Yiddish singer Anthony Russell embraces Black American spirituals and Jewish music traditions

Anthony Russell performs Tsvey Brider" (or "Two Brothers") with Dmitri Gaskin at Temple Beth Tikvah on Saturday, Dec. 10. (Photo credit: Stefan Loeber)

Anthony Russell is a non-traditional singer performing traditional genres of music. Following the likes of artists like Sidor Belarsky and Paul Robeson, he’s an African-American bass singer, composer, and arranger specializing in Yiddish language, music and style. His recording credits include the EP “Convergence,” released in 2018, and the album “Cosmopolitan,” released in August of this year. Anthony Russell will perform a program titled “Tsvey Brider” (or “Two Brothers”) with San Francisco musician Dmitri Gaskin at Temple Beth Tikvah on Saturday, Dec. 10, and he joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes via Zoom to talk more about his artistry and upcoming performance.

Interview highlights:

A young Russell, becoming enchanted with music through classic films: