"We're lucky because our fan base ranges in age from little kids to adults which allows us to do all kinds of different concerts," said Recht. "We have the opportunity to constantly change things up and do what it takes to inspire Jewish youth and adults and make them feel connected to each other and their Jewish heritage. The teen rock concerts are sweaty, loud and exciting. The little kids concerts give us a chance to be goofy, but really educational at the same time. The family concerts are a little bit of everything and the Shabbat Alive! services have their own unique, powerfully spiritual feeling. Only in the Jewish world could we experience this wonderful variety of creativity, spirituality, and interaction."
In addition to his four top-selling Jewish albums and recently released secular album What Feels So Right, Recht has just released two new recordings, Shabbat Alive! LIVE and Tear Down The Walls, plus a film also titled Shabbat Alive! LIVE.
The Shabbat Alive! LIVE film captures Recht's nationally renowned Shabbat Alive! contemporary service with over 1,000 enthusiastic congregants and dozens of youth and adult participant leaders. The accompanying Shabbat Alive! LIVE CD is a collection of the musical works from the film and includes songs by Rick Recht, Debbie Friedman, Julie Silver, Craig Taubman, and more.
Recht's new Jewish rock album, Tear Down The Walls, is a well-crafted, high-energy example of what his fans have come to love. The songs deal with the challenges and necessities of dismantling racism. This album is part of an initiative developed and launched by Rick Recht with support from the Anti-Defamation League to educate teens and families about racism, discrimination, and prejudice and ways to create a safer and more welcoming environment for all people.
Highlights over the last four years include performances at the NFTY National Convention, BBYO International Convention, URJ Biennial, USY International Convention, CAJE, Hillel Leaders Assembly, NAA Conference, BBYO International Staff Conference, and URJ National Preschool Director's Conference. Recht has become a regular headliner at major national Jewish Festivals in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Kansas City, and England. Over the last 4 summers, Recht has launched unprecedented tours playing over 70 Jewish day and overnight camps from coast to coast including Ramah, URJ, BBYO, JCC and private camps garnering a feverish following among the national Jewish youth movements unseen in previous years.
"The stage is definitely our home," says Recht. "The energy and voices of the audiences, whether they're little kids, teens or adults, is indescribable. That's the magic of Jewish music - the interaction, the singing, the dancing, and the powerful community connection. For me, it's a dream come true to create and share in this extraordinary environment on a daily basis."
Recht's electrifying live performances fueled by Dennis Stringfield on drums and Logan on bass guitar have captured the hearts of a generation of fans discovering the inspiration of contemporary Jewish music. Recht is known for regularly featuring local musicians, choirs, and vocal soloists on stage with the band during his concerts and religious services.
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Recht developed a strong Jewish identity attending Traditional Congregation, a conservative synagogue, and later, in high school, joined NFTY, where he was deeply influenced by Jewish music. After graduating USC (Los Angeles, CA) and Music Institute (Hollywood, CA), Recht hit the road touring nationwide from LA to New York playing at clubs, colleges, and amphitheaters. After releasing 2 critically acclaimed secular albums, Good Thing and Reality, Recht returned to his Jewish roots with his debut Jewish album, Tov, in the Summer of 1999. Recht’s shift to Jewish music marks the birth of a unique blend of pop, radio-friendly music with Hebrew, Jewish text, and social responsibility. Recht's songwriting combined with his trademark high-energy live show has drawn comparisons to acts such as Dave Matthews Band, Indigo Girls, Craig Taubman, and David Broza. His contributions to Jewish music have been chronicled by the major media outlets in the United States and internationally. He is the Artist in Residence at United Hebrew Congregation in St. Louis, Missouri and enjoys spending time with his wife, Elisa, 4-year-old son, Kobi, and one year old son, Tal.
The current Rick Recht band includes Rick Recht as a lead singer and guitar player, Logan Detering on the bass guitar and backing vocals, and Dennis Stringfield on the drums and backing vocals.
Rick Recht has started a new record label entitled Jewish Rock Records. The first artist signed to it is Sheldon Low. The St. Louis Live Agency manages Rick and his projects.
It is important to note that his music is very hippy, sometimes mistaken for Christian rock (although lacking the religiousness), often using lyrics taken from 1960's songs and trying to weave them into Jewish songs. The message he sends has is rather progressive instead of traditional. The mixing of secular music with Jewish music often confuses kids in terms of what is the "Jewish" view on things and what is the secular view on things. Rick tends to focus alot of what makes humankind the same, instead of sending out a message to Jews that we are special and different. His message of Jewish heritage is arguably shallow because he sings songs like "The World Stands on Three Thing", yet neglects to teach people exactly what those three things are. It would be interesting to see him sing more about Jewish related topics that are infused with Jewish values, not simply American values.
Let It Be Me
Rick Recht Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One chance, one mark
One love, to share
One moment, to care
Let me be the one to find the strength
Let me be the one to stand up straight
Let me be the one to find the words that cannot wait
Let it be me, Elo-hai n'tzor l'shoni
Let it be me, meirah usfatai midabeir mirmah
Let it be me
I can, I will
Stand up, speak up
I learn, I'm brave
I can change, what I say
I am the one, the only one
To lift my legs, set my sight,
Say my say
Hold my tongue 'til
I've got something good to share
That's how I'm gonna live my life
I'm the only who knows what's right for me
Rick Recht's song Let It Be Me is a powerful and introspective piece that focuses on the importance of individual strength, authenticity, and communication. The first few lines set the stage for what's to come – the idea that we only have one chance at life, one moment to care, one love to share, and we should make the most of it. The song highlights the concept of individualism and the need for personal responsibility when it comes to self-growth and positive change in the world.
The lyrics "Let me be the one to find the strength, Let me be the one to stand up straight, Let me be the one to find the words that cannot wait" emphasize the need for individuals to seek their own strength, stand firm in their beliefs, and communicate effectively to inspire positive change. The next set of lines is in Hebrew, "Let it be me, Elo-hai n'tzor l'shoni, Let it be me, meirah usfatai midabeir mirmah", and can be roughly translated to "Let it be me, my God, guard my tongue. Let it be me, that my words will speak truth". This further emphasizes the idea of the individual taking responsibility for their words and actions, and the desire to speak the truth and seek authenticity.
The last set of lyrics, "I am the one, the only one, To lift my legs, set my sight, Say my say, Hold my tongue 'til, I've got something good to share, That's how I'm gonna live my life, I'm the only one who knows what's right for me" bring the focus back to the individual. The singer declares their independence and desire to live an authentic life according to what they feel is right for them. The song as a whole is a call to action – to be bold, to speak truthfully, to seek strength and authenticity, and to live a life that is true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
One word, one start
I only need one word to start making a change.
One chance, one mark
I only need one opportunity to make my mark on the world.
One love, to share
I only need one love that I can share with others.
One moment, to care
I only need one moment to show my care to someone else.
Let me be the one to find the strength
Allow me to find the strength within myself to overcome adversity.
Let me be the one to stand up straight
Allow me to stand up tall and face challenges head-on with confidence.
Let me be the one to find the words that cannot wait
Allow me to be the one who speaks up when words need to be said in a timely manner.
Let it be me, Elo-hai n'tzor l'shoni
Allow me to speak truth to power and be heard by the divine.
Let it be me, meirah usfatai midabeir mirmah
Let me be the one who speaks words of truth and encourages others to do the same.
Let it be me
I am ready and willing to take on the challenges that come with creating change.
I can, I will
I have the power to make a difference and I will strive to do so.
Stand up, speak up
I will stand up for what I believe in and use my voice to make change happen.
I learn, I'm brave
I am open to learning and am courageous enough to confront my own biases and prejudices.
I can change, what I say
I am capable of changing the way I communicate with others and will take responsibility for my words.
I am the one, the only one
I am the only one who knows what is best for me and my life.
To lift my legs, set my sight,
I have the ability to stand up and move forward with a clear goal in mind.
Say my say
I will speak up and communicate my thoughts and ideas.
Hold my tongue 'til
I will think carefully before speaking and only speak when I have something of value to say.
I've got something good to share
I will share my expertise, knowledge, and love with those who need it and appreciate it.
That's how I'm gonna live my life
This is the way I choose to live my life, with intention and purpose.
I'm the only who knows what's right for me
I am the only person who knows what is best for me and my life.
Contributed by Aiden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.