Thanks to all from Suzanne
hello again Lori- I just wanted to thank you for posting my inquiry on the Jewsih music listserv board. I have heard from SEVERAL people already and have really been enlightened by their knowledge and views. All are so very passionate about Klezmer music as well. Thank you again for your assistance and many blessings to you and yours! Suzanne
One klezmer's experience
This concerns the Polish messianic site mentioned by Dick, but only by subject: that is, playing for messianic "Jews" (or not playing for them). Maxwell Street has been booked by messianic Jews twice in 20 years. Of course, the fact was well-hidden by the clients. In one case (a bar mitzvah), we didn't know until we got the check from the client with a New Testament message on it, and at the other one (a wedding), we didn't know till we started shmoozing with a guest on break. At the wedding, we simply stopped playing Jewish music and switched to American standards for the balance of the contract. Since it is not our choice to contribute our spirit to proselytizers for Christianity, we have since then put a clause in our contract that we don't play for messianic affairs, and if we figure out we've been booked for one, the contract is void and we get to keep the deposit. But it's only happened twice, so it's probably an unnecessary precaution. Interestingly enough, the enthusiasm of the crowd at the wedding was almost frothingly ecstatic when it came to the horas, entertaining the bride and groom, and other traditional dances. Lori @ MAX
Re: string orchestra vibrato
In a message dated 9/2/2003 10:32:11 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Thanks for that summation of string vibrato protocol. As a trumpet player in a community concert wind band, I'm always aware of the need to practically eliminate my vibrato, even for the occasional solo -- unless for a special effect, which tends to prove the rule. But strings seem to be immune from that restriction. Any thoughts from players of other orchestral instruments? I'm not an orchestral player, but I am a klezmer bandleader, and I sometimes suggest to trumpet players who come to klezmer from a legit background that they pretend they are mariachis--that is, playing with a strident tone and a huge vibrato! This is a shorthand way of saying that some ethnic styles of trumpet playing depend upon these sorts of features to convey emotion and energize the music. That's not what you were asking, but it's what it made me think of! Lori @ MAX
Klezmer Band Input Requested by a Music Ed Student
I am passing on this note (with the author's permission) to the list at large, in case other bandpersons would like to add their two cents to round out her research. Lori @ MAX ~~~ I am a Music Education student and cellist at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. I came across your site when performing a "Google" search on Klezmer music. I was very excited to know that there are groups such as yours performing this music. I am planning on doing my research paper for my Intro to World Music class and would like to ask if any of the members of your group would mind giving their opinions on the influence of Klezmer music in America and why they feel it is an important part of our culture here today. I would also like to know what it is that inspires each of you to perform this particular style of music. Unfortunately, all I would be able to offer for your efforts in return is a reference on my bibliography page and perhaps a few new followers of the Klezmer music tradition! Please let me know if you or other members would be willing to help me with this project, it is certainly alright if you are not able to, I just need to find my sources over the next couple of weeks in order to finish my project by the due date. Thank you for your time! Suzanne [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Copyright infringement.
In a message dated 8/31/2003 12:50:18 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: If you're lucky, you may connect with an attorney willing to take something a bit further, if necessary, pro bono or for a reduced fee. Getting a Lawyers for the Arts org to help you pro bono takes more than luck. You have to weigh in below a certain poverty level in most states. Lori @ MAX
Re: Replying to messages
In defense of Wendy's original posting: I believe that she meant that notes between individuals such as "Where should I send the money for that CD?" etc. should be sent between individuals and not posted to the list. We all have a limited workday/weekend/lifespan, and so if the note is not really intended for everyone, make it so. But if it's a note of potentially general interest--the various replies that come in to all the questions that cross this list--of course, they should be welcome there. And it's also fine, I think, to post the little one-line responses like "Thanks for the help, everyone!" or "Way to go, Lorele!" That's my 2 shekels. And a good shabbos to all...(that is intended for the list), [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: mazinke
In a message dated 8/28/2003 5:32:51 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: When one plays "di mazinke oysgegebn" - does one play ONLY for the mother of the kale? My customer wants to include her father. We always include the father--assuming he's alive at the time. I haven't seen it done any other way. We also put the bride on one side and the groom on the other. The chairs are arranged so that one faces one direction and one the other (like this: ! i ! i ). That way, they are always facing someone in the circle. Both father and mother get floral crowns, as a rule. It usually eventually warms up and becomes another hora set. Lori @ MAX
Sobig-F virus and our list
Well, it's not exactly off-topic: My email address has been spammed all over the globe for the past three days, carrying the latest virus (Sobig-F) to people I've never heard of. Unfortunately, today I see it was sent to someone on our list, which makes me think that one of our compatriots was the victim whose address book is being pirated to send viruses. Any of us could get an email appearing to be from someone else on the list with an attachment containing the virus. SO...my suggestion is that we not send attachments to each other without specifying what it is, so that there is no accidental virus-spreading. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Tsena, Tsena
In a message dated 8/16/2003 9:14:44 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Arabic lyrics by Salman Natour. OK, does anyone have these? What an oddity! Lori @ MAX
Israeli Song: Slichot?
Does anyone on the list know of an Israeli song called "Slichot?" And how to get it? (This is a message passed on from my clarinetist). Thanks! Lori
Tzum Kal
Have an easy fast, everyone! Lori @ MAX
Jazz Musician Herbie Mann Went Back to His Roots
FORWARD, JULY 11, 2003 Jazz Musician Herbie Mann Went Back to His Roots By JONATHAN MOSKOWITZ The CD cover of "The Best Of Herbie Mann" features a shot of the late jazz flutist, taken some time in the mid-1960s. The very picture of an urban Jewish hepcat, Mann stares out of the photo looking cool and disinterested. Some people might argue the cool part, but no one could ever accuse him of being disinterested. Mann, who died last week at the age of 73, was a man of voracious musical curiosity, and he couldn't stop himself from trying new sounds. Brought up on swing, he played bebop, Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythm and blues, reggae and disco, and collaborated with everyone from Bill Evans and Sarah Vaughan to Duane Allman and Stereolab. He helped bring bossa nova to the masses, pioneered jazz-rock fusion and did more than anyone to make the flute a credible lead instrument in jazz. At times, his idiosyncratic career path alienated him from the critical establishment, and when he had hits — in 1970, for instance, he scored five of the top 20 jazz albums — that establishment was quick to dismiss him as being too accessible and commercial. Born Herbert Jay Solomon in 1930 in Brooklyn, Mann was initially inspired by a Benny Goodman concert he saw when he was 9 years old. Mann always said his parents took him to the concert in order to stop him from banging on the family's pots and pans, his favorite mode of musical _expression_ at the time. Goodman apparently had the desired effect, because young Herbert soon took up the clarinet and tenor sax, with flute thrown in for good measure. After serving in an army band from 1948 to 1952, he returned to New York to find the city chock-a-block with tenor saxophonists. Fortunately, Dutch accordionist Mat Mathews came looking for a flute player to help on some sessions with Carmen McRae, and Mann stepped in. By incorporating Latin rhythms and mixing them with the bop innovations of Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, Mann created his own sound, and a blueprint for jazz flute that later players would follow. Rhythm was always the motivating fascination for Mann. After leaving Matthews's quintet in the mid-1950s, he played bop and straight jazz, but he found himself drawn to Afro-Cuban music. When he formed the Afro-Jazz Sextet in 1959, he performed with as many as three percussionists and four trumpeters behind him, in addition to the basic combo of vibes, bass and drums. The sound was more African than jazz, and it launched Mann on a stylistic exploration of what would now be called world music. He was one of the first North American musicians to play bossa nova, inspired by the 1959 film "Black Orpheus" and its soundtrack by Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Carlos Jobim. The laid-back pulse of the Brazilian style, its combination of intricate multi-rhythms and melodic playfulness, provided the perfect frame for his soaring flute solos. But even though it remained a touchstone of his style, bossa nova soon gave way to other sounds. His 1962 hit "Comin' Home Baby" was built around a blues dance beat, while the seminal 1969 album "Memphis Underground" featured avant-garde guitarist Sonny Sharrock and soul-jazz percussionist Roy Ayers. By the early 1970s, he had incorporated Middle Eastern, Turkish and Japanese music into his work, and formed the group Family Of Mann, which gave him the disco hit "Hi-Jack" with Cissy Houston in 1974. Mann continued to discover new music well into the 1990s. But it wasn't until he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997 that he turned to his own ethnic background for inspiration. In 2000, he released "Eastern European Roots," a collection of folk tunes and originals that incorporated klezmer and other strains of Jewish music tradition. In an interview with the Rocky Mountain News that was widely quoted following his July 2 death, Mann said: "I've played Cuban music, but I'm not Cuban. I've played Brazilian music, but I'm not Brazilian. I've played jazz, but I'm not African-American. What I am is an Eastern European Jew. I love all the music I've played, but I wanted something that is mine."
Tuba in Chicago?
My tuba player just canceled on me for our July 4th parades. If anyone knows of a professional tuba player in the Chicago area who has played klezmer, please contact me privately. Thanks to the list for being bothered with this personal request. Lori @ MAX
Re: Musicians - how useful is Alexander Technique? Feldenkrais?
In a message dated 6/16/2003 5:58:13 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Also accupuncture and what is called sacro crainal massage. Both of these are useful. Especially someone who has dealt with sports injuries, because musician injuries can have similar symptomology as sports injuries, because of repetive motion. I agree. I had very good experiences with acupuncture in the neck for shoulder pain/carpal tunnel. (Oy! So vot can I kvetch about now?!) Lori @ MAX
Re: Musicians - how useful is Alexander Technique? Feldenkrais?
A little off-topic, but I thought I'd share an exercise that has helped me a great deal as a singer. It was taught to me by a speech therapist. 1) While sitting, expel all the air from your lungs by leaning forward and breathing out completely. (Only do this while sitting--it can make you a little dizzy!) 2) Inhale as deeply as possible while sitting back up. 3) Now, exhale as slowly as possible (goal: 1 minute) by release the air through pursed lips, making a sound like a punctured tire. (While we were doing this before a show, the trumpet player walked by and said, "Hmm...the singers are leaking!) After doing this, I find that my diaphragm is more supportive of my voice, and that it naturally rings more in its (higher) register than my speaking voice. I suggested this exercise to a friend who plays shofar on Yom Kippur, and he outlasted the other shofar blowers! (The spectacle of "who can blow the longest tikiya g'dola at the end of Yom Kippur" is a highlight of our services.) Lori @ MAX
SONGS SAVED FROM THE FIRE (a review)
I just read this review and thought it would be of general interest. (Lori @ MAX) SONGS SAVED FROM THE FIRE SONGS NEVER SILENCED by Velvel Pasternak, with translations by Lawrence Berson, based upon Lider Fun Di Ghettos Un Lagern, by Shmerke Kaczerginsky, Tara Publications. Owings Mills. MD. 2003, 192 pages, plus compact disc. $59.95 Tel: 1-800-827-2400 Internet: jewishmusic.com Reviewed by Rabbi Jack Riemer Velvel Pasternak's contributions to the musical heritage of the Jewish people are enormous. For many years now, he has made available treasures from the past and introduced us to artists of the present. He draws no lines between Jews, and pays no attention to labels, only to talent. He has produced the works of Chassidim past and present, and he has produced the works of contemporary folk singers, with no distinction as to whether they are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform or New Age. I cannot imagine where we would be as a musical community if it were not for him and his Tara Publications Company, but we would surely be much poorer, spiritually, without him. I don't know how many hundreds of tapes he has produced and distributed by now, or how many books of music he has edited, or how many hundreds of talks on Jewish music he has given—to professionals and to ordinary Jews, and yet I dare say that this, his most recent work, Songs Never Silenced, is the most powerful of them all. I thought that by now I had heard whatever there was to hear of the music that came out of the concentration camps, and I thought that by now I was emotionally inured to the whole subject, but this new book took hold of my neshama and would not let go. The story behind this book is this: in 1948, a survivor named Shmerke Kaczerginsky who lived in Paris wrote down the songs that he remembered or that he could gather from others. The book consisted of the lyrics for two hundred and twenty songs, together with the hand-written, melody transcriptions of a hundred of them. His book nearly disappeared after a while and the few remaining copies of it can only be found on the dusty shelves of second hand bookstores. But Velvel Pasternak somehow discovered it and has given it new life in this new edition which contains those hundred for which there were written melodies, and he has added a few more songs from other sources, and a small section of songs without melodies that were simply too powerful to leave out. The songs are full, not only of pathos, sadness, and feelings of helplessness, but of hopefulness, and visions of a brighter future as well. When Pasternak, (or as everyone I know calls him: 'Velvel') discovered this book he realized what a mighty spiritual treasure house it was, and determined that it should not be allowed to disappear into oblivion, as so many of the composers in it had. Somehow he came into contact with Lawrence Berson, who had done a translation of these songs into English and they teamed up together to bring this book into being. The book begins with a translation of Kaczerginsky's wonderful introduction, written in Paris, just after the war. In this introduction, he predicts that the songs which the Jews of the ghetto sang when they went to work, when they stood in line for a bit of soup, when they fought, and when they were taken to the slaughter, that these songs will someday be a valuable addition to the war histories. And he was right. Whoever reads these folksongs or listens to them, as they are sung on the accompanying cd by some of the great artists of our time, like Sidor Belarsky, Chava Alberstein, Leon Lissek, Paul Zim, and the others, will have a glimpse into the holy of holies that existed midst the destruction. At a time when there was no way for words, much less music, to cross over the barbed wire and get to the world outside, these people wrote and sang songs: songs of faith, songs of blasphemy, songs of hope, songs that were cries for justice. The old distinction between sacred song and secular song became irrelevant in the ghettos and in the concentration camps. Any song that was sung there was a sacred song, for it testified to the human being's capacity to sing, even then, even there, in the darkest part of Hell. The songs in this collection were sung by mothers soothing their babies to sleep, by partisans lying on the ground in the forests, waiting to attack, and by street urchins and orphans, who found themselves in a world so impure, so contaminated, and yet who sang. Who knows how many songs there were that did not survive, that did not make it into this collection? And who knows how many songwriters and song singers there were whom we lost there? Who knows how many Kafkas, how many Einsteins, how many Streisands, how many Bob Dylans, how many Singers, Agnons, and Roths, how many Bellows, Malamuds, and Mailers, how many Spinozas and Freuds, how many Soloveitchiks, and Schneersons, how many Carlebachs and Kaplans, how many Spielbergs and Chagalls, h
Re: yemenite instruments
In a message dated 5/14/2003 7:26:14 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Someone was asking whether the use of percussion only by Yemenite Jews was due to political persecution or for religious reasons. The Yemenites with whom I lived for a while in Israel told me that it was because Jews were not allowed to play musical instruments. I never heard a religious reason. Lori @ MAX
Janowski recordings
My great uncle is recovering from a broken hip, and my mother asked me if I could tape some recordings of Max Janowski for him to cheer him up. He grew up in Chicago, and heard Janowski conducting his own compositions for many years at KAM-Isaiah. Before I begin The Great Search (some of the recordings got a little disorganized during the last move), I was wondering if anyone was aware of whether any of these LPs recordings had been reissued on tape or CD. His Avinu Malkeynu and Sim Shalom are so well known that people assume they are ancient. Lori @ MAX
Re: Why genre classification is not only necessary but desired
Remember: If you are over 50, Klezmer means simcha music and recognizable songs in Yiddish. If you are under 30 and on the east coast, it means experimental instrumental music involving the minor mode. Beyond this, it's anyone's guess... Lori @ MAX
Middle Eastern Roots of Klezmer?
Hello, all! I received this question from a young (16-year-old) klezmer drummer. I would be curious as to how you (plural--"you-all") would direct him. As I understand, he is trying to figure out if he can do a presentation on klezmer when the topic is Middle Eastern music. The first thing that comes to my mind is tying in the Turkish influence, but I would be curious if anyone else has a better answer. Lori @ MAX Ian writes: The question I'm asking you is, what general things can I present about klezmer music that would be related to the middle east, in other words, how can I talk about klezmer music without it being a lesson about its european roots? There is also, I believe, the option of modern klezmer music, or what it has evolved to be, in Israel and elsewhere today. Also, if you have an extra minute, do you have any resources, just off the top of your head, that would be helpful for me?
Fwd: Song "Di Rebbetzin"
I provided a set of lyrics and a translation to this person, but I thought that I'd throw it out to the group in case someone has something to add of particular interest (to the listserv as a whole, not just the gentleman in question). Lori @ MAX --- Begin Message --- Dear Maxwell Street Band members, We have any elderly gentleman who comes into the library on a regular basis who has a request that I am hoping you can help to solve. He is ninety four, and when he was a child his Romanian mother used to sing "Di Rebbetzin" to him. According to him it's a vulgar song about "The rabbi's wife". I think that it may be the song "Di Rebbetzin" that is on your album "You Should Be So Lucky". I have never actually heard the song. What I would like to know is whether he can obtain the lyrics somehow, as well as their English translation. He has been searching for information about this song for 35 years. It looks like your version was written by "Adolph King". Thanks very much! Ellen Abramowitz, MLS. Senior Librarian, Information Services Scott Memorial Library Thomas Jefferson University 1020 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-503-7769 [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- End Message ---
Re: Passover Food
In a message dated 4/23/2003 1:34:10 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Is anyone besides me sick of passover food yet? Now, is THAT a musical question?? Here are some ideas to make it go by quickly: ~Avoid matzo whenever possible. ~Use quinoa (a grain that the Rabbis approve as kosher l'pesach)--it's delish! ~Eat lots of soup and fresh veggies ~Broil a tray full of zucchini seasoned with olive oil, salt and garlic salt...microwave belgian endive, split into quarters and seasoned with butter and salt ~Drink more coffee. It offsets the "matzo problem." ~Treat yourself to cookies. Use the usual ingredients, but grind a chocolate bar into the matzo meal before mixing the dough. You would swear they were Mrs. Fields! For next time, I'll try to get my mother-in-law's recipe for pesach rolls. Till then, hope this helps! Lori
Re: JEWISH-MUSIC digest 2580 (Henri Oppenheim's question)
In a message dated 4/20/2003 10:43:08 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I'm looking for klezmer music arranged for klezmer band and clasical orchestra. Does anybody know of any such recordings ? Our most recent album (Old Roots, New World) features an 18-min. composition called "Klezmer Rhapsody" which features violin, and is available in various scorings, for klezmer band or full orchestra. You can contact the composer, Ilya Levinsohn: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lori, Maxwell Street Klezmer Band
Oops
Oh, dang, I didn't see it was going to the listwell, happy pesach to ALL of you! Love and no knishes, Lori @ MAX
Re: Purim Song
In a message dated 4/15/2003 7:20:34 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I didn't get around to this before Purim (we already had our song list fixed anyway). But I'd really be interested in these lyrics for next year. Hmm...If you come, will I write it? Please do check with me before next PurimI am cooking up new stuff all the time Thanks! Chag Pesach kasher v'sameach! Happy pesaching to you, too! Lori
Purim Song
My synagogue band, Heavy Shtetl, is busy coming up with silly things to sing tomorrow. Here's our entry (with apologies to EL&P): "Oh, What a Wicked Man He Was" (about Haman). Lyrics on request. Here is a title for Weighwatchers about the perils of eating Hamentaschen: How High the Mun! Any other new groaners out there? Happy Purim, all... Lori @ MAX
Shpil di Fidl: Full Public Disclosure
Just to clarify, since it came up privately-- For the record, I am not sure if I transcribed my version of Shpil di Fidl, Shpil (including "vi azoy ich fiel") from a version of a Picon performance, or made it up. I am not trying to (A) take credit for making it up if I transcribed it, nor (B) pass off my own versions of her lyrics as her original verses. I just can't remember how I came by what we currently sing, since it was maybe 15 years ago that I jotted it down. I hope that clears the air, if e'er it was polluted with ambiguityAnd to all a gut shabbos Lori @ MAX
Re: Yiddish Tango!
In a message dated 3/14/2003 4:27:43 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Any more Yiddish tango songs I should be aware of The Yiddish tangos in our rep are Ikh Hob Dich Tzufiel Lieb (Tauber) and Friling. We also play the Russian tangos, Sertze (my heart) and Utomlyonaya Solntze (which we just posted part of a performance of on our website, if you wanna hear it). There is a terrific Soviet "multfilm" (cartoon, but not for kids) set to a wartime tango which shows the young men and women, the men in uniform, dancing in a dance hall. The young men vanish, the women are left dancing alone. Very haunting. Shabbat Shalom, Lori @ MAX
Forgive me for posting a really nice review! (Maxwell Street)
http://www.jewishsf.com/bk030110/et31.shtml
(They don't credit Lorele for co-authoring the liner notes, but I hope she is kvelling!)
Klezmer band blends tango, jazz, Broadway
DAN PINE
Bulletin Correspondent
Jewish Bulletin of Northern California
Yo Yo Ma did it. Wynton Marsalis did it. And now, the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, like the aforementioned classical music superstars, has blended thorough musical scholarship with an unabashed joy of performing on their new Shanachie Records CD release "Old Roots, New World."
In its 13 sensational tracks, the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band amply demonstrates that sometimes the smartest kids in the class can also have the most fun.
Based out of Skokie, Ill., (a town famous for standing up to a neo-Nazi march some decades back) the band is a large ensemble, rotating some 17 players on the new album, all under the leadership of lead singer/founder Lori Lippitz.
The band credits actor Theodore Bikel with coining the album's title. It is indeed fitting, as Maxwell Street mined a vast treasure trove of early 20th century klezmer recordings, as well as traditional tunes, in selecting its latest musical offering. Throw in a pair of striking original compositions, and the band has come up with a must-own CD for serious klezmer addicts.
As much a pleasure as this album is to hear, so too is reading the liner notes, which detail each song's history and provide Yiddish lyrics in translation. Clearly, the band is into history, lovingly rendering ancient shtetl tunes as well as rearranging klezmer classics from the early days of 78 recordings.
The album kicks off with "Lebedike Honga," a raucous dance piece of Romanian Jewish origin. A Yiddish version of the Hustle, the track maximizes the band's brassy, large-scale sound.
Revealing the unmistakable link between klezmer, Yiddish theater and the Broadway musical, "Shpil de Fidl, Shpil/Yidl mitn Fidl" pairs two songs made famous by the legendary Molly Picon. The band does Molly proud on this spirited medley, sung by Lippitz with just the right amount of shmaltz (if with a less-than-flawless Yiddish accent).
"Leah's Saraband" is a ravishing original by violinist Alex Koffman. Composed for Lori Lippitz's wedding, it evokes a sensual wedding-night spirit, drawing on the varied colors of the classical orchestra. "Chusn Lalleh Mazel Tov" ("Congratulations, Bride and Groom") provides an uproarious twin piece.
There's a lamentable tendency in the general public to view klezmer as little more than the soundtrack to the annual Chabad telethon. The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band counters such ignorance on tracks like "Frilling," a luscious ghetto tango spiced up by Bibi Marcell's jazz-flavored vocals, and "Oy Abram," a passionate, even sexy, tune from 1912.
Tracks like "Zol Zayn Gelebt," "Galitzaner vs. Litvak," and the fugal "Undzer Toyrele" embody the crashing, almost circus-like quality to some klezmer styles. Others, like Picon's big band-flavored "Abi Gezunt" and the familiar "Chiribim" accentuate the lively ingrained humor in Jewish music.
Throughout, the band shines musically, thanks largely to the fabulous arrangements of violinist Koffman, the unheralded star of the band. Koffman is so versatile, so gifted, he could easily head to Hollywood tomorrow to make it as a big-time film composer. But then, what a void he'd leave behind.
The album ends with the 17-minute-long "Klezmer Rhapsody," a serious orchestral composition by Ilya Levinson, featuring Koffman as violin soloist and conductor Ralph Wilder pulling out all the stops.
It's a beautiful, complex piece that owes much to the greatest Jewish American rhapsodist, George Gershwin. Alternating a whimsical up-tempo motif with a more melancholy refrain, the piece weaves together different strands, echoing various klezmer idioms along the way. It may be lengthy, but this tour de force makes for profitable listening, as does the entire album.
Some klezmer bands primarily look forward, others mostly backward. On "Old Roots, New World," the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band takes the omnidirectional approach, which is good news for klezmer fans everywhere.
"Old Roots, New World" by Maxwell Street Klezmer Band (Shanachie Records, $17.98).
I received this and am passing it along...
Binyumen ("Ben") Schaechter
performs each of the next 4 Sundays
and you and your loved ones
are cordially invited.
1) Sunday evening, 3/16, near Chicago.
Schaechter performs solo show, in Yiddish and English.
2) Sunday afternoon, 3/23, Merkin Concert Hall, NYC.
Schaechter performs a few of his musical theatre songs, in English.
3) Sunday afternoon, 3/30, Bronx, NY.
The Jewish People¹s Philharmonic Chorus performs,
with Schaechter as Conductor, in Yiddish, with English translation.
4) Sunday morning, 4/6, central New Jersey.
The Pripetshik Singers, the world's only all-Yiddish kids' travelling performing troupe, perform, with Schaechter as Musical Director/Pianist.
In Yiddish, with English translation.
**DETAILS FOLLOW**
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1) SCHAECHTER PERFORMS SOLO SHOW, IN YIDDISH AND ENGLISH
WHEN: Sunday evening, March 16, 7:45 PM
WHERE: North Suburban Synagogue Beth El
1175 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL 60035
WHAT: THE SHTETL COMES TO LIFE ("Dos shtetl vert vi lebedik"), a one-man show
by acclaimed composer/pianist BINYUMEN (BEN) SCHAECHTER
A program of well-known Yiddish songs, lesser known Yiddish gems,
and original compositions in song and autobiographical monologue.
An assortment of Yiddish-speaking characters that range from joyous to desperate,
from resigned to resolutely optimistic, "appear" through song.
Each of the songs is translated,
and background regarding history, composer, etc., of the songs will be provided as well.
No knowledge of Yiddish necessary!
PERFORMANCE LENGTH: ca. 75 minutes
ADMISSION: FREE
MORE INFO: call 847-432-8900 x222
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2) SCHAECHTER PERFORMS HIS MUSICAL THEATRE SONGS, IN ENGLISH.
WHEN: Sunday, March 23, ca. 1:30 PM
WHERE: Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67 St,
between Amsterdam Ave and Broadway, NY, NY 10023
THE EVENT: KAUFMAN CENTER 50TH ANNIVERSARY MUSIC MARATHON.
A roster of performers including Merkin Hall regulars, alumni and faculty
to celebrate 50 years of the Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center (formerly the Hebrew Arts School). The full event stretches from 12 Noon to 5:00 PM.
In the MUSICAL THEATRE segment of the Marathon (1:00-2:00),
BEN SCHAECHTER (alumnus) has been asked to present two songs
to which he composed the music.
Those songs will most likely be
"I Can Tell Time" (lyric: Dan Kael)
from the newly-released CD, IT HELPS TO SING ABOUT IT, and
"Franklin" (lyric: Faye Greenberg)
from PETS!, the off-Broadway hit from the mid-90s,
recently published by Dramatic Publishing.
The singers will most likely be Daneel Schaechter and Reyna Schaechter.
Ben Schaechter will be at the piano.
ADMISSION: FREE. Tickets available on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE basis.
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3) THE JEWISH PEOPLE¹S PHILHARMONIC CHORUS PERFORMS, WITH SCHAECHTER AS CONDUCTOR, IN YIDDISH, WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION.
WHEN: Sunday, March 30, 1:30 PM
THEME: Purim and Peysekh songs,
and songs by Avrom Reisin (in honor of 50 years since his passing)
WHERE: Sholom Aleichem Cultural Center
3301 Bainbridge Avenue, NE corner 208 St., Bronx, NY 10467
Travel directions below.
PERFORMANCE LENGTH: ca. 75 minutes
LANGUAGE: Yiddish; everything is translated beforehand into English.
SOLOISTS: Judy Bro, Leigh Checkman, Stuart Malkin, Daneel & Reyna Schaechter
ADMISSION: $3.50
REFRESHMENTS will be served.
BACKGROUND: The JEWISH PEOPLE¹S PHILHARMONIC CHORUS is the longest continually-performing Yiddish - and even Jewish - chorus in the world, celebrating it¹s 80th anniversary (founded 1923) with three concerts this Spring (March 30, April 28, June 1). In the last two years, the chorus has performed in locations as diverse as New York¹s Alice Tully Hall (Lincoln Center), the North American Jewish Choral Festival in the Catskill Mountains, and at Ground Zero. If you will be in the New York metropolitan area, we hope you will be able to join us to celebrate our 80 years of music making at this first of the three upcoming JPPC concerts.
TRANSPORTATION:
TRAIN: "D" to last stop (205 St, Bronx),
walk north up Bainbridge Ave mini-hill 3 blocks (or take bus one stop).
BUSES: Bronx 10, 16, 28, 30, 34.
CAR: RSVP for car directions: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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4) THE PRIPETSHIK SINGERS PERFORM,
THE WORLD'S ONLY ALL-YIDDISH KIDS' TRAVELLING PERFORMING TROUPE,
WITH SCHAECHTER AS MUSICAL DIRECTOR/PIANIST.
IN YIDDISH, WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION.
WHEN: Sunday, April 6, 10:45 AM
WHERE: New J
Re: How Could Szpilman Stay in Poland?
In a message dated 3/5/2003 9:01:18 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: My point is that things (and countries) are more complicated than many American-born Jews seem to think. As you probably know if you have spent any time with Russian Jews, many bemoan the fact that there was a lot of richness, spice and zest (I mean zetz?) in the old country that, like Yiddish, has not translated well into Yankee life. Just as we find it hard to imagine living without our creature comforts, our hot showers, new cars and other "necessities," some find it hard to survive without the culture in which they were born and nurtured, even if most of their world was burned down in that same culture. My Professor, the late poet Josef Brodsky, used to say that trying to write great poetry out of Russia was like trying to grow a rainforest in a greenhouse. I hope that bit of soliloquizing is not too off-topic! [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Kol Isha: legal implications
In a message dated 3/4/2003 6:46:02 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Unless someone wants to set it to music, of course. You must remember this: A bris is still a bris, So don't give a geshrai... The halacha will still apply Though time's gone by And when some yidn meet, The woman's voice so sweet Isn't kosher for a guy... Unless she's a shiksa (don't ask why) Though time's gone by! Ok, hit me ;-) [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: A Ladier Chabadnitze
I am interested in the best collections of Lubavich nigunim that are out there. Any suggestions? BTW, my grandmother's grandfather came to this country (Baltimore, then Wisconsin) as a Lubavich rabbi. My husband's family claims to be descended from the daughter of the Vilna Gaon. Nevertheless, we get on quite well! [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Applied Ethnomusicology Conference @ Brown University, March 8-9, 2003
In a message dated 2/26/2003 9:39:54 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: 9:30-11:00am: Turn Your Radio On: The Responsibility of Media to Musical Communities. Nick Spitzer, American Routes and University of New Orleans Henry Sapoznik, Yiddish Radio Project This sounds like a neat little bit of advocacy. Maybe if there is a publication, it could be shared with us. I recently made an appeal on this basis to our local NPR station (which plays almost exclusively jazz--very little folk, no classical), on the basis of the good it does to help support Chicago's diverse ethnic communities and the continuation of their cultural heritage. I don't think it made much impact, unfortunately. (The Yiddish Radio Project, to Henry's credit, was the major exception this year to our station's tendency not to air ethnic music.) My own story is that I first heard klezmer 25 years ago on the local classical station's folk music program (and, as they say, the rest is history). So I would be the first to say that radio can play a vital role in helping promote the survival of folk music within the communities it serves. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Miriam's Song
In a message dated 2/21/2003 2:07:29 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Fred, that's an argument for the wrong side of the debate. Yes, Miriam's singing was clearly only for the women. Exodus 15:20-21. Debbie Friedman's song makes a nice female celebration out of it: And the women, dancing with their timbrels, Followed Miriam as she sang her song. Sing a song for the One who we've exhalted Miriam and the women danced, and danced the whole night long.
Re: kol isha in action
In a message dated 2/21/2003 11:40:14 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
It seems to me that if a meal is part of the even, especially if the simcha involves a seudat mitzvah ("mitzvah meal") the early departure solution typically creates the following problem:
Presence through the birkat hamazon ("grace after meals") (including, for example, sheva brachot -- special additional blessings for a wedding) is a basic part of the simcha/mitzvah.
Right. The way they usually do this is to have the birkat/sheva brachot right after the meal, before dessert. Then the mixed dancing/female singers starts and dessert/coffee is served. It's a good diet plan.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: kol isha in action
At the risk of making a very long thread even longer, I wish to mention that I wrote my comment on this subject without seeing that Lorele's original posting had to do with a public concert which was not under Orthodox sponsorship. I need to ammend my last note accordingly. There is no question but that someone decided to make policies that had not been considered and made my the committee that organized the benefit. Obviously, they need to sit down together and decide if this is or is not to be their policy in the future. If it is to be, there should be a clearly-written statement that goes out when talent is being solicited that says "Kol Isha will be respected--no female singers, please." Obviously, if such a policy had not been decided on and publicized, a female singer would have the right to feel slighted. It would be correct of the organizers to consider this in the future, rather than leaving the decision to an individual deciding al regal ahat. Lori
Re: kol isha in action
In a message dated 2/21/2003 10:07:21 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Why is there "uncomfortness" more important that the uncomfortness of those who oppose it or are subjected to the discrimination? This is a discussion that comes up annually--maybe it would be good to archive it for the benefit of those who want to see past discussions. I submit--as a woman who was not raised in an Orthodox home or with those sensibilities--that it is no more discriminatory to respect Kol Isha at a mixed gathering than to serve kosher food. Unless we wish to drive out all the Jews who observe halacha from our simchas, we can't put out a large Unwelcome mat in the form of violations of the law. A workable solution, I think, is to observe Kol Isha for the first 2 hours of the simcha, and then to permit it (and mixed dancing)--telling the frum guests in advance that this will be the format. The frum guests will have a chance to eat and fulfill their mitzvah of dancing at the simcha before leaving, and the non-Orthodox will have their wishes respected in the latter half. This is the way we do most of our "mixed" simchas. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
PS re posting listserv member reviews
PS from Lori (and then I will SHUT UP, I promise!)-- The generous review of our new CD by Seth also should bring kovod to fellow listserv member Lorele Cahan-Simon, who co-authored our liner notes, contributing much excellent and informative research. I hope this list continues to always be a means of support and networking between all proponents of klezmer and Jewish music. Lori
Re: more reviews
In a message dated 2/19/2003 8:59:38 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I don't usually publicize reviews over this list (we just list them on our own website etc.), so it wouldn't have occurred to me as so appropriate, but since the thread was here and not all of you might know this place to look, here you are. I hope that I am not out of line to post my review. I enjoyed reading reviews of other listmembers' stuff, and to date, I don't think that it's excessive (if it is, then Ari will certainly let me know!) Also, listmembers often volunteer their personal reviews of concerts or CDs they have heard, which is all well within the interest range of the group. I don't want to seem self-serving, but we only produce about 2 albums per decade, and reviews (in places like Sing Out!) occur even less frequently. So I don't think I am going to be overloading the list with them (halavai!) In the meantime, I'd love to read a review of your album--anyone's album who is a listmember--so why not share them? Some people also post all their concerts appearances to the list--others do not. I don't think it's a problemLet's all support each others' survival! Lori
Sing Out Review of Old Roots, New World
I finally got hold of a copy of the review of our new album by Seth Rogovoy from Sing Out!, Vol. 46, No, 4. Thanks from the bottom of our (17) hearts, Seth! (Text below)
Maxwell Street Klezmer Band
Old Roots, New World
Shanachie 67008
Since 1983, the Chicago-based Maxwell Street Klezmer Band has been one of the premiere regional ensemble of the klezmer revival. They play old Yiddish swing and theater tunes and instrumental classics from the early-20th Century repertoire with a big-band flair. The group's current lineup, as reflected on its latest CD, Old Roots New World, numbers seventeen--including three vocalists--providing a rich palette from which bandleader Lori Lippitz and arranger Alex Koffman can draw.
The group's mainstream stock in trade is still widely in evidence--remakes of jazzy instrumentals from the 1920s ("Lebedike Honga" from Kandel's Orchestra, "Zol Zayn Gelebt" from Dave Tarras) and Mollie Picon vocal classics from Yiddish theater and film ("Yidl Mitn Fidl," "Abi Gezunt"). But the group's personality continues to evolve, most notably on several ambitious, newly-written classically-oriented compositions.
Koffman contributes "Leah's Saraband," a musical portrait of Lippitz that is sinuous and dignified. The 18-minute "Klezmer Rhapsody," written by Ilya Levinson, will undoubtedly remind listeners of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," not only because of its similar dramatic, concerto format, but because on its way toward putting the blues on the concert stage Gershwin's work already nodded to Yiddish modalities. The raw material that makes up klezmer's three- and four-minute dance numbers is rich enough to be mined at greater length and depth, and Levinson's fine experiment, which brings to mind Duke Ellington as much as Gershwin in the manner in which it paints a particular landscape through shifting perspectives, will undoubtedly point the way to more efforts like it.
The group also stretches out on a haunting chamber version of "Friling (Springtime)," a "ghetto tango" number of anguished longing sung by Bibi Marcell, and on an arty, theatrical arrangement of the old Yiddish folk song, "Oy, Abram," sung with acrobatic finesse by Lippitz. In sum, a diverse, well-programmed effort.
Seth Rogovoy
Salutations of the Day, Redux
Sorry for that garbled message. OK, then here's another few (hopefully easier to read): It may be that when the angels go about their task praising God, they play only Bach. I am sure, however, that when they are together en famille they play Mozart. (Karl Barth) Before Mozart, all ambition turns to despair. (Charles Gounod) Mozart’s music is particularly difficult to perform. His admirable clarity exacts absolute cleanness: the slightest mistake in it stands out like black on white. It is music in which all the notes must be heard. (Gabriel Faure) I never heard so much content in so short a period. (Pinchas Zukerman) I my dreams of heaven, I always see the great Mozart gathered in a huge hall in which they are reside. Only Mozart has his own suite. (Victor Borge) Mozart’s joy is made of serenity, and a phrase of his music is like a calm thought; his simplicity is merely purity. It is a crystalline thing in which all the emotions play a role, but as if already celestially transposed. Moderation consists in feeling emotions as the angels do. (Andre Gide) Mozart said profound things and at the same time remained flippant and lively. (Michael Kennedy) Mozart is the greatest composer of all. Beethoven created his music, but the music of Mozart is of such purity and beauty that one feels he merely found it—that it has always existed as part of the inner beauty of the universe waiting to be revealed. (Albert Einstein) Lengthy immersion in the works of other composers can tire. The music of Mozart does not tire, and this is one of its miracles. (George Snell) Mozart combines serenity, melancholy, and tragic intensity into one great lyric improvisation. Over it all hovers the greater spirit that is Mozart’s—the spirit of compassion, of universal love, even of suffering--a spirit that knows no age, that belongs to all ages. (Leonard Bernstein)
Happy 247th Mozart's Birthday! (If in Chicago, tune in today to 98.7)
JTHappyan. 27, 247 years ago today. If you are in Chicago, you can enjoy all-Mozart programming today on WFMT, 98.7 FM. He asked me what I thought of the worthy Mozart and all his sins. I replied, however, that I should be too happy to renounce all my virtues in exchange for Mozart’s sins. - Felix Mendelssohn
Maxwell Street Concert this Saturday night (Chicago-area)
Tickets are still available (it's a BIG hall) for the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band concert this Saturday night, Jan. 25, at Stevenson High School Auditorium, Lincolnshire, IL. Tickets at the door or call 847.634.4000 x1882 Come warm up to the big-band Chicago klezmer sound!
Re: Klezmer audience sing-a-long chorus
Alle Brider (Oy Oy Oy chorus) Ven Ich Vel Zingn Licho Dodi (chiribim chorus) Tumbalalaika doesn't go "la la la," but it's a sing-along staple. Lori
Re: relevance
In a message dated 1/23/2003 6:09:51 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Normally, I'd agree with Lori, and would avoid bringing this wretched and alarming issue to this list, but, to suggest that a proposed boycott of Israeli musicians and of British musicinas' travel to Israel is not relevant to a Jewish music discussion list seems a little short-sighted. Dear Judith, We have a misunderstanding. I was not suggesting that a discussion of this subject was inappropriate--I may have even been one of the original posters of this information. What I was objecting to (and did discuss off-list with the poster) was the rally to oppose anti-Semitism in Europe. Once we begin to get off on this tangent, it would turn into a discussion as to whether this attempted boycott in the UK was the result of anti-Semitism, or of politically-motivated viewpoints concerning Israel, with which we all may have varying levels of sympathy or not. I would suggest that we not get into that discussion--but I would be happy to on one of the Israeli politics listservs to which I subscribe. Lori
Re: boycotts
Friends: If you all would like to discuss your personal view that boycotts in Europe spell nascent anti-Semitism, may I suggest taking it to a politically-oriented listserv? For the record, I have taken an active public stand against various anti-Israel boycotts (writing letters to newspapers and debating in political forums), but I hardly think that this is the place advance those arguments. If the topic interests you, I highly recommend reading British/European publications on-line in order to learn more about their point of view viz-a-viz Israel and the Palestinians in order to get an idea of the range of issues that are involved. Although I am not happy seeing an anti-anti-Semitism pledge drive going on on the music list, out of deference to Ari's wishes, I will not begin to spell out alternative ways of looking at this issue. But rest assured that there are. Thanks, and now, back to music! Lori
Re: Joy of Klez--unsolicited praise
Ouch--sorry. That was not supposed to be a public posting. My apologies--please delete. Lori
Re: Joy of Klez--unsolicited praise
In a message dated 1/7/2003 3:59:10 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Lori, except for the studio part and for the transcriber's time, I don't see where it would cost all that much to print them yourselves and either get a binding machine for spiral bound books, which stay open easier anyway, or to take them to Kinko's (for example), and burn the CDs yourself, which takes more time than money. Those of us who have bought the first volume would surely get the second, and Velvel would probably ask you for the requisite 30 free copies and pay you a pittance thereafter. I think the only person who gets rich on Velvel's transactions is Velvel. I seriously doubt he gets rich on his transactions! His is not a money-making business. I know, because I charge more than the other klezbands in Chicago and barely make a living. The bigger your businesss, the more expenses. I don't think I'd have the time to do any publishing myself. I think the best suggestion that's come up is trying to do something on the internet. Some companies do it already--I've bought several arrangements and lead sheets on line. So, it can be done--and probably more profitably than trying to go into the music book printing and distribution business! L
Re: Old Roots New World - More High Octane Music out of Maxwell Street...
Dear Richard in the U.K., I am speechless! A musician never knows, when pouring his/herself into a recording, whether ones spirit will penetrate through the ears of the listener to his spirit, via the abstract and cold medium of digital recording and plastic disks. Your kind words give us hope that it can be done, and that alone makes it effort well spent. Lori and Maxwell Street in Sunny Chicago
Re: Joy of Klez--unsolicited praise
I just want to thank everyone who wrote in for the great feedback concerning Joy of Klez. We wrote it in response to the requests of several amateur groups who asked for arrangements, but have not really heard anything since it came out, and had no idea if it was getting out to the people who needed it or if it was working for them. We're really happy that "it works." We would like to publish more arrangements, but I can't figure out a way to do so economically, especially if it includes recording a studio CD to accompany the book. There ought to be some way to be able to get arrangements and recordings into the hands of people who need them for a reasonable price. It cost about $5,000 to launch this book/CD, which I seriously doubt we will see coming back at us. Maybe someone else has a more innovative idea as to how to do it--or perhaps there is an organization or individual that would like to underwrite a project like this (ha!). Anyway, thanks again for the words of encouragement--it means a lot. Lori at MAX
Re: WTC Virus
That's an old virusIt originated just after 9/11, and evidently is still making the rounds. Like many of you, I receive the "klez" virus in various guises at least once a day. Don't download things you're not expecting, and if you're not sure what it is, email the sender back (so that if it was sent using another person's address, they'll alert you). And always have a good backup. I am pretty sure Ari doesn't want us jamming up the listserv with virus warnings, so if you follow these commonsense rules, you won't need to post 'em (no offense intended!) Since that's not on a musical subject, please try singing the above message to the tune of "Maoz Tzur." Happy New Year! Lori
