Re: klezmer the Israeli way
Roger, I have not heard Akiva Horin or Yehoshua Rochman, but I agree with your appraisal and description of an Israeli klezmer style and esthetic. In fact, I came to a very similar conclusion about 13 years ago upon hearing the recording "Tzlilim MiTzefat" by Bernie Marinbach, a musician with whom I used to share NY bandstands 3 decades ago before he made Aliyah. I understood the difference in the Israeli approach to klezmer (which you describe very well below) to result from the fact that it grew out of a continuous tradition of playing Jewish instrumental music, and was not discovered de novo, even though particular tunes might be recently learned. The Israeli style is informed by years of playing a =very melodic= Chassidic repertoire, so that many of the "klezmer" tunes don't lose their melodic foundation even when enveloped in a virtuosic instrumental shell. (In a sense, the fussy preciousness of Giora Feidman's style takes this "Chassidic" melodicism to "mystical" extremes.) Thankfully, there are many non-Israeli klezmer musicians who are also in touch with the more melodic elements of klezmer tunes who allow these to shine through the virtuosic baggage of the early American "authentic" Klezmer style. At 08:03 PM 3/1/03, r l reid wrote: But here's the other thing - the idea of Israeli "klezmer" I've been suspicious of, not that I know a thing about it... I stopped by the cassette shed in Mea Shirim and (along with a lot of stuff I can but don't buy in BP) say "old time tunes and Klezmer melodies presented by the flutist Akiva Ben Horin nbd the Klezmeraya Ensemble for Jewish Music". Inside are some beautiful, sensitive arangemetns of tunes I do and don't know. I am struck by the lack of conspicuous virtousity (which is not to say they don't have chops, they do), the lack of "edge", the lack of parady, the lack of cynicism It hit me subjectively as "real klezmer", but a very different esthetic than American klezmer with its cynical distrust of being unhip. This was so unhip and so nice to listen to. So now I'm listening around. Of course I've been listening to list member Moussa Berlin already, he's known worldwide, unlike Ben Horin and his group. Also now I am listening to Yehoshua Rochman - who you can at least get in the US - wow, he blows me away. So maybe there is something going on there is Israel after all - I can't find any mention of Akiva ben Horin outside Israel - which is very different yet well worth seeking out and listening to. Anyone else familiar with Akiva ben Horin? Roger Reid _ Cantor Sam Weiss === Jewish Community Center of Paramus, NJ -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] -+ Hosted by Shamash: The Jewish Network http://shamash.org A service of Hebrew College, which offers online courses and an online MA in Jewish Studies, http://hebrewcollege.edu/online/ * * FREE JEWISH LEARNING * * Shamash invites you to join MyJewishLearning.com, a comprehensive, objective, authoritative and interactive learning resource in all areas of Judaism. Free membership via http://www.myjewishlearning.com/shamash -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] -=
Re: klezmer the Israeli way
Dear Roger, We have carried Akivah Ben-Horin recordings for over 10 YEARS!!!. I have one up on the web site at: http://www.hatikvahmusic.com/cgi-bin/details.pl?key=956 We do stock the others as well...I believe there are 4 at this time. Great stuff!! We also carry 4 Ben Zion Shenker CDs. These are very beautiful and the ORIGINAL recording of the classic Modzitz recordings. You can view them at: www.hatikvahmusic.com/cgi-bin/browse.pl?action=search&search_for=Shenker Simon Hatikvah Music 323) 655-7083 In a message dated 3/1/3 5:04:09 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << I'm back in New York after a very wet first trip to Jerusalem. Anyone familiar with Akiva ben Horin? ...pluse 3 Ben Zion Shenker (not attributed to Modzitz) tapes. Klezmer melodies presented by the flutist Akiva Ben Horin nbd the Klezmeraya Ensemble for Jewish Music". Inside are some beautiful, sensitive arangemetns of tunes I do and don't know. I Anyone else familiar with Akiva ben Horin? Roger Reid >> -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] -+ Hosted by Shamash: The Jewish Network http://shamash.org A service of Hebrew College, which offers online courses and an online MA in Jewish Studies, http://hebrewcollege.edu/online/ * * FREE JEWISH LEARNING * * Shamash invites you to join MyJewishLearning.com, a comprehensive, objective, authoritative and interactive learning resource in all areas of Judaism. Free membership via http://www.myjewishlearning.com/shamash -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] -=
Re: klezmer the Israeli way
klezmer the Israeli way
I'm back in New York after a very wet first trip to Jerusalem. Anyone familiar with Akiva ben Horin? But first of all, ignore your friends and family, now is a great time to go, but bring a raincoat. Airfare and hotels are dirt cheap and there are no crowds and everything is discounted (except at the thieves just by the Jaffa Gate - repeat after me "Lo, Toda! Lo! Toda!" and keep walking). I wasn't expecting much musically, and for the most part didn't find much. Also wasn't my priority. But a few highlights Sunday night, getting ready for bed, suddenly I hear the kol of maybe a hundred isha. I walk down and see that there is wonderful dancing and singing going on in the restaurant that is closed lately, having the wrong gender configuration I pass on by and ask my host what's up - someone just got engaged, mazel tov. One of two times I was sorry I had not brought my stealth recorder. I lay in bed listening to the party down below - glorious! I checked the record and book stores in Mea Shrim and the old city and for the most part found exactly the same stuff I can get in Boro Park. But in the book store nearest teh Kotel, I did get a little lucky when I found a dusty corner where the cut out, 10 NIS, please take them off our hands cassettes were. A splendid old Visnitz tape - not a drum machine anywhere - a fine old Skulen tape, and an OK (but already getting modern a bissel) Satmar tape; pluse 3 Ben Zion Shenker (not attributed to Modzitz) tapes. But here's the other thing - the idea of Israeli "klezmer" I've been suspicious of, not that I know a thing about it. I stopped by the cassette shed in Mea Shirim and (along with a lot of stuff I can but don't buy in BP) say "old time tunes and Klezmer melodies presented by the flutist Akiva Ben Horin nbd the Klezmeraya Ensemble for Jewish Music". Inside are some beautiful, sensitive arangemetns of tunes I do and don't know. I am struck by the lack of conspicuous virtousity (which is not to say they don't have chops, they do), the lack of "edge", the lack of parady, the lack of cynicism It hit me subjectively as "real klezmer", but a very different esthetic than American klezmer with its cynical distrust of being unhip. This was so unhip and so nice to listen to. So now I'm listening around. Of course I've been listening to list member Moussa Berlin already, he's known worldwide, unlike Ben Horin and his group. Also now I am listening to Yehoshua Rochman - who you can at least get in the US - wow, he blows me away. So maybe there is something going on there is Israel after all - I can't find any mention of Akiva ben Horin outside Israel - which is very different yet well worth seeking out and listening to. Anyone else familiar with Akiva ben Horin? Roger Reid -- r l reid[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] -+ Hosted by Shamash: The Jewish Network http://shamash.org A service of Hebrew College, which offers online courses and an online MA in Jewish Studies, http://hebrewcollege.edu/online/ * * FREE JEWISH LEARNING * * Shamash invites you to join MyJewishLearning.com, a comprehensive, objective, authoritative and interactive learning resource in all areas of Judaism. Free membership via http://www.myjewishlearning.com/shamash -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] -=
