Bas Sheva

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Biography

Vocalist Bas Sheva (1925 - 1960) was born Beatrice Kurzman to a wealthy and prominent Jewish family in Philadelphia. When Kurzman decided to go into show business she adopted the name “Bas Sheva” (i.e., the Biblical “Bathsheba”) in order not to embarrass her family. She formally studied the voice and developed an extremely powerful instrument with extraordinary dexterity, and probably got her start singing in the so-called “Borscht Belt” of Catskill Mountains resorts. Her recording career began around 1950 with a small number of obscure singles of standards, none of which sparked much interest.

In 1953 Bas Sheva was engaged by bandleader Hal Mooney as the principal voice on Soul of a People, a collection of traditional Jewish songs issued by Capitol. This was a very successful disc in the Jewish market, and Bas Sheva’s brassy, no holds barred delivery of this familiar material was an important element in making Soul of a People appealing. Nonetheless, Bas Sheva did not record again for another five years, and she may have felt somewhat typecast as a primarily Jewish entertainer.

Composer and Capitol Records producer Les Baxter came to her rescue by offering Bas Sheva the role of star vocalist on his suite The Passions. Bas Sheva’s performance on The Passions is quite amazing even 50 years on; she screams, wails, whimpers, howls, grunts, and even acts a little to the pulsating rhythms of Baxter’s dark, gritty, and complex musical score.
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  • catsinspace

    her cantillation album is incredible. it's a shame there are so few recordings of her voice.

    8 Dec 2012 Reply

  • placental_fluid

    her performance with les baxter is a true achievement. Meredith Monk probably listened to it when young.

    18 Jul 2010 Reply

  • LiquidNarcosis

    Chances are, one has heard this lady whether they know it or not. She is everything nadirauxpommes described, and did it oh-so-effortlessly. I read about whence she sadly lost her life, and just having returned from a cruise not long ago, I have to say, where did THAT caliber of cruise ship entertainment go? Whoa, to have heard exotica lounge acts back in the day. *dreamy look*

    7 Jan 2009 Reply

  • nadirauxpommes

    Truly scary, lustful, hateful, desperate etc etc etc.

    23 Jun 2008 Reply

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