Diaspora Hollywood

1	Yis May Hoo
2	King Kong
3	Jehudis Bas Zion
4	Hollywood Diaspora
5	Meyer Lansky
6	B'rich Sh'me
7	Eliyahoo Hanavee
8	Sim Sholom
9	B'archu
10	V'shamru
11	Havenu Shalom Alechum

Barnes & Noble

The sound shimmers and fades like the sunlight glinting off a swimming pool, an idyll of vibes and muted trumpet. But to hear the melody, that of a beloved Hebrew prayer, "Yis May Hoo," is to feel the dislocation of Irving Berlin some 60 years ago, composing "White Christmas" poolside in Beverly Hills. Where Jews fit in to the rose-tinted world of Hollywood is the subject of trumpeter Steven Bernstein's third Diaspora recording (the answer, by the way, is everywhere). In this salute to the unique experience of West Coast Jewry, Bernstein draws inspiration from the extreme dislocations of a generation of movie soundtrack mavens, including Franz Waxman, Alfred Newman, David Raskin, and Max Steiner, many of whom were Jewish immigrants plucked from the ghettos of Russia and Poland, ultimately to land in Tinseltown. Bernstein, ever the Method actor, left his downtown New York compatriots behind and convened a group of L.A. hands (bari sax man Pablo Calogero, drummer Danny Frankel, bassist David Pilch, and vibraphonist DJ Bonebrake, onetime drummer for X) to cook up this noir-inspired set. In addition to the "Yismachu" are interpretations of the Passover favorite "Eliyahoo Hanavee," the party-starting "Havenu Shalom Alechum," and two transcriptions from cantorial music (Diaspora Blues, with the Sam Rivers trio, was Bernstein's full-length look at the cantor's art). Notable are three originals that come closest to the trumpeter's work with Sex Mob, including a suitably creepy "Meyer Lansky" and "King Kong," a nod to Max Steiner's signature score. Together, Bernstein and band add another chapter to the American Jewish experience. Nighthawks at the deli, anyone? Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

Steven Bernstein's Diaspora series continues with Diaspora Hollywood, inspired by the great film composers who immigrated from Eastern Europe to New York and then to Hollywood, and also by the sound of cool West Coast jazz. Diaspora Hollywood has a great sound, like some kind of Jewish jazz noir with its rich, moody tones and haunting vibraphone. Pablo Calogero's woodwinds and flute mostly inhabit the low end, with delicious baritone sax, bass clarinet, and bass flute. Bernstein's playing will sound reserved to Sex Mob fans in comparison, but he's going for a very different mood here and his playing is exquisite. The songs are anchored by David Piltch's woody bass and the tasty and understated percussion of Danny Frankel with D.J. Bonebrake's vibes hanging in the air, adding cool colors throughout. It's a mostly laid-back affair that doesn't so much build in energy as it does in mood, totally immersing the listener by the end. Lovely. Sean Westergaard