New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Bay Area freak folk duo Book of J confirmed today that their self-titled debut full-length album will get its physical release on Friday July 6 in anticipation of their month-long residency at the Brooklyn club Barbes each Saturday in July.
Book of J unites Charming Hostess vocalist Jewlia Eisenberg and guitarist/singer Jeremiah Lockwood of Sway Machinery. According to The New Yorker, "This affecting West Coast duo covers an expansive musical landscape that encompasses gothic Yiddish songs, Piedmont Blues,
Queer Politics and
Leonard Cohen covers." Book of J has bi-coastal tour dates this Summer. Confirmed tour dates are:
*July 7, 14, 21, 28 Barbes Residency, Brooklyn NY
*August 10
Berkeley Bacchanal,
Berkeley CA
*September 30 Old First Church, San Francisco, CA
Book of J's self-titled debut serves up 12 tracks of visceral divination. Bible-haunted songs like "Do Lord," that evoke rich southern roots and blues (and might fit nicely on the next Carolina Chocolate Drops album) stand firmly next to the Yiddish childhood song "Tzir." Book of J bridges Americana and Jewish folk music. It connects the poetry of Leadbelly, the lyrical politics of Woody Guthrie and Jewish mysticism of the
20th Century and beyond. Expect old-time religion, American psalmody, diasporic languages, erotic longing, hard times resolved and destiny fulfilled.
Eisenberg and Lockwood met in 2014 and soon realized that, in addition to their passion for Jewish liturgical traditions, they shared a repertoire of
Black and white religious music. Jewlia knew these songs from being raised by a pack of feral Marxists, where this music was integral to social justice movements. Jeremiah knew them from his apprenticeship to blues musician Carolina Slim, who readied himself for the great journey on by playing gospel music. Book of J is interested in how American psalms are in conversation with Jewish forms such as Yiddish folk music and Andaluzi piyutim. These old stories, rooted in the prophetic voice, hold our own time to account.
