Album Notes

"Modern, Romantic, Hip, it's all there. Plus it's Jewish! Beautiful." (Ben Sidran).

SIORA's co-leaders Phyllis Chapell and Dan Kleiman have tapped into their Jewish musical roots to create a new direction and a new release, “The Vision of the Dry Bones”. Inspired by a vision of the prophet Ezekiel--that of a vast expanse of dead, dry bones...gradually forming flesh and sinew...a people coming to life--SIORA breathed new life into old forms, reinventing Jewish songs, flavored by world rhythms and jazz improvisations. One tradition is modified by another. Says Kleiman “First the Jew in us asks WHY, then the jazz musician asks WHY NOT?" The new CD includes performances by Howard Levy (Bela Fleck), Alex DePue (Steve Vai Band), Randy Sabien, Dane Richeson, Joe Tayoun, and Ken Ulansey.

SIORA plays contemporary world jazz: a blend of music from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S., plus original compositions in English. SIORA has performed throughout the U.S., in Latin America, and Europe. SIORA features the multi-lingual singing of Phyllis Chapell, recently named as “...one of the top 500 jazz vocalists of all time...” (Scott Yanow "The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide." ).

"Blending world music and contemporary jazz into a soundscape that needs no translation, SIORA takes you on a journey of the soul, touching down in Rio, Paris, Mazer-e-Sharif and points beyond." (William Page, Straight No Chaser, UK)

"Modern, romantic, hip, it's all there. Plus it's Jewish! Beautiful" (Ben Sidran, Grammy-nominated producer of Life's a Lesson", a collection of jazz-infused Jewish liturgical and folk songs)