The award winning saxophone player Yuval Cohen has composed a new song using a text from Hanoch Levin’s play, The Labor of Life.

“This is the first time I’ve composed, sung, produced, and been responsible for most aspects of a recording,” Cohen says. “A few months ago I was working with Eran Weitz, a wonderful producer and a good friend, and I asked if he could suggest a text to put to music. Eran sent me this text by Hanoch Levin. The tune came to me, straight out of the words, and I immediately recorded a demo. During the recording the amazing Maya Belziman got a hold of a cello, and Eran added a guitar and arranged the mix in his ingenious way. Lillian offered us this incredible venue in which to present the song, and here we are. I’m incredibly grateful to Eran, Maya and Lillian.”

Words:

And when we first felt each other up,
I already knew in my heart of hearts:
simple merchandise made from dead-cheap parts.
We had no burning passion.
We chose each other, just like we were told.
Because rain falls in the world,
and because the nights are cold,
and because without a warm embrace
you can’t make it through life at all.
But we could never rid ourselves of the smell of a market
stall.

Translation: Naaman Tammuz

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