Bas Sheva
Encyclopedia
Bas Sheva the stage name of Bernice Kanefsky, was a Jewish-American singer, prominent in the 1950s. Although she began singing Jewish traditional and cantorial music, her career branched out into popular music.
Bas Sheva was born Bernice Kanefsky, to a wealthy and prominent Jewish family in Philadelphia on July 25, 1925. She studied voice with the intent of honoring her family's wishes that she become a cantor
. Her voice was extremely powerful and had extraordinary dexterity. However, instead of cantorial music, she decided to move into popular music, adopting the stage name "Bas Sheva", the Ashkenazi pronouciation of the Biblical "Bathsheba
". Her career began in the Borscht Belt
of New York's Catskill Mountains
, performing for audiences of Jewish vacationers. Her recording career began around 1950 with a small number of obscure singles of standard hits, none of which sparked much commercial interest.
In 1953 Bas Sheva was engaged by bandleader Hal Mooney
as the principal singer for the album "Soul of a People", a collection of traditional Jewish songs issued by Capitol Records
. This disk sold well in the Jewish market, and Bas Sheva's performances of this familiar material contributed much to its success.
In 1954, Les Baxter
, a composer and producer at Capitol Records, offered her the role of star vocalist on his suite "The Passions". Bas Sheva's performance on "The Passions" is startling even 50 years after it was recorded; she screams, wails, whimpers, howls, grunts, and even acts a little to the pulsating rhythms of Baxter's dark, gritty, and complex musical score. Even in an age where musical innovation was beginning to be encouraged, "The Passions" was far too innovative and edgy and the album was not a commercial success. Despite this showcase of the astounding range of her voice, Bas Sheva never recorded again.
Bas Sheva died on February 11, 1960, at the age of 34, as a result of a diabetic
reaction suffered while entertaining on board a cruise ship off the coast of South Carolina.
Bas Sheva was born Bernice Kanefsky, to a wealthy and prominent Jewish family in Philadelphia on July 25, 1925. She studied voice with the intent of honoring her family's wishes that she become a cantor
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
. Her voice was extremely powerful and had extraordinary dexterity. However, instead of cantorial music, she decided to move into popular music, adopting the stage name "Bas Sheva", the Ashkenazi pronouciation of the Biblical "Bathsheba
Bathsheba
According to the Hebrew Bible, Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of David, king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah. She is most known for the Bible story in which King David seduced her....
". Her career began in the Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties in upstate New York that were a popular vacation spot for New York City Jews from the 1920s through the 1960s.-Name:The name comes from...
of New York's Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
, performing for audiences of Jewish vacationers. Her recording career began around 1950 with a small number of obscure singles of standard hits, none of which sparked much commercial interest.
In 1953 Bas Sheva was engaged by bandleader Hal Mooney
Hal Mooney
Hal Mooney was an American composer and arranger, born Harold Mooney on 4 February 1911, in Brooklyn, New York. He died on 23 March 1995, in Los Angeles, California.-Early life and career:...
as the principal singer for the album "Soul of a People", a collection of traditional Jewish songs issued by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. This disk sold well in the Jewish market, and Bas Sheva's performances of this familiar material contributed much to its success.
In 1954, Les Baxter
Les Baxter
Les Baxter was an American musician and composer.Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer...
, a composer and producer at Capitol Records, offered her the role of star vocalist on his suite "The Passions". Bas Sheva's performance on "The Passions" is startling even 50 years after it was recorded; she screams, wails, whimpers, howls, grunts, and even acts a little to the pulsating rhythms of Baxter's dark, gritty, and complex musical score. Even in an age where musical innovation was beginning to be encouraged, "The Passions" was far too innovative and edgy and the album was not a commercial success. Despite this showcase of the astounding range of her voice, Bas Sheva never recorded again.
Bas Sheva died on February 11, 1960, at the age of 34, as a result of a diabetic
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
reaction suffered while entertaining on board a cruise ship off the coast of South Carolina.