Children of Abraham

I have an aural vision of Jewish-tinged music, and excepting a few raucous turns in the Hava Nagila at wedding receptions, “upbeat” is not generally one of the descriptors that comes to mind. But Paul Shapiro’s It’s in the Twilight dismisses all the lamentation lodged in my ear and clears the floor for some wine and celebration. He keeps up the beat though six original tracks and two traditional tunes, leaving not an inch of space for Babs or Itzhak to induce me to tears of melancholia. The bass and drums lay down a percussive foundation on Children of Abraham that sets the stage for a classic cartoon chase sequence, really, with an ever-changing leader and a good share of friendly intersections and re-routing along the way. It all fosters enough of an adrenaline surge to keep everyone’s enthusiasm up as the players dash towards the finish line.

—MS