Sabbath in Paradise (2000) User Reviews

Documentary of contemporary Jewish musical culture in New York's avant garde Jazz scene.

[mcizon · 28 September 1999]

An interesting documentary about the Radical Jewish Culture music scene of the Lower East Side and Downtown New York. It focuses on a specific group of musicians, each of whom approach Jewish culture through varying musical and religious beliefs. Master clarinet/mandolin player Andy Statman is the most orthodox, both musically and personally, of the bunch. His scenes, both in performance and with his family at home, are a touching reminder of the American Jewish experience. To contrast this, guitarist Marc Ribot is shown performing some of his most avant garde pieces and baiting the German documentary crew about the legacy of the Holocaust. Standout musical performances and personal reflections from pianist Anthony Coleman provide a grounding for the film, while all-too brief appearances (both musical and personal) from the Maven of the scene, John Zorn, serve to tantalize about the different approaches these musicians take to Jewish music and culture.