I come from a long line of music-makers. My dad was a bandleader, singer and sax player. His mother played piano for silent movies. My mom was a pianist too. And my sister LYNN KELLER is a professional bass player. When I was little, our temple choir would rehearse in our living room. READ HERE about how that affected my love of the music of Max Janowski.
I grew up with an expectation of being a musician. Since my early 30s I've been a singer, and spent 21 years performing with THE KINSEY SICKS, America's Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet, producing 8 albums, a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway show and thousands of performances around the world.
The Good Shabbos Band forms the musical heart of Congregation Ner Shalom, and it has been my privilege to get to make music with them over and over. To listen to some of the music we have cooked up during shelter-in-place, visit our SoundCloud page.
Below are some compositions of mine for ritual use, and some other treats.
Ashira Ladonai – a joyful setting of Psalm 104:33; setting by Irwin Keller. Vocals: Irwin Keller and AnneMarie Goslow. Guitar: Suzanne Shanbaum. Bass: Lynn Keller. Engineered by Suzanne Shanbaum.
Geshem N’davot – a new prayer for rain taken from Psalm 68:10. By Irwin Keller.
“At the Closing of the Gates” – a gentle welcome to the Ne'ilah service of Yom Kippur, written and performed by Irwin Keller. It is a call-and-response format, and the leader may vary the lyrics; depending on where your heart is leading, the fourth line could be "you won't turn away," "please don't turn away" or "we won't turn away." Or mix and match!
Fun Yener Zayt Lid – a setting of the beautiful Rokhl Korn poem, "Fun Yener Zayt Lid," music by Irwin Keller and Lorenzo Valensi, (c) 2014. Caught on film at Camp Nehirim, August 8, 2015, by Steve Kolodny. Purchase the single on CD Baby.
Adonai Ori – The first line of Psalm 27, traditional for the month of Elul. Written in memory of Rabbi Mark S. Shapiro and Rabbi Sarah Tauber. By Irwin Keller.
“Who Will Be Gone” – a mostly-English interpretive setting of the High Holy Day prayer, Unetaneh Tokef. Written for Ner Shalom by Irwin Keller; performed by Irwin Keller and Rabbi Eli Cohen.
An improvisational chant of Psalm 23, Hebrew and English, in an American folk vein.
“Clean” – a classic Kinsey Sicks clip, starring Kevin Smith Kirkwood as Trixie and Irwin Keller as Winnie. Filmed at San Francisco's Herbst Theatre in 2003. In this scene, we learn about Winnie's dirty little secret. Words and music by Irwin Keller.