“Though it is only two years old, Merovitz Project has won the MMM-Étoiles Galaxies 2009 Prize. Merovitz Project is a new initiative, spurred on by well-known Henri Oppenheim, composer, arranger and accordionist, of the renowned Montreal band Kleztory. Merovitz Project is an exciting new musical experiment, somewhere between klezmer, marching-band, yiddish and hebrew musical genres. Together with the great singer Allan Merovitz, this versatile band plays here in its full size with brass section. Merovitz Project explore arrangements that are more modern and contemporary than the more classical approach of Kleztory. You will hear soulful prayer and incantations, melodies and rhythms straight from the streets of Eastern Europe, some spectacular tempo changes, gut-wrenching song/stories and blues laments, some current political reminders, klezmer on reggae rhythm, some wild and daring artistic choices, matched with the amazing guest saxophonist Remi Bolduc, who glides and soars on two numbers. It is jubilant, joyous, full of emotion, and totally crazy on fire music.”
Yves Bernard – Le Devoir – May 2009
Listening to Merovitz sing is powerful: one hears an embodiment of the rich, layered, passage of the Jewish experience, ancient, old and anew meet; add one kick-ass, soulful, band offering well crafted arrangements delivered with funky fire and humour… yum, the pleasure is complex, yet easy, how glorious!
Brian Katz – Musician/composer/educator (University of Toronto; York University, Toronto) – June 2009
Yves Bernard – Le Devoir – May 2009
Listening to Merovitz sing is powerful: one hears an embodiment of the rich, layered, passage of the Jewish experience, ancient, old and anew meet; add one kick-ass, soulful, band offering well crafted arrangements delivered with funky fire and humour… yum, the pleasure is complex, yet easy, how glorious!
Brian Katz – Musician/composer/educator (University of Toronto; York University, Toronto) – June 2009