Gilad Atzmon - Liberating the American People

Cultures of Resistance benefit gig for the Socialist Workers Party. Union Chapel 8th December 2006.

[@donnythejazz]

One of the greatest jazz musicians in the world. I've seen Gilad many times and he surprises me every time on all his horns (soprano, alto, tenor and clarinet). I never know what he's going to do next which is what jazz is all about. The sound of surprise.

[@jyuja]

Beautiful and intoxicating music from an antizionist Israeli who represents the principled and beautiful humanity of his country and religion, and continues to relentlessly promote justice for the Palestinians and a genuine peace in the Holy Lands, for the benefit of Jews, Muslims and Christians.We need more people like Gilad Atzmon in this world of greed, deceit and fraudulent self righteousness.

[@user-es7rm9gb5g]

Sure thats the way you want the jews/israelis to be ,apologizind week and helpless ,well this is not going to happen again we learnt our lesson.!the days that you could fuck with the jews are over we learnt how to fight back

[@abe2517]

A true renaissance man. I can't imagine any of the thumbs down not being politically based - the music is superb. The performance has power and honesty. And there are few truly honest men in this world. Gilad is one of them and I love him for it. He, like Norm Finkelstein, had the objectivity to see that zionism is merely political judaism - and then rejected both as such. Few men, even so-called anti-zionists, have the courage to call it that bluntly.

[@gildoron789]

I am in total support of brother Gilad who is an outstanding musician and a very brave human right activist. I truly admire his courage in exposing Israel and zionism and I must say that I am also an ex israeli and a musician and a share many things with Gilad.

[@Snordster]

WOW!!!!!!!!!! What an insane treat! Beautiful Gilad... seriously in awe... especially that insane drummer. Thank you.

[@buchmanification]

je connaissais Gilat à travers ses opinions et ne m'intérressais pas du tout au jazz, faisant chemin j'ai voulu écouter ses talents de musicien, et vous savez quoi? je trouve ça super. Thank you to support the Palestinians. Murat from France. Peace in the world

[@gutesachen]

Brilliant piece that is, woW!

[@RelativePitch]

Regarding your remark that he is childish because he refused to engage in an email debate with someone he does not know, who then resorted to namecalling on a public forum where jazz fans have come to see his video. Well, that speaks volumes in my book.

[@logosthedestroyer]

Nice on Gilad, brilliant brilliant stuff. Good luck with the music and everything else this New Year.

[@mythicwarrior69]

Hailz from Brazil to Palestina!

[@magprob]

I just ordered my copy of The Wondering Who? Can't wait to sink my teeth into it! You sound awesome Gilad. Thank you.

[@AstroElk]

In the 1960s in inner cities when I heard black musicians making music that sounded like this, derived from their personal & social & cultural heritage, the music had emotional/spiritual meaning. now to hear others perfectly mimic the sounds in a different context decades later, what meaning does it have, except that sound can not always be trusted to communicate truth

[@nuthineatholl6434]

The musicians you're considering as absolute ab ovo originators were themselves creatively adapting Middle Eastern musical ideas to their own cultural pattern (which over the centuries had already adapted to the multi-sourced American musical scene). Perhaps you're unaware that the "blues" themself as a musical form are an earlier example of African adaptation of Arabic/Persian musical forms?The Arabs oversaw the slave trade before the Europeans came on the scene, and diffused their culture as they went. Music is largely a folk-process of cultures re-forming bright ideas from whatever foreign source, idiosyncratically making them their own, thus creating new genres --- progressively bringing together into a familial unity the musical ideas of our amazingly-various species.

[@BarryTones]

My first exposure to Gilad's music..Great Jazz with feeling! As for politics - many believers in heaven and hell seem intent on creating Hell on Earth, especially that 'Failed Experiment' which has caused so much trouble in the modern world for the last 70 odd years

[@chaamba]

Fantastic !

[@JesseIWeisz]

And do I know him? Well, yes, actually. He played in my fathers band for over 10 years (ironically enough, it was a Jewish-music-only band, playing concerts all over the UK with the biggest Jewish artists of the time). My dad was also his manager for a while and I believe they lived together in Israel for quite a while. I actually remember him coming round to my house all the time when I was a child.

[@logosthedestroyer]

Well I for one have spoken to him at length and found him to be *extremely* willing and he even offered his phone number. I had been introduced to him before but I certainly did not 'know' him at that point.

[@MrAnkakanka]

Respect from Turkey

[@musik102]

I saw him in Southport, Merseyside, UK last night. Loved it!

[@Gunt68]

@Vandoren333 Gilad's tour 06.03.11 Wien, Porgy & Bess 07.03.11 Paris, Librairie Résistances 08.03.11 L - Redange, L’Inoui 09.03.11 D - Frankfurt, Kulturfabrik 11.03.11 CH - Klosters, Kulturverein 12.03.11 CH - Chur, 3 Könige 13.03.11 D - Freiburg, Jazzhaus 14.03.11 D - Pforzheim, Domicile 15.03.11 D - Saarwellingen, Jazzclub 16.03.11 CH - Zürich, Moods 17.03.11 D - Karlsruhe, Tempel 18.03.11 D - Köln, Altes Pfandhaus 19.03.11 D - Heilbronn, Jazzclub

[@rulllar]

he is what you said he is.

[@douknoukemballsofsteel5830]

excellent, fuck the haters

[@rag98709]

Yup. Haters gonna hate. Why? If you don't like his music don't listen.

[@FriendlyCroock]

jazz and classical music is the only thing that i call music

[@minimalist34]

wow his guy really is a special human being

[@rulllar]

he wrote that quite a few years back (my discussions with him were I think possibly 5 years ago). I don't know how many of his articles he's removed since then but it was in one of them that I read. Obviously it left a particular mark in my memory.

[@trueogre11]

@MrKdnas Gilad is Monster as an artist!!! Mainly because combination of his comprehensive sensitive compassionate spirit and amazing mastery of saxophone skills as well. Simply great guy, just so passionate about music with profoundness and extreme sense of humor!

[@rulllar]

It's what I gathered after reading many of his writings, not just flinged to see what sticks. You don't have 2 agree. What one is born as is not what one becomes. As for the comment, perhaps. But he played this at a political event (socialist party) and I left here a message concerning my view of his politics. Maybe it was misplaced, maybe not. I shared my experience of dealing with the man.

[@mariussielcken]

let the armies march to this tune

[@Sortirai]

Belle sonorité l hame de c êtte musique nous emporte !😋

[@Witness-DeathofIsrahell]

Bravo , Bravo

[@pierstheoneandonly]

>>He is continuing a long tradition of jazz as a music of resistance. It must be a resistance against freedom then; otherwise, I look forward to his first concert in Gaza at (nothing grand, say) a wedding or an unsegregated audience. Yeah maaan, men and women. Like..uh, together? Now THAT'S radical.

[@rakovskii]

This is for the American SWP or the British one? They are two significantly different groups.

[@serjikyk]

Супер! Super!

[@maioio]

vaya pepinazo. toca como habla y como escribe

[@rulllar]

I can say what impression he left me with and what I People can enjoy his jazz all the want, I never said he should be silenced from making music. As such I have an opinion of him - formed from a lot he has said in public and in private - and I think I am allowed to voice it. He spends a lot of time attacking Israel and Jews and Jewish culture, so I mention it. It's as much a part of him as the music he plays so it belongs on the forums concerning him.

[@littlerabbitbite91]

Is it ironic that the Socialist Workers Party is holding a fundraiser?

[@baghali222]

sounds very middle eastern, arabic/persian

[@RelativePitch]

Since he is Jewish it should make you wonder what he means exactly. Self-criticism is part of any culture. Vilification simply shuts down conversation. There are heated intra-cultural debates within African-American communities over rap and hip hop, hard bop and free jazz, etc. Those debates get heated and impassioned but I've never seen the word "racist" thrown around by one black man to another. Flinging the word antiSemite around too loosely does everyone involved a disservice.

[@moshak4804]

A very "Islamic Sufic yearning call to Allah" type of music with the dichotomy of anarchy as a contrast to not yearning to The Creator!

[@rulllar]

well you don't know how I wrote the letter so you know nothing about me yet you judge as well. My opening letter was more an attempt to understand his opinions and ask him why he came to these conclusions and why I disagree but the reply was the same. Maybe he is "vilified" because he said things like "Jews have no culture". Not exactly objective reasoning. And if he is going to spend his life attacking Israel then he should be willing to defend his position not be so childish.

[@thirdeyewise2]

@MrSaxman50 "..and Communist." . "There is no need to exaggerate the part played in the creation of Bolshevism and in the actual bringing about of the Russian Revolution by these international and for the most part atheistic Jews. It is certainly the very great one; it probably outweighs all others. With the notable exception of Lenin, the majority of the leading figures are Jews." - Winston Churchill (Illustrated Sunday Herald. 8 February 1920)

[@ridabenmekki4136]

One can say also " liberate the jews from Israel ".

[@RelativePitch]

I made no analogy between hip hop debates and his position regarding Israel. The point concerns, very simply, the use of racial slurs "within" a cultural community. Atzmon is an Israeli born Jew with what a lot of people believe are very radical views regarding that nation of Israel. He has been vilified and name-called by you and others. The term antiSmitism does not apply to him. I believe vilification is never an acceptable response even when you believe someone is guilty of it themselves.

[@bloatedman]

don't think Getz would be impressed or sonny

[@rulllar]

why one-sided nonsense? He writes constant articles attacking Israel and attacks it at many oppertunities, yet when faced with a honest attempt at debate on it and he went down to childish simpleton responses. If to you that says nothing about him thats your opinion, I think it says a lot.

[@rulllar]

I said he's a lie. figure of speech. I did not say he's a liar. I think he said more than his perception of atrocities. people have criticised certain Israeli actions they may have disagreed with. Thats not what he said. Between his rabbi comment when i'm not religious, his writings on "Jewish culture" and his views on Israel there is a case. Perhaps I'm wrong, perhaps not.

[@MrSaxman50]

True story thirdeyewise2.

[@RelativePitch]

I'm sure your emails were all lucid and cogent. Why post this except to smear him with some one-sided nonsense? Your comment reveals more about you and nothing about Atzmon.

[@rulllar]

maybe. But I tried to communicate with him and he rebuffed my attempts (at first very cordial attempts to understand why he views what he views) in a very unpleasant and in my view unjustified manner. factoring in all his articles, it is very different from the hip hop debate. He advocates the destruction of Israel and displacement of it's 5.6 -million- Jews worldwide. Thats a far in the extreme and since he is childish to those wishing to clarify what/why, I can only judge him on his own words.

[@TharpaD]

very cool- but just a bit hypomanic for my tastes, like a lot of these sax virtuosos!

[@TLWinslow]

His music is good, his selling out of his Jewish people stinks. Tell him to study Jerusalem's history back 3,000 years with the Historyscoper and find out why the Jewish people have a right to a homeland based there, see my profile for the url.

[@ivicabaksa2573]

5000

[@logosthedestroyer]

Sorry? Is that a joke? Dear me

[@DrippingwithIrony]

Atzmon's "The Wandering Who? A Study of Jewish Identity Politics." It's out. READ IT. Let's get together after to discuss and debate it. All else (the name calling and so on) is pointless drivel. Let's engage the text and let reason and debate carrying the day.

[@RelativePitch]

You called him a tool, a simpleton and a liar. You posted your agreement with a previous post that called him a racist and an AntiSemite. Why? Because he wouldn't engage you in an email debate. You don't like his views, fine. The comment box reads "Post a comment on this video" not on some email snub. He is an Israeli born Jew who is outraged at what he perceives are systemic atrocities by the nation of Israel.

[@RelativePitch]

He is constantly vilified as an antisemite and a hater of the Jewish people. See below. So why should he engage someone he does not know in an email debate? Think about it. Are you going to change your position? No. Neither is he. But instead of accepting a person who holds a different opinion, you call him names in a comment to one of his videos. Is that the behavior of an "honest" interlocutor? I'd call that grad school baiting.

[@comprehensiveboycomprehens8786]

Jazz is such a fucking racket .