new Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman children's CD
At the risk of embarrassing her, I post Jeanette Lewicki's wonderful words about an album she helped produce, Schaechter-Gottesman's wonderful new children's album. The CD is available from CDbaby.com (and for reasons I do not understand, is not yet mentioned on the Yiddishland Records website!). Jeanette posted about the CD in response to a query about new Chanukah albums. At the risk of embarrassing her further, I note that, in my mind, if Lewicki is involved with an album, the odds that it is worth listening to go up by at least an order of magnitude (consider her work with the amazing Arkady Gendler CD a few years ago):
I recommend "Fli Mayn Flishlang," Beyle Schaechter-Gotteman's new CD of Yiddish children's songs.
For one thing, I had the honour of arranging eight songs on it: "Di ban" & "Der vint" for Lorin Sklamberg; "Feter Shneyer" sung by Beyle's granddaughter Esther with Harry Carey; "Fli Mayn Flishlang" sung by Perl Teitelbaum, & various holiday songs sung by by Harry & the incomparable Perl. I also play solo accordion on a couple of tracks with Esther, who rules. Itzik went out on a limb to hire me as arranger & it turns out I really love to do it.
There are songs not only for Khanike/Hanukka/Chanukah, but other Jewish holidays as well, including a super funky "Tu Besvhvat." (I think this is the one DJ SoCalled will sample. The arrangement was inspired by Sun Ra, Rokhl, by way of that crazy brass band of ten brothers with plastic instruments who've been playing the subways lately. It turns out they are all sons of one of the Arkestra musicians.)
We had great studio musicians inluding Matt Darrieau, Aaron Alexander, Rima Fand, Jake Shulman-Ment, Ron Caswell, Jacob Garchik, Mariana Beytelmen, Reuben Radding.
This CD also features children's songs sung by children, arranged by Binyumen Schaechter (in New York with the Pripetshik Singers) & Lorin Sklamberg (with a Russian youth chorus).
My own goal as an arranger was to get the best possible Yiddish music in the kids' ears now, while they're young, so they can appreciate it when they grow up.
Oh, & I get to sing one song, with an arrangement boosted from Bartok. The whole thing made my year.
Jeanette Lewicki