Music Monday -- I found him

Back in January I noticed a performer in the 34th Street subway station: an African-American sax player dressed in a pink suit and red fedora.  He had a cardboard poster set up, all sorts of photos. One photo said something along the lines of “Bill Clinton and me.”  His choice of music was unexpected:  Israeli folk dances.  Yes, he was entertaining the crowd with songs like “Heveinu Shalom Alechem” and “Oseh Shalom”.  Made me want to dance the hora.

I've seen him several times since then, always in the 34th Street station.  Each time I saw him, I told myself I would try to find him on the web, but I didn't have enough information to successfully Google him.

Until now.

He was in the subway station, playing "Tsena Tsena" and selections from Fiddler on the Roof. And there were CD's clipped to the cardboard box where he collects donations from passers-by.  I got some information from one of the CD’s.

His name is Isaiah Obama Richardson Jr.  and he's part of a musical group called the Brown Rice Family Band.  His photo is on Facebook.  He got a great write up from The New York Times a few years ago. His Jewish musical tastes got extensive coverage in the Jewish media: here and here.

And here he is on YouTube: