“The Heart Deciphers” + “Pantakozak” are out now!
“An account of living in our times—very personal songwriting. It transcends so many things… the fact that he was willing to go there is such a great lesson to all of us in the creative fields as we worry about “what is the world gonna think of what we do?” Jordan’s just out there doing it.” - Rhett Miller, Wheels Off: Coversations About Creativity Podcast
“Wax does more than help to preserve a language. He demonstrates how Yiddish is a living, evolving mode of expression capable of articulating the most nuanced contemporary experiences. This isn't background music—this is an urgent, beautiful document of survival.” -Red Cell, The Santa Fe Reporter (full text here)
“The new album, טײַטש [The Heart Deciphers], from New Mexico-based musical and linguistic polymath Jordan Wax may focus on his love for the Yiddish language, but it’s also an exploration of larger Jewish concepts of identity in a world gone mad. The songs on the album, nearly all of which Jordan wrote, are deeply contemporary, speaking to apocalyptic climate change, the ravages of capitalism, the bloodlust of power, the loss of culture, even the current violence in Israel/Palestine. It’s also a deeply personal album, drawn from Wax’s own Jewish heritage and filled with his thoughts on some of the most difficult topics of our current time.”
-Ethnomusicologist Devon Léger for KLOF Magazine (full text here)
“Vibrating, modal melodies kiss rhythms that are somehow compact and lithe, inspiring the body's natural motion. In slower, softer moments, Wax delivers swooning ballads rich with history…Singing both in Yiddish and English, Wax asks crucial, poetic questions about who a place belongs to — with the implied answers sounding as loudly and clearly as anything he actually sings…"The Heart Deciphers" furthers beautiful, necessary conversations that Wax clearly has been listening in on and participating in for a sustained time.” - Aarik Danielson, Columbia Daily Tribune (full text here)
“Magical… The album’s musical sensibilities are likely to please everyone, from the youngest of children to the most discerning of parents. In short: It’s a pure delight.” - Lior Zaltzman, Kveller.com (full text here)
“…deeply infused with stories and musical references…the album reflects a deep Jewish connection to the Old World.” -Zack Golden, The Forward
With Pantakozak, Jordan Wax has created a secular Yiddish children’s music album with the same level of care and attention as the best albums for adults, blending joy (nakhes), play, and a deep regard for cultural heritage. Wax draws on klezmer, Lăutari, and American musical traditions to build an artistically and musically rich collection of songs, rejecting the simplistic, sing-song approach that much of today’s children’s music takes, and creating an experience enjoyable for both kids and adults.
Pantakozak brings together intergenerational material from a variety of sources, including songs from oral histories with elders, pieces co-composed by preschoolers, and performance-oriented “kids literature” songs, all of which engage children in exploring language, resilience, and identity through the lens of a uniquely Yiddish playfulness.
This is an album for all families with young children, from Yiddishists to non-Jews, spanning themes from soccer, monsters, and polar bears to Jewish holidays and traditions. Co-produced by Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel) and featuring prominent klezmer and lautari musicians, including Jake Shulman-Ment, Margot Leverett, and Marin Bunea & Taraf de Chișinău, Pantakozak invites listeners of all ages into a lively, playful, and deeply musical Yiddish world. -Borscht Beat (Brooklyn)