

I taped the program as often as I could -- I still marvel at the impromptu 15-minute jam with just Dizzy Gillespie and Joe Williams. He showcased some of the best talent in jazz on the show.

**

Sidran went to the Univ. of Wisconsin, earning a degree in English lit in 1966. He had been in a band with Steve Miller and Boz Scaggs, and when they set off for Hollywood, Sidran stayed behind to get his PhD in Sussex, England. When he had a bit of free time, he sessioned with the likes of Clapton, the Stones, and Frampton.

He then joined Miller for good, playing keyboards and writing songs, including the hit song Space Cowboy (1969).

 

 

In the meantime, Sidran became a successful producer and performer, returning to Madison, where he taught and hosted an award-winning NPR series Jazz Alive.

 

**

In 1993, a long, difficult journey culminated in Life's a Lesson.

"After six years, hundreds of phone calls, maybe more than one hundred thousand miles of travel, and many hours of work, fun and occasional moments of rapture, this album is the result." -- BS

Ben recruited 20 of the best Jewish musicians in the industry. You'll hear some of them in the videos below, but here's the complete list:

Bob Berg
Randy Brecker
Eddie Daniels
Debra Dobkin
Gil Goldstein
Danny Gottlieb
Steve Khan
Carole King
Lee Konitz
Howard Levy
David Liebman
Mike Mainieri
Bob Mintzer
Andy Narrell
Josh Redman
Mike Richmond
David Rivkin
Haim Sharum
Lou Soloff
Jeremy Steig

 

"Singing has always played a large part in Jewish experience. Virtually all of the Hebrew text is traditionally chanted, and the importance of song harkens back to the days of the Exodus, when the people of Israel wandered with no possessions except their history and their teachings. It's likely that some of the melodies we sing today have their roots in these earliest times. What I find so moving about this music is its sense of hope; it recognizes our weaknesses but still insists that we work for peace and justice ... for me, the music reaches back to the days when I stood as a young boy and listened to the old men chanting. I felt that this music could unlock the mysteries of emotion and understanding." -- BS

Here are four tracks from this 15-track album:

ELIYAHU

 

 

OSEH SHALOM

 

 

ANI MA'AMIN

 

 

ELI ELI

 

Comments

[David Lehman]

He's terriifc. I love his "A Good Travel Agent."