Introducing Yoel Weiss! A New CD from Naftali Schnitzler

It’s not often an album is released featuring eleven songs, all composed by someone who isn’t even old enough to vote, but Esa Einai, due to be released shortly by Aderet Music, isn’t your typical album.

Featuring the vocals and compositions of fifteen year old Los Angeles yeshiva student Yoel Weiss, Esa Einai has been two and a half years in the making. It features a variety of musical styles, some more upbeat, some more heartfelt, but all written in Yoel’s unique trademark style.

Yoel displays an uncanny maturity as his songs run the gamut, ranging from the upbeat Mi Haish, originally written in part as a lullabye for Yoel’s baby sister, to the tranquil Asher Bara, composed in honor of an aunt’s wedding to No Goodbye, originally written as a tribute to Yoel’s grandparents who were making Aliyah at age ninety and then rededicated to the Holocaust generation.

The album, produced by Naftali Schnitzler, with arrangements by both Schnitzler and Ruli Ezrahi, began originally as a keepsake when Yoel recorded his first composition, V’Haya, a catchy tune that has become a family favorite. As Yoel continued composing, he continued recording his songs and in time, Yoel and his parents decided to put the songs together into an album.

In another unique twist, Sruly Meyer’s outstanding artwork was done with Chroma Depth technology, adding an extra exciting dimension to the graphics when viewed with the Chroma Depth 3D glasses that are included with the album.

“We tied the name of the album, Esa Einai, in with the unique artwork,” explained Yoel’s mother, Chani Weiss, who wrote the lyrics for the three English songs on the album. “When you put on the glasses, it takes 3D to a whole new level and the graphics are an activity on their own.”

Rounding out the album is choir work by Moishei Krausz and Shloime Kaufman with orchestration by some of Jewish music’s best including Yaron Gershovsky, Gal Gershovsky, Avi Avidani, Nachman Dryer, Larry Gee, Moishie Fried, Yossi Farkas and Shloime Cohen.