Musician Sam Glaser has traveled the world in concert many times over, performing the music from his two dozen albums to audiences of all denominations, equally comfortable playing a solo at the grand piano, leading his 8-piece band, or backed by a full orchestra. After 25 years in the Jewish music business, we think it’s fitting that he chose to celebrate the anniversary with music.
Released this week by Behrman House and Glaser Musicworks, Stages is a 32-song, double-CD tribute album featuring the best of Sam Glaser’s music, performed by some of America’s favorite Jewish artists. Behrman House chatted with Glaser about his career, his special anniversary, and what’s ahead.
Behrman House: Most people celebrate anniversaries with a nice dinner or a party. Why this album?
Sam Glaser: There’s a renaissance happening in Jewish music now and I wanted to showcase the people who have made my music part of their own productions. There are so many worthy and talented artists out there. Having Behrman House behind me is what truly made it a reality.
BH: You have a fan base spanning the Jewish spectrum, which is somewhat unusual. How did that happen and why?
SG: I feel blessed that I get to perform in Reform, Conservative and Orthodox venues. I like to see everybody together, but unfortunately these days, very few things can bring Jewish people together as we seem to be stratifying more to the right and left. Music, though, has such a unifying power. You hear Oseh Shalom or Avinu Malkeinu and there’s an immediate connection. I grew up in the Reform and Conservative world so that’s a place of comfort; becoming shomer Shabbat helped get me entry into Orthodox circles.
BH: Your music is very uplifting and spiritual. What prayer most resonates with you, and why?
SG: The deepest place we can get as Jews is the Shemoneh Esrei [Amidah], which focuses on bonding with our Creator. It’s such a powerful weapon in our spiritual arsenal. It was composed at least 2,500 years ago and is very intuitive about giving us a method to connect our will – as beings with freedom of choice - with God’s will. I’m fully in.
BH: What do you mean by “fully in?”
SG: As a Jewish performer, I realized early on that I had a lot of love for Judaism but not a lot of knowledge. I poured myself into study. I was leading Shabbatons and serving as a keynote speaker, but felt I needed to be fully invested and speak from the heart and walking the talk. I went to yeshiva and the teachers were so spiritual, it blew my mind. I bought boatloads of books, and I had to transition from reading Stephen King to reading Jewish literature. To this day, I only read spiritual books. TV shows, movies - I don’t have time. I guess I focus on growth texts instead of escape texts.
BH: Who were your early musical influences?
SG: My dad played trumpet and my mom piano, and they were both into theater, so I got heavy doses of Broadway and jazz. My mom dragged me every Thursday night to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, row E center. In high school I won an LA-citywide competition for singing “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted,” from Handel’s “Messiah.” Zubin Mehta gave me the award! But also being a child of the ‘60s, I was attracted to the Beatles, Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder. I got music from all directions. There was no genre I didn’t like.
BH: What’s one instrument you’d like to play?
SG: I play keyboards and piano primarily, and also mess around with bass, guitar and drums. Violin would be cool to learn. But the main instrument I’ve mastered over my career is the recording studio - technology in music has soared in a spectacular way. I’ve gone from 2-track to unlimited tracks. At this point I’ve produced more than 100 albums for clients and music for nearly all the networks. I’m on the road performing every other weekend; the studio is my “day-gig.”
BH: What’s on your iPod?
SG: I have 2,000 songs on my iPhone, and 3,000 albums on CD. They’re all digitized now. I mix up my work out and driving music between jazz and classic rock, mostly. I’m sort of a live music junkie, which is easy here in LA. This month alone I heard Journey, Santana, Sting, Peter Gabriel. Pat Metheny, Hall and Oates.
BH: Looking ahead, what’s on tap for your next 25 years?
SG: Stages is my 25th album. I’ve already got another four in the works. My songs come to me in my dreams most of the time so I am always trying to find a home for them. I have a new kids’ musical, Hatikvah: The Musical; a new book, The Joy of Judaism; and am about to embark on a major Shabbat “how-to” album and website. I want to continue to make albums for talented artists and help them realize their dreams. I also get great joy out of working with kids, which is why I’m particularly excited about collaborating with Behrman House .
Read more about Sam Glaser here. Order Stages: 25th Anniversary Tribute CD to Sam Glaser here.
