San Diego (special) -- Alan Eder and Friends last Sunday offered a lively, foot-tapping evening of Chanukah music which mixed traditional melodies with rhythm and songs from Africa and the Caribbean. The result was that attendees of the concert sponsored by Congregation Ohr Shalom were literally dancing in the aisles.

Held at the Beth Israel temple building at 3rd and Laurel Streets, the concert included a racially mixed ensemble of musicians and dancers from the Los Angeles area who enthusiastically performed the synergistic music.

I found myself listening to the reggae Jewish jazz on different levels. Having performed as a guitarist in Israeli bands, I knew immediately that the some 20 people on the stage were well-trained musicians who not only understood their instruments--some of them unique African percussion instruments -- but who also were well versed in the intricacies of the original compositions. 

I watched the women dancers who interpreted the music with similar admiration, especially the lead dancer whose liquidity of movement entranced the audience. It was nice to see some women of European background in the dance troupe, one of whom was especially adept at African dance.

The way Jewish and Carribean-African music were combined was utterly original--Bob Marley meets Theodore Bikel, I couldn't help but thinking to myself. Nevertheless, the performance drew me back to childhood memories of Chanukah. I realized I really hadn't thought about Chanukah music for 15 years since I was in school. Listening to Eder's upbeat version of the music, I was enchanted. It was very cool.

I really appreciate musicians who are open-minded and who are wiling to accept the fact that good music is everywhere, if one just learns to listen. I know some people from my country who would close their minds to any music that is not classical. However, I believe that the more one learns and combines music the better it sounds. If by listening to any kind of music one feels joy, then it's the right music.

There was at least one flaw in the concert: the band's photographer, constantly using a strong flash, was quite annoying. Possibly the band wanted publicity photographs and figured the crowd in San Diego would tolerate the constant interruptions. It would have been far more preferable if the photographer had done his work during a dress rehearsal.

Editor's Note: Masori, who moved from Tel Aviv to San Diego earlier this year, was assisted in the preparation of this article by Donald H. Harrison, his father-in-law.