by Sruly Meyer – COLlive Magazine
Eitan Katz has already released 13 albums, including three “Live in Jerusalem” recordings, three unplugged sessions, and a wedding album. But when we asked him about his 14th release, The Chabad Album, he spoke excitedly as if it was his debut.
“We say, ‘Chadeish Yameinu K’Kedem.’ The question is, how are we making something new if it’s old? Isn’t that backward?” Eitan asks. “But the way I understand it, we use older experiences to inform and inspire the new. We turn backward to know the road forward.”
Eitan says this philosophy is the backbone of his new album, featuring 12 Chabad niggunim. “Chassidic Niggunim is Torah,” he says. “It’s music, but it’s deeply connected to how I live my life, how I daven and sing at weddings. For me, this project is a mission to continue showcasing the beauty and depth of Chabad niggunim, honoring the past while inspiring the future.”
Eitan was born in New Jersey and lived in Los Angeles, California, where his father Avsholom Katz served as a chazzan. “The niggun ‘Ki Hiney’ is one of the first Chabad niggunim I heard,” he says. “My father sang it on Yom Kippur.”
When he was 6 years old, his family moved to the affluent central Israeli city of Ra’anana. He recalls helping out the local Chabad Shliach Rabbi Eliyahu Shadmi with Mitzvoim. He went with Yeshiva bochurim in search of other Jews to do a Mitzvah.
By the time he was 14, the family returned to Los Angeles. There, he accompanied his brother Shlomo Katz and his band to perform at Chabad events, like the Chanukah celebrations in San Francisco led by Shliach Rabbi Yosef Langer. “I even sang backup for Yehuda Glantz at a Chabad Telethon in Los Angeles,” Eitan recalls.
Eitan currently lives in Far Rockaway, NY. He performs worldwide, and two of his bandmates are Chabad musicians Yoni Lorber and Yehuda Piamenta, whose influences have been significant both on the road and on this album.
Growing up, Eitan was inspired by artists such as Avraham Fried. “I was obsessed with ‘K’shem Sheani,’” he reminisces. “I would take a tape recorder, sing harmonies, and play it back to see how it would sound.”
But Fried’s Chabad Albums like “Avinu Malkeinu” and “Nigun Ha’Baal Shem Tov” were really transformative for him. “I still listen to the Nichoach (Niggunei Chassidei Chabad) albums,” he admits. “They transport me back to old Russia, enveloping me in the music.”
These influences are evident in his live shows and performances at simchas, where Chabad niggunim, especially during the dancing, is a staple. It led him to create the new Chabad Album which has been five years in the making.
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“I took my time because I wanted to get it right,” Eitan explains. “I have to be mechadesh (renew) music to honor the niggun but also let the music serve it. I asked myself, how can I replicate this music without making it different? The music is meant to enhance the niggun, not overshadow it.”
Eitan says it was important for him not to modernize the niggunim on the album. “I spent a lot of time and money perfecting this album, and I’m proud of the production, but I took great pains to keep it authentic to its source,” he says.
Though he never met the Rebbe, Eitan proudly shares that he learned Chabad Chassidus, including the Alter Rebbe‘s Tanya, and was greatly influenced by the Rebbe. “I loved watching videos of the Rebbe singing Tzama,” he says. “It was heart-stopping. To me, it defined what a niggun is and how to sing it.”
The Chabad Album’s songs were chosen from arrangements developed during live performances. Other tracks include “Ho’aderes V’hoemuna” and “Ro’eh Yisroel,” which feature guest artist Eli Marcus. “Eli’s energy is amazing, and the niggun breathes so nicely,” Eitan says.
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Eitan Katz will launch his Chabad Album at a live concert on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM EDT at The Arches in Crown Heights. Get your tickets at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/eitankatzmusic/1284570
