Oh, and he also writes BOOKS. Here is an abstract from his recent work, available on Amazon.

“Jewish identity is tied up with some of the most difficult and contentious issues of today. The purpose in this book is to open many of these issues up for discussion. Since Israel defines itself openly as the ‘Jewish State’, we should ask what the notions of ’Judaism’, ‘Jewishness’, ‘Jewish culture’ and ‘Jewish ideology’ stand for. Gilad examines the tribal aspects embedded in Jewish secular discourse, both Zionist and anti Zionist; the ‘holocaust religion’; the meaning of ‘history’ and ‘time’ within the Jewish political discourse; the anti-Gentile ideologies entangled within different forms of secular Jewish political discourse and even within the Jewish left. He questions what it is that leads Diaspora Jews to identify themselves with Israel and affiliate with its politics. The devastating state of our world affairs raises an immediate demand for a conceptual shift in our intellectual and philosophical attitude towards politics, identity politics and history.”

Tune in tonight, Friday, at 9pm PT/ midnight ET on our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/ShowGotv?v=rTkr0JYV-_s or right here on ShowGo.tv.

Clarinetist-saxophonist Anat Cohen has won hearts and minds the world over with her expressive virtuosity and delightful stage presence. Reviewing Anat’s 2008 headlining set with her quartet at the North See Jazz Festival, DownBeat said: “Cohen not only proved to be a woodwind revelation of dark tones and delicious lyricism, but also a dynamic bandleader who danced and shouted out encouragement to her group – whooping it up when pianist Jason Lindner followed her clarinet trills on a Latin-flavored number.

With her dark, curly, shoulder-length hair swaying to the beat as she danced, she was a picture of joy.” Anat has been voted Clarinetist of the Year six years in a row by the Jazz Journalists Association, as well as 2012’s Multi-Reeds Player of the Year. That’s not to mention her topping of critics and readers polls in DownBeat magazine several years running. Anat has toured the world with her quartet, headlining at the Newport, Umbria, SF Jazz and North Sea jazz festivals as well as at such hallowed clubs as New York’s Village Vanguard. In September 2012, Anzic Records releases her sixth album as a bandleader, Claroscuro.The album ranges from buoyant dances to darkly lyrical ballads, drawing inspiration from New Orleans and New York, Africa and Brazil. In its ebullient, irresistible variety, Claroscuro encapsulates the description Jazz Police offered of Anat in full flight: “She becomes a singer, a poet, a mad scientist, laughing – musically – with the delight of reaching that new place, that new feeling, with each chorus.” Claroscuro takes its title from the Spanish word describing the play of light and shade (chiaroscuro in Italian).

Watch this:

And then watch her with us here Saturday at noon Pacific, 3pm Eastern or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/ShowGotv?v=C2c6q3_T6e4.

Learn more at http://anatcohen.com or on her Twitter feed @Anat_Cohen

The Cowboy Junkies released The Wilderness, Volume 4 of The Nomad Series on March 27, 2012, marking the conclusion of an ambitious schedule of four releases over an 18-month period. The group’s Michael Timmins says of the new CD, “The title, The Wilderness, in some odd way seemed to define what these songs were actually “about”: fragility, emptiness, loneliness, beauty, chance, loss, desperation – the delicate balancing act that makes up a life. They are about being lost in the wilderness of age, the wilderness of parenthood, in the wilderness of just trying to find meaning and substance, happiness and truth in ones day to day life. They are about standing alone in middle of it all, breathing in the cold still air and wondering.”

The preceding album, Sing In My Meadow, a collection of songs recorded over a four-day period that evokes the psychedelic, blues-inspired forays the band is fond of exploring on stage was hailed by Metromix as “showing yet another side of one of the most versatile, underrated bands of the last 25 years.”

The first volume of the series, Renmin Park, released in 2010, was inspired by Michael Timmins’ two-month stay in China with his family in ‘08 and was called “their most ambitious yet” by The Boston Herald. Demons (2011), the second in the series, is a collection of songs by the late Vic Chesnutt which Canada’s National Post called “…a celebration of both the Junkies and Chesnutt and one of the year’s best albums.”

Here’s a playlist of our favorite Cowboy Junkies videos for a taste of the band’s music.

Cowboy Junkies were formed in Toronto in 1985 after guitarist and songwriter Michael Timmins and long-time friend and musical partner, bassist Alan Anton, recruited Michael’s sister, singer Margo Timmins and brother, drummer Peter Timmins to join them.

Watch the show right here or on our YouTube channel.

Here’s a little YouTube playlist to get you going with some of our fave videos:

Click here to be transported to the live event on our YouTube Live channel or watch the video with us right from the blog:

So I did.

Artist Site: thetrioofoz.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetrioofoz?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheTrioofOZ @TheTrioofOZ
BlueNote: http://www.bluenotemilano.com/evento/the-trio-of-oz-feat-omar-hakim-and-rachel-z/

The repertoire ranges from Duke Ellington to Depeche Mode, Wayne Shorter to Joni Mitchell, from Stone Temple Pilots to Death Cab for Cutie, and from Sting to Coldplay and Bjork. Check them out here:

A truly unique talent with an engaging, thousand watt personality. What Marco does with everyday objects, natural and man made is not a gimmick, rather an extraordinary ability to draw new sounds and rhythms from a stunning array of sources. Don’t miss tonight’s show live from Jazz Nos Fundos in Sao Paulo, Brazil at www.showgo.tv/clubs/jazznosfundos at 6pm PT/9pm ET.

Here are two YouTube videos for a sneak peak at what to expect. One Marco up close and the other at a show with Billy in central Asia at the Balu Festival.

And, finally, this bit of video shot on my iPad as the band was warming up for the Rio das Ostras Festival’s closing show on a Sunday afternoon, after playing in a downpour the night before. You’ll see Marco walking about the stage but mostly a walk about the audience having a very good time.

The Parliament/Funkadelicmachine ruled black music during the ’70s, capturing over 40 R&B hit singles (including three number ones) and recording three platinum albums.

Friday, 8pm PT/ 11pm ET at www.showgo.tv/clubs/yoshisoakland.

Artist Site:  http://www.gaetanopartipilo.com/

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gaetano-Partipilo-fan-page/199648850061882

Yoshi’s welcomes Cedric Leonardi and Mario Reyes and the Gypsy Allstars for a vibrant and passionate evening of Indo–Gypsy fusion as Gipsy Kings rumba meets Indian Alap. The South France gypsies will showcase some of the very best LA-based musicians from Cuba, Spain and India, and flamenco’s foremost  modern stars — Manuel Gutierrez and Arelen Hurtado. The Gipsy Kings emerged out of the South of France in the early ’80s when the Reyes and Baliardos families set the world on fire with their infectious and sensual rhythms.  The world has been dancing to their Gypsy beats ever since. Join us live from San Francisco’s iconic Yoshi’s venue 10pm Eastern/ 7pm Pacific at www.showgo.tv/clubs/yoshissf.

Artist Site:  http://gypsyallstars.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/GypsyAllstars/285479318223421

The day concludes with Cuban legend Arturo Sandoval live from Seattle’s Jazz Alley. Sandoval is the king of Latin jazz and one of the world’s most dynamic performers. The Cuban trumpet virtuoso is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, and nominated 17 times; he has also received six Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award winner. Sandoval is fluent in at least four musical languages. He can burn through an Afro-Cuban groove, tear up a bebop tune, soar over a Mozart concerto and sooth you with a luscious ballad; with equal power and grace. A founding member of the band Irakere, Sandoval was a protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie. After defecting to the United States in 1990, his dramatic life story was made into a movie, “For Love or Country” starring Andy Garcia.  See this rare streamed performance at www.showgo.tv/clubs/jazzalley.

Also pleased to welcome back to ShowGo.tv the fabulous Japanese jazz pianist Chihiro Yamanaka. See her performing live from Yoshi’s March 27th, 8pm PT/ 11pm ET at showgo.tv/clubs/yoshissf. Here is the interview we did with her backstage at a recent show, talking about her Beatles tribute and why Japanese love jazz.