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Nurit Greenger

Lazer Lloyd Healing With the Blues

Our international Jewish Rock-Blues man from Beit Shemesh, Israel

Lazer Lloyd claims that each person has his/her own blues. At times the going for Israel is tough and blues as war is hardly fun.

Yocheved Seidman, residing in Chicago, is Lazer Lloyd’s USA manager. She thinks that all the writing and talking about Israel is not doing the trick, is not helping her much. “Sometimes you have to do things that you do not do every day, especially when Israel is battling for her existence,” she told me. For that reason, last month she organized a garden concert evening. Under the Los Angeles summer skies, at the backyard of the home on the Encino hills of Sandra Goodman and Michael Chusid, Lazer Lloyd, Israel’s rock-blues top musician, accompanied by the bassist Felton Crews and Kenny Coleman on drums, the rhythm section of the Chicago Blues Kings, gave an hour concert, its proceeds were donated to help Hadassah Hospital, in Israel.

L-Lazer Lloyd and R Bassist Felton Crews, in the back on drums Kenny Coleman -Photo Nurit Greenger
L-Lazer Lloyd and R Bassist Felton Crews, in the back on drums Kenny Coleman -Photo Nurit Greenger

Lazer Lloyd, who grew up in Chicago, USA, is a father to five and lives in Beit Shemesh, Israel.

Throughout the Protective Edge Gaza war, whose own family members were on the frontline and were themselves worn out and frazzled as they faced the Red Alerts and spent time in bomb shelters, Laze played music up and down the Jewish state lifting the spirit of his audiences.
Lazer has been performing all over the world but when he performs in Israel it is the most meaningful for him. During the good or hard times he carries with him the courage and strength he gets from his audiences all over Israel.

Lazer Lloyd in Los Angeles-Photo Nurit Greenger
Lazer Lloyd in Los Angeles-Photo Nurit Greenger

For Lazer, known as Israel’s King of the Blues, the role of music in healing; “Hopefully, I can help release some pain from someone’s heart and make them feel good. I think music generates a devoted following because it is real, it is about everyone’s life story and it heals,” he told me. For that reason he wrote a song for Max Stenberg z”l, who fell during Protective Edge War. “I dedicated the song to Max as a gesture of kindness. Because some young man from Los Angeles decided he was going to protect the Jewish people so Lazer’s kids can sleep safe.”
B.B. King is Lazer’s idol; he sang to heal the hearts and so does Lazer.

The Nashville Blues Society praised the Israeli artist’s work stating that, “Lloyd’s guitar skills are impeccable, along with a rich, vocal delivery. A consummate musician, writer and storyteller.” Jerusalem Post stated, “He handles his guitar like it was an extension of his lanky, but sturdy body, and the glorious noise that it emits emerges directly from his soul. He’s the best guitarist in Israel.”

Here is Lazer Lloyd performing

Lazer Lloyd will be back to Los Angeles in November 2014; if you would like to hear a true rock-blues artist I suggest you mark your calendar.

About the Author
Nurit is an advocate for Jews, Israel, the United States and the Free World in general and sees Israel and the United States, equally, as the last two forts of true democratic freedom. Since 2006, she has been writing about events in these two countries. From Southern California, Nurit believes that if you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.