One had to look twice at the Internet poster of an early Diana Ross-like silhouette against a bright green and orange background promoting the Israel Philharmonic’s “Philharmonic Fest 2024 Motown Party” taking place on Saturday night, July 27 at 9 p.m. at the Bronfman Concert Hall in Tel Aviv.
Motown at Heichel HaTarbut, one of Israel’s oldest and most venerable institutions of classical music? Symphonies, chamber music ensembles, operas, oratorios and now… the funky soul music of the Motor City?
The upbeat sounds of the legendary Detroit-based Motown record label will indeed take center stage in Tel Aviv when 16 musicians from the IPO together with the full Israel Jazz Orchestra and Israeli vocalists pay homage to Berry Gordy and the music that revolutionized the American music scene and turned Detroit into Hitsville USA starting back in 1959.
Israeli performing artists include Carolina, Red Band lead singer Red Orbach, Kfir Ben Laish, Osnat Harel and an ensemble from the African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem. Organizers say it wasn’t easy to find vocalists who could emulate the voices and the groove of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson without an accent.
IPO General-Secretary Yair Mashiach, himself a professional musician, says the Motown tribute and IPO collaboration with the Israel Jazz Orchestra is part of the summer concert series that goes beyond classical offerings. This is the third summer for the series, which began after the Covid pandemic, when the orchestra was looking for new ways to attract audiences.
“We brainstormed what we could offer in the summer to take the orchestra in different directions beyond the regular repertoire,” he said.
“The IPO summer series is very special. It offers first-time musical events, divided into some classical but also contemporary music, crossover, jazz and even film scores.”
The IPO's busy July schedule
FOR EXAMPLE, at the end of July, the IPO will perform several concerts of music from Harry Potter films, composed by John Williams. There are upcoming concerts of Brazilian and electronic music as well as the Motown show.
“These are the kind of unique collaborative events that happen during the July summer festival,” Mashiach explained.
The IPO and Israel Jazz Orchestra’s musical partnership began with the first summer festival showcasing Frank Sinatra, which organizers regarded as a very successful program.
“We also like rhythm and blues,” said Mashiach, “so we called in Israel Jazz Orchestra artistic directors who produced the Sinatra show and discussed what we could offer this year that is different.”
Ron Almog, drummer for the Jazz Orchestra and artistic co-producer of the Motown Party, is also the musical arranger for the 24 Motown classics chosen for the show. He was confident the classically trained IPO musicians will slide easily into the groove of Motown.
“It may be easier for them than their predecessors because many of them are very young,” he said. “True, they have the classical music training and background, but they grew up listening to other kinds of music, too. Working with them on the Sinatra show three seasons ago was amazing.”
He noted that many of Motown’s early hits employed classically trained musicians, especially the strings.
He said that for him and Yair Slutzki, co-producer, CO and trombone player with the Jazz Orchestra, it was harder to find performing artists who could sing in English without an accent and emulate the voices of Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.
Tickets sales for the Motown evening have been good.
Slutzki said that the strong ticket sales, even at this difficult time, didn’t surprise him.
“I play with Dag Nahash, with Danny Sanderson and we have performed a lot of concerts in the last eight months,” he said. “People want to feel happy, they want to get emotional; to feel connected, and disconnected.”
“Dag Nahash has performed for the displaced residents of the North and the South at many hotels where they are living,” he said. “They have been through horrible things. They need music.”
When planning the program, it became clear that Israelis know the songs of Stevie Wonder and the Supremes but don’t necessarily identify them with Motown. “The songs are bigger than the label in Israel,” commented Slutzki.
“And we chose the best songs, not just the top ten but the top 24.”
IPO secretary-general Mashiach noted that when concert-goers experience the wonderful acoustics of the Bronfman Concert Hall, they can be assured of an A-class production whether the program is Tchaikovsky or the Jackson 5.
Almog said the song arrangements he is creating for the Philharmonic plus Jazz Orchestra will stay as close as possible to the original Motown Sound. “I grew up listening to Motown alongside jazz and Israeli music,” he said, but still doesn’t understand how the music from the Motor City made such an impact on him.
“When there is a crisis, like now in Israel, I am listening to Motown. It is still the most feel-good, soulful, optimistic music – full of hope,” Almog said. All three agree that the Motown beat makes it hard to stay in one’s seat. So, while dancin’ in the street may not be realistic, it will be possible to get up and move to the groove.
Slutski said that the guards in the concert hall will be notified.
“People will be allowed to get up and dance. So long as no one jumps up on stage and grabs my trombone.”
