By Bob Makin
originally published: 04/25/2025
The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "I Know Your Number," the second single from Jersey Shore troubadour Arlan Feiles' brand-new LP, "Diaspora."
Jersey Shore troubadour Arlan Feiles’ latest album, “Diaspora,” is a collection of stories lost to time and without a home.
On his most personal album to date, the internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter explores his origins and juxtapositions the struggles of his Jewish ancestors in the face of atrocities, such as the Holocaust, against the anxieties of today’s rising tide of fascism.
The LP’s second single, “I Know Your Number,” is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.
As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “I Know Your Number” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on April 25 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin and Mixcloud.
"’I Know Your Number’ is a love story between two prisoners in the death camps of Poland in WWII,” Arlan said. “The number refers to the tattoos given to the Jewish prisoners in an effort to catalog and dehumanize their victims.”
The song features David Mansfield of Bob Dylan’s legendary Rolling Thunder Revue on Weissenborn slide guitar and mandolin. Track personnel also includes Gift Horse drummer Brad Gunyon.
“I Know Your Number” was inspired by the Feiles family's story of living in the Jewish Diaspora after fleeing the Russian pogroms of the 1880s and death camps of WWII.
“With the huge rise in Jew hate inspired by right wing conservatism and the left wing's desire to rewrite Middle East history due the terrible, horrible war between Israel and Hamas, I felt it was important to focus on mine and my people's humanity lest it be stolen again as it has so many times in history before,” Arlan said.
Just released, “Diaspora” is available at streaming outlets and on CD at arlanfeiles.bandcamp.com and arlanfeilesmusic.com.
“I Know Your Number” was preceded late last year by “Ceasefire Shalom Achshav),” a plea for peace in the Middle East that closes the nine-song LP. The powerful anthem was included in several year-end Top 10 lists, including Makin Waves’.
David Mansfield also plays violin on “Broken World Order” and mandolin on “Oh, St. Louis.” Other contributors to the LP include legendary Asbury Park vocalist Layonne Holmes on “Oh St. Louis” and Carmen Sclafani on slide guitar on “Ceasefire (Shalom Achshav),” which also features Arlan’s children on backing vocals.
Arlan produced, mixed and mastered the album at his Foundation Studio in Matawan.
The LP coincides with "The Devil and Daisy Dirt,” a bluegrass musical about the Jersey Devil that Arlan composed, scored and performs in. Upcoming performances include April 26, LoMotion Live, Boonton; April 27, Bernard Township Library, Basking Ridge; May 17, Vampa, Doylstown, Pa. For more about the show, visit thedevilanddaisydirt.blogspot.com.
Arlan also plays first Fridays at The Polo Club in Holmdel. Other upcoming dates include July 19 at Albert Music Hall in Waretown. He’ll also participate in tributes to Warren Zevon on Aug. 1 at The Vogel in Red Bank and Leonard Cohen on Nov. 15 at Bellworks Theater, also Holmdel.
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at [email protected].
About the author:
New Jersey Stage is proud to be the home of Bob Makin's Makin Waves column since 2017. His Song of the Week column comes out every Friday. He also writes an Album of the Month and Interview of the Month as well.
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