'Latkes con Salsa' by Mitchell Shiner Latin Vibes
The title Latkes Con Salsa may inspire chuckles upon first encounter. But it’s only to soften up potential listeners to just how serious— and seriously fun—Milwaukee drummer-multi-percussionist Mitchell Shiner is about putting an unexpected spin on the Jewish Festival of Lights. It doesn't take long to realize how pliable traditional, minor key Hebraic melodies are when recast with instrumentation including, among other contributions, Shiner's vibraphone, Rick Aaron’s flute, Johnny Padilla’s alto sax and Marija Temo’s flamenco-styled guitar. The congas of Cecilio Negron Jr. of Milwaukee's Latin jazz explorers De La Buena and bassist Joey Sanchez provide the rhythmic base that nimbly negotiates the dual heritages Shiner navigates in his arrangements.
Temo performs double duty, singing in Ladino (the medieval Judeo-Spanish language) on "Ocho Kandelikas," a song inviting listeners to count the eight candles on the menorah. Shiner provides vocals in Spanish and English on his mash-up arrangement of what may be the best-known song associated with Hanukah among non-Jews. "I Have a Little Dreidel" gets a salsa spin. "Dreidel’s" lyrics fit atop the melody from Batacumbele’s smash hit “Se Le Ve.”And he extols the joy his clay toy dreidel brings with a giddiness to rival Louis Prima. Though Shiner enjoins an international cast of musicians to make his Latin jazz celebration happen, it's local Hebrew studies educator Jody Hirsch he enlists to give a spoken word coda about the historical origin of the celebration being feted on the preceding eight tracks.
