George Porter funks up Jazz Fest Shabbat
By ALAN SMASON
Funk, the quintessential New Orleans export from the 1970s and 1980s, found a home at the 27th annual Jazz Fest Shabbat at Touro Synagogue last Friday evening, April 27. Featured headline performer George Porter, Jr., bass player with the renowned Meters, appeared along with Panorama Jazz Band, the Touro Synagogue Choir and other featured performers during the religious service that began at 7:30 p.m.
It was nearly an hour later that Porter and the group he has fronted for decades – Runnin’ Pardners – ascended the stage and performed a short concert to entertain the sanctuary audience prior to the final prayers for the evening.
Senior Rabbi Alexis Berk welcomed back former Touro Cantor Billy Tiep, who led much of the liturgy as the guest cantor for the evening. Tiep who had been at Touro for the first two years of Berk’s term, has been living and working at Temple Solel in Cardiff By the Sea, CA. since then.
Last year’s departure of Cantor David Mintz left a notable void for this year’s service, as it is traditional that the Reform temple’s cantor is the figure who takes the lead with implementing the Jazz Fest Shabbat. Tiep had led the event featuring Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers during Rabbi Andrew Busch’s last year at Touro before heading up the two Jazz Fest Shabbat services with headliners Marcia Ball and Allen Toussaint under Berk. With three years experience under his belt, Tiep was delighted to step up and volunteer to be a part of a Jazz Fest Shabbat again and was even more pleased to have the opportunity to work alongside local legend Porter.
It was apparent that Berk was pleased he was back and Tiep also expressed his admiration for the rabbi.
At the beginning of the liturgical portion of the evening, Tiep adorned the specially-embellished white tailcoat he was presented by the congregation in 2010. He called the garment his “tallit” to the delight of the sanctuary crowd.
Conducted by music director Terry Maddox, the Touro Synagogue Choir set the tone for prayer as the cantor led them in prayer. A specially-commissioned composition by Toby Singer, Shiru Ladonai (“Sing a New Song to God”), was one of many pieces sung through the service, which began with the traditional blowing of the shofar by David Bernstein.
Readily recognizable pieces such as Craig Taubman’s “L’cha Dodi” (“Welcoming the Sabbath Bride”), “Mi Shebeirach” (“A Prayer for Healing”) and “Romemu” (“Exalt Adonai, Our God”) were pivotal points of prayer throughout the night. Blessings over the Shabbat candles, led by Charlene Gubitz, and the Kiddush over wine, led by Jazz Fest Shabbat Committee chair Aaron Ahlquist, were written by well-known Jewish music composers Abraham Wolf Binder and Kurt Weill.
Rabbis Alexis Berk, Todd Silverman and Alexis Pinsky joined Tiep on the bimah to lead several of the prayers or to provide spiritual guidance into moments of silent prayer.
Following Porter’s well-received performance, the congregation recited the Aleinu prayer and recalled the memories of those who had recently passed or whose yartzheits were being observed with the recitation of the Mourner’s Kaddish.
The concluding prayer “Adon Olom” was sung in Hebrew to the accompaniment of the jazz classic “When the Saints Go Marching In.” At the end of the composition, the musicians and choir members joined in a rousing second line into the social hall, where a dessert Oneg Shabbat was held featuring baked goods made by choir members.
Photos from the evening: