Latest Release: Paul Shapiro Salutes 1940's Yiddish Swing on Third CD Essen

Jewish jazz. Yiddish R&B. To the uninitiated, these may seem like oxymorons. But those lucky enough to catch Paul Shapiro's Ribs and Brisket Revue know that in fact, Jews and jazz have been getting along famously since the 1940s, and there's a songbook of hits to prove it. For his third album as a leader, the saxophonist unveils the uproarious Essen -- that's Yiddish for "eat!" – and it's a soup-to-nuts feast of bump 'n' grind blues and Borscht Belt humor, with songs made semi-famous by Peggy Lee, Cab Calloway, Slim 'n' Slam, and the Barton Brothers. Seriously, it's a gut buster. They should package it with alka-seltzer.