Playlist for Days Gone By

The thing about BARUCH LEVINE’s new album, OFF THE RECORD, beyond the exquisite vocals and the sweetness, beyond the nostalgia of having 46 English classics on a single playlist, is that the songs speak your language.

“There’s something special about a message that hits you so directly, that you don’t even have to think,” says producer Doni Gross, regarding the songs off those records many of us listened to from decades past. Whether it’s “Forever One,” or “To Live a Life of Torah,” these tracks need no translation to make their way into listener’s hearts.

Doni and Baruch Levine started to work on this project by collecting over 160 songs. All of the songs they initially unearthed were inspiring English classics, but they were looking for songs that Baruch connected to personally or were part of his own musical experience growing up — and they wanted the perfect blend of slow and fast, happy and sad, music. The collection is built around six theme sections — Galus, Achdus, Emunah, Shabbos, Torah, and Mashiach — so that each selection reflects one of those concepts. The resulting medleys are seamless and moving, melding beloved tunes in the style of a well-managed camp kumzitz or choir, and decidedly approachable enough for listeners to sing along. Guest artists Rivie Schwebel, Simcha Leiner, Benny Friedman, and Joey Newcomb join Baruch in duets and harmonies representing the best of contemporary Jewish music.

The songs span different eras, from the 1970s (JEP’s “Dear Nikolai”) to contemporary (“Thank You Hashem”), via the 1980s and 1990s. They mix top-tier composers such as Abie Rotenberg with little-known lyricists whose contributions to Jewish music are all but forgotten. The inclusion of “Friendship” from Lost in Lazerland, Country Yossi’s “Little Kinderlach,” and “Someday I will Be” from Dov Dov and the Great Bicycle Race — their message profound, the tune and lyrics so child-friendly — feels like a warm wave from childhood and simpler years gone by.