Vertigo and Noa Wertheim Ring out 2020

12 ARTS&ENTERTAINMENTFRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2020 . THE JERUSALEM POST Vertigo and Noa Wertheim ring out 2020

• By ORI J. LENKINSKI were meant to perform it in a bunch of different places hroughout her remark- NOA WERTHEIM’s ‘Bardo.’ but the lockdown stopped able career, choreog- (Yoel Levy) that. They managed to per- T rapher Noa Wertheim form live once and are con- has had to roll with the tinuing their very interest- punches more than a hand- ing collaboration here.” For ful of times. Being sponta- Wertheim-Koren, this marks neous, adaptable and light on a return to the stage after a one’s feet are qualities that long pause. Once a seminal make leading a major dance member of the company and company feasible. With her the longstanding right-hand uniquely spirited outlook and woman of Wertheim’s, she approach to life, Wertheim had left the stage seven years has turned many lemons into ago and not returned. Until meringue pies. Challeng- now. es present themselves and, In addition, the Vertigo together with her partner in Dance Festival will present life and work Adi Sha’al, Wert- screenings of Leela, One. One heim finds creative solutions and One and the iconic Birth to keep doing what she loves of the Phoenix. Also set to be while tailoring her company’s broadcast is Sharon Fridman’s activities to the current times. creation Shape On Us, which This has never been as is performed by the dancers crucial as in the past several of the Power of Balance proj- months. With theaters closed ect under the direction of Tali and performance options Wertheim and Hai Cohen. incredibly and indefinitely The group is comprised of limited, keeping a company performers with and without afloat is a nearly impossible disabilities. Shape On Us was task. Yet Vertigo Dance Com- filmed during its premiere as pany is set to host a major fes- part of the Israel Festival. tival, albeit online, in which it All of these pieces, rem- will premiere two new works nants of canceled perfor- created during this strange mances and postponed plans period. have been carefully curated “We had planned to have a to compose the festival’s pro- festival during Sukkot I think, within the restrictions. How- Rina Wertheim-Koren togeth- vent ourselves over and over.” age of foreign low so as to give upon and release the diffi- gram. “I feel very strongly I barely remember which hol- ever, facing yet another post- er with percussionist Itamar To make this work, Wertheim positions in the company to culties they were being faced that this festival represents iday it was, but it had to be ponement, they decided to Doari as well as a selection called on several veteran Ver- local dancers. We got a group with the outside. “It’s a very what we are all about: art, postponed” laughs Wertheim roll with the times and host of works from the company’s tigo dancers to form a capsule together of our seasoned light piece. I think we were all community and environ- over the phone. “Now, we will the festival using digital plat- repertoire. and keep the creative fires dancers and we began work- in need of some lightness,” ment.” have it at the end of Decem- forms. Over the course of five “Bardo, in Sanskrit, means burning in the studio. “When ing.” Naturally, the outside explains Wertheim. The Vertigo Dance Festival ber to ring out the year.” days, they will broadcast two a transitional period between all this happened, I sent my world filtered into the cre- The second premiere is will take place December 27-31. At first, Wertheim and Sha’al new works, Bardo by Wert- life and rebirth,” says Wert- foreign dancers home. In any ative process. Wertheim and another near miracle. “Rina For more information, visit had hoped that by this point, heim for the company and a heim. “That is very much case, I prefer to cultivate Israe- her cast used their hours in and Itamar had these plans to www.vertigo.org.il. All events live performances would be duet by former Vertigo star where we are, having to rein- li talent. I try to keep percent- the studio to process, reflect make a work together. They will be free of charge. Heavy rock guitarist Talking Heads, Leslie West dies at 75 Grandmaster Flash, among Heavy metal pioneer, born Leslie Weinstein, bought first guitar with bar mitzvah money Grammy Lifetime achievers • By JEM ASWAD they have made on our com- • By MIKAEL WOOD broke up, and he oversaw the munity. In a year where music recording of West’s 1969 solo LOS ANGELES (Variety.com/ has helped keep us together, I eslie West, whose band debut, “Mountain.” The two Reuters) – The Recording Acad- look forward to honoring this Mountain helped lay the formed the group they called emy has announced the hon- iconic group of music creators.” L groundwork for heavy Mountain with keyboard- orees for its 2021 Special Merit According to the announce- metal with fuzzy, hard-riff- ist Steve Knight and drum- Awards. ment, the Lifetime Achieve- ing songs like the cowbell-en- mer N.D. Smart; Corky Laing The Lifetime Achievement ment Award celebrates per- SIMON COWELL hanced “Mississippi Queen,” replaced Smart not long after Award honorees are Grand- formers who have made out- (Reuters) has died. He was 75. Woodstock, which West said master Flash & The Furious standing contributions of artis- His death was confirmed Mountain had been booked Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn tic significance to the field of Wednesday by his publicist. On for because the band shared an Horne, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena, and recording, while the Trustees Simon Tuesday, his brother Larry wrote agent with Jimi Hendrix. Talking Heads. Award honors such contribu- on Facebook that West’s heart Mountain’s first LP, the Ed Cherney, Benny Gol- tions in areas other than per- Cowell had stopped and that he’d been gold-selling Climbing!, came son and Kenny “Babyface” formance. put on a ventilator. out in 1970 and was followed Edmonds are Trustees Award The Recording Academy’s A physically imposing pres- quickly by Nantucket Sleighride honorees; and Daniel Weiss is GRANDMASTER FLASH National Board of Trustees to be judge ence with a self-effacing sense LESLIE WEST and Flowers of Evil, both released the Technical Grammy Award (Wikipedia) determines the honorees of of humor – The Great Fatsby, (Wikipedia) in 1971. The band broke up the recipient. The honorees will be both awards. Technical Gram- on ‘The X he called one solo album – the next year, which led West and recognized on the 63rd Annu- honorees, it gives us a chance my Award recipients are voted singer, guitarist and songwriter other guitarists “bow down Laing to form a short-lived trio al Grammy Awards on January to reward and recognize the on by the Academy’s Produc- was among those who bridged before him,” including Eddie with Cream’s Jack Bruce; West, 31, 2021. Given the challeng- influence they’ve had in the ers & Engineers Wing Adviso- Factor’ Israel the gap between the bluesy Van Halen, who died in Octo- Bruce & Laing signed to Colum- es imposed by the COVID-19 music community regardless of ry Council and Chapter com- hard rock of the late 1960s (as ber. bia Records and made two stu- pandemic, more details about genre,” said Harvey Mason Jr., mittees, and are ratified by the • Jerusalem Post Staff typified by Cream, whose pro- This month, Dave Grohl of dio albums and a live LP. the special award presentation interim president/CEO of the Academy’s trustees. The award ducer Felix Pappalardi went on Foo Fighters, along with pro- In 1973, West reunited with event will be announced at Recording Academy. is presented to individuals and ritish television per- to play bass in Mountain) and ducer and keyboardist Greg Pappalardi in a new lineup of a later date, according to the “As a music creator and music companies who have made sonality Simon Cowell the flashier, more theatrical Kurstin, posted a rendition of Mountain, though it didn’t last announcement. lover, I am grateful that we are contributions of outstanding B is poised to judge the sound of ’70s metal acts such as “Mississippi Queen” on You- long. West returned to his solo “As we welcome the new able to look back at our influ- technical significance to the fourth season of The X Factor Judas Priest. Tube as part of their virtual career – including for 1975’s The class of Special Merit Award ences and see the impact that recording industry. in Israel, according to Yahoo West’s music was sludgy Hanukkah Sessions series. Great Fatsby, which featured News. and rough-edged, with grow- Leslie Weinstein was born a cameo by Mick Jagger – and Cowell, the original creator ly vocals and squealing guitar October 22, 1945, in New York later reconvened Mountain of The X Factor, has been solos. But his songs had sharp and grew up in Forest Hills, again (minus Pappalardi, who judging the British compe- pop hooks that played well on Queens. Inspired to play guitar died in 1983) in various forms ‘Christmas Makes Me Cry’ tition since the first season the radio; “Mississippi Queen” after seeing Elvis Presley per- on the road and in the studio. aired in 2004. Cowell also went to No. 21 on Billboard’s form, he bought his first instru- In 2011, he had a leg amputat- founded ITV’s Britain’s Got Hot 100. And his lyrical out- ment with money from his bar ed due to complications from is latest holiday song Talent. look was sunnier than Black mitzvah and began emulating diabetes, but just months later “Over the years, The X Fac- Sabbath’s signature doom and licks by blues greats such as released a solo album, Unusual tor format discovered amaz- gloom – a vestige of the hip- B.B. King and Albert King, as Suspects, with appearances by ing talents from all over the pie idealism enshrined at the he told Guitar World in 1987. Slash and ZZ Top’s Billy Gib- written by a Jewish musician world, I can’t wait to see what Woodstock festival, where (Waddy Wachtel, who went on bons. His most recent album, Israel has to offer,” Cowell Mountain famously played one to become a session pro known Soundcheck, came out in 2015. • By GABE FRIEDMAN him because he feels left out as songs at his temple, Congre- said, according to Yahoo. of its earliest gigs in front of a for his work with Keith Rich- West, a frequent guest on a Jew – it makes him feel lonely gation Beth El, as he told the The X Factor has aired three crowd numbering in the hun- ards and Stevie Nicks, lived in Howard Stern’s radio show, ome of the most endur- in general. Add the tragedy of Jewish Community Voice of non-consecutive seasons in dreds of thousands. the same apartment building is survived by his wife, Jenni, ing Christmas songs were the pandemic this year, and it’s Southern New Jersey in 2018. Israel (2013, 2014 and 2018), “Look at me / I believe it’s and aided West in refining his whom he married onstage at a S written by Jews. Now Jew- difficult to keep up the happy Particularly those sung by his on Channel 13, with Israeli true,” West sang in “For Yasgur’s technique.) Woodstock anniversary concert ish rocker Adam Weiner has holiday facade. childhood cantor. supermodel Bar Rafaeli as the Farm,” titled in tribute to the West and Larry soon formed a in Bethel, New York, in 2009. added a new song to the mix, “To me, the good aspect of “If I’m being honest, I think staple host of the show. dairy-farm owner who hosted Rascals-style garage-soul group Years after Mountain’s hey- and if “Christmas Makes Me the holidays is increased sym- he was a big part of my musi- The three competitions Woodstock, “You’re a part of called the Vagrants, which built day, the guitarist said he was Cry” doesn’t turn out to be pathy. It’s a time when, sud- cal youth,” Weiner said. “His showcased some of Israel’s me / I’m a part of you.” a following within the same still creatively stimulated by the canon, it’s at least very 2020. denly, people become more voice was very soulful in a top talents, including sing- Mountain’s music also found Long Island scene that fostered sound he helped originate. Weiner, of the indie band altruistic, more neighborly. particularly Jewish way that ers, composers, judges and a surprising afterlife as source Billy Joel’s Hassles; the band “I’ve noticed a lot of guys from Low Cut Connie, has “all kinds And then it fades. That always I think really seeped into my songwriters such as Eden material for dozens of hip-hop signed with Atlantic Records’ the ’70s... are now trying to play of mixed feelings about the bothered me. But, here we are, consciousness. It felt like pure Ben Zaken, Moshe Peretz and acts, including Jay-Z and Kanye Atco imprint and cut a well-re- stuff that they never played in Christmas season,” as he told during a global pandemic. spirit.” Eden Alene, who was set to West, who’ve sampled the ceived cover of Otis Redding’s the first place, and their cred- NPR. He wrote a song about it Everybody is going through He also called himself represent Israel in the 2020 drum beat from the band’s live- “Respect,” yet rock stardom ibility goes out the window,” for the NPR Morning Edition something, and everybody “extremely Jewy” in a 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. at-Woodstock recording of its beyond the East Coast never he told The Times in 1990. “I’m Song Project that was released is feeling isolated, and every- interview with the Jewish The new season of X Fac- song “Long Red.” quite materialized. not having to force anything or on Wednesday. body has experienced some Exponent of Philadelphia, tor Israel has just gone into In a tweet, Dee Snider of Twist- Pappalardi, who produced pretend. The title gives away that it’s form of grief,” he said. which took place just after production and should air ed Sister called West “one of several of the band’s singles, “I just do what comes natu- not a typically cheery Christ- Weiner hails from Cherry then-President Barack Obama in 2021. This will be Cowell’s the founding fathers of heavy maintained his relationship rally.” mas tune. Weiner didn’t tell Hill, New Jersey, where he used chose a Low Cut Connie song first appearance as a judge metal” and said he witnessed with West after the Vagrants (Los Angeles Times/TNS) NPR that the season depresses to get “lost” in the religious for his annual playlist. (JTA) outside the UK or the US.