Moshe Yess - Jewish Composer, Recording Artist & Performer
Moshe Aaron (Morris Arthur) Yess (1945–January 8, 2011) O.B.M. was a world renowned Orthodox Jewish musician, composer and entertainer from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. A longtime member of the Chabad community in Montreal, Yess was a regular concert performer at Chabad House events and shows, together with international Jewish music festivals, Chabad Telethons and the annual A Time for Music concert.
Musical Career
In the 1960s, Yess shared stages with David Crosby, Jefferson Airplane & The Association. As a solo performer he played Las Vegas, Reno, and other hot spots. In 1978 he moved from Hollywood, California to Jerusalem, Israel, where he enrolled in D'var Yerushalayim Yeshiva. There he met Rabbi Shalom Levine, who became his mentor in Halacha and his musical partner in Megama. They spoke about harnessing American-style music to communicate the beauty and values of Judaism. Thus was Megama (Hebrew for "direction") born forever changing the sound of Jewish music.
Megama Albums
This album featured Moshe Yess's iconic #1 hit song "My Zaidy" that you can find in just about any Chabad Bentcher booklet. This song is such a staple that it has become as common at a Shabbos table as Gefilte fish. My Zaidy was covered countless times either by live concerts or on a record by many artists including but not limited to Avraham Fried, Mordechai Ben David, Dudu Fisher, Ari Goldwag, Shulem Lemmer, Rabbi Sholomo Katz, Tali Yess and many more, too numerous to name. Many other tracks on Megama Volume 1 were fan favorite songs. This album includes other hits such as "I'm a Jew", "Coming Home, "Dollar Bill", "Prayer Book Blues", "That's My Boy", to name a few.
Another highly popular, catchy and meaningful hit song from this album is called "Jewish Child" and it spoke to generations of Jews trying to find their way and their place to fit within the Jewish people. This song was appreciated by many and covered by several mainstream Jewish artists including Baruch Levine (Off The Record produced by Doni Gross), Moshe Yess's son Tali Yess (produced by NY Productions), and most recently, a collaboration between Yaakov Shwekey, 8th Day, and Tali Yess on Yaakov Shwekey's latest EP titled Dor Tzame L'Or (Produced by Bentzi Marcus of 8th Day).
Titled "G-d Is Alive and Well in Jerusalem" followed in the same steps as their first album with songs thouched the hearts and souls of Jews of all types and from all backgrounds. This album included many popular songs such as "Up To Jerusalem", "The Fight In The Man / AKA Little David", "Pushka Pushka Pushka", "Succos in Jerusalem". It would also be a big mistake not to mention another hit from this album; the highly popular "Beggar Woman". This song was covered by several mainstream Jewish artists such as 8th Day, Rogers Park, and others.
The Megama duo eventually split up and Moshe Yess who wrote the songs and music for Megama continued his music career as a solo artist. He released many albums, participated in numerous highly-celebrated collaborations and even produced and co-produced Jewish children's educational series of music albums, musical story tapes, and animated video series. Some names that may ring a bell are The Marvelous Middos Machine, The Amazing Torah Bike, Roburg and several others afterwards.
Hit Songs
One of Yess's biggest hit songs was "My Zaidy," in which the speaker remembers his grandfather, who was his last link to Judaism. "My Zaidy" -- "zaidy" is the Yiddish word for grandpa -- touched several generations of American and Canadian Jews. Other hits by Megama included "Ain't Gonna Work on Saturday" and "Not Ashamed," and one of their successful children's shows was called "Judeo Rodeo."
Yess collaborated with Abie Rotenberg to produce the children's audio series called The Marvelous Midos Machine composed of three volumes, with all original material. He also had inspired Abie to write his own English Jewish music and had features on the first 3 volumes of Abie's iconic Journeys albums.
In the 1990s, Yess started a rock band called Burnt Offering with the blessing of The Lubavitcher Rebbe. The band's mission was to spread the message to the world to engage in acts of goodness and kindness.
Yess continued to be active in music and religious education until his health declined. He passed away on January 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona, leaving behind a legacy in both the Jewish and broader music communities. Although Moshe Yess died of cancer on January 8, 2011, in Cottonwood, Arizona at the age of 65 years old, his work continues to influence and inspire, with his son Tali Yess actively continuing his musical legacy. Most recently, Moshe Yess had an entire track in tribute to him as well as an adaptation of one of his lesser known songs "Ain't No Bishul" performed by Abie Rotenberg and Moshe's son Tali Yess on the 5th volume of the iconic Journeys albums.
Download some of his greatest albums ever recorded on this site
