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December 30, 2001

The Soul of Klezmer: Last reviews of 2001

Capsule reviews of music by San Francisco Klezmer Experience, Channe Nussbaum & Spielniks, Jack Kessler, Bang on a Can, Abby Rabinowitz, Klezmerica, Musa Berlin, Di Gojim, Jamie Saft, Jeremy Brown, and compilation 'The Soul of Klezmer'

Jewish Entertainment Resources

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh runs a site called Jewish Entertainment Resources which was formed as a cooperative for Jewish performers to be able to show the talent that exists in the Jewish world by maintaining a permanent, searchable web presence. Features also include a concert calendar. The services charges a small annual membership fee of $150 which helps pay for costs of maintaining the server and the site. The goal is to be a resource for Jewish performers who want to know more about marketing their careers and to be a resource to the Jewish world at large (especially entities who book Jewish talent) to help them find a broader range of performer to bring to their communities.

December 23, 2001

Sandra Layman's "Little Blackbird" released--Klezmer, Romanian, Greek, Turkish, and Hungarian violin music

"Little Blackbird" features traditional klezmer (Yiddish instrumental), Romanian, Greek, Turkish, and Hungarian fiddling by violinist Sandra Layman. Tracks range from Balkan dances in jagged rhythms, to poignant Jewish and Romanian doinas, to rarely-heard klezmer and Asia-Minor Greek tunes, to a Hungarian gypsy medley. The recordings were mostly made at concert and festival performances, 1982-1985. Review

December 16, 2001

Jewish music curriculum available in German

Juedische Musiktraditionen (in German) is intended for use by school teachers and other interested readers. It provides an introduction to the spectrum of Jewish music -- religious and secular, Ashkenazic and Sephardic -- via case studies of selected traditions (with accompanying CD).

Rita Ottens/Joel Rubin
Juedische Musiktraditionen (Jewish Musical Traditions)
Musikpraxis in der Schule, Band 4 (Music in the Schools, vol. 4)
ISBN 3-7649-2694-5
BE 2684, ca. 144 Seiten/pages
mit/with CD DM 49,80
12 December, 2001
Gustav Bosse Verlag , Kassel, Germany

Juedische Musiktraditionen (in German) is intended for use by school teachers and other interested readers. It provides an introduction to the spectrum of Jewish music -- religious and secular, Ashkenazic and Sephardic -- via case studies of selected traditions (with accompanying CD). It includes a discussion of time-honored questions such as "what is Jewish music?" and "is there such a thing as Jewish music?," at the same time deconstructing many of the myths surrounding the subject. The book begins with a critical essay by Rita Ottens on the problematics related to the performance, study and reception of Jewish musical traditions in contemporary Germany.

Dr. Joel E. Rubin * Rita Ottens
rubin@rubin-ottens.com
simontov@compuserve.com
http://www.rubin-ottens.com

Moshe Berlin live performance available

Nine years ago, Joel Rubin recorded Moshe (Musa) Berlin and his ensemble at the second Hakafot after Simchat Torah in the Beit ha-Rav Kook Yeshiva in Jerusalem. It has been edited down to 2 CDs, "Aneinu beyom koreinu" (Answer Us on the Day We Call) through Gal-Paz in Jerusalem or Tara Music in the US and is described by Rubin as "my favorite recording of Musa.

Klezmer in Berlin: Whose Klezmer Is It, Anyway?

From New York's Jewish Week: A tour of Berlin’s fascination with things Jewish reveals some frayed nerves and a growing sensitivity by a new generation, by Elicia Brown - Staff Writer.

Shul Music Web page is finally on-line!

The site contains all of the Blue Book (314 pages) and all of Sulzer's material (not quite ready yet though!), midi files, etc. More will be constantly added. www.shulmusic.org.

December 10, 2001

My Travels, by Tamar Adams

At KlezKanada a couple of years ago, we were talking with Tamar and her mother about how awful it must be for Tamar to be always dragged along to exotic locations when she could be at home with her friends. To my pleasure, Tamar (13 when she wrote the article) had already written about just that experience in her mother's column in "The Canadian Folk Music Bulletin" 33.2 (June 1999), published by the Canadian Society for Traditional Music.

December 9, 2001

Arkady Gendler: "My Hometown Soroke, Yiddish Songs of the Ukraine"

Just in time for Chanukah, the Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center announces the release of a recording by Ukrainin Jewish folk singer Arkady Gender. This selection of 16 rare and original songs comes with notes by Mark Slobin and Michael Alpert; transcriptions, translations and transliterations by Jeanette Lewicki.

Arkady Gendler, now 80, was born in the Bessarabian city of Sorok, the tenth child of a large, Yiddish-speaking family that loved to sing and stage theatrical performances. He and a brother were the only ones to survive the Holocaust. Although it was forbidden in the Soviet Union to openly participate in Yiddish cultural activities, Arkady continued to study for almost 50 years. When it became possible to open a Jewish high school after the breakup of the Soviet Union, he created a teaching method in Zaparozhe, Ukraine, that revolved around the endless repertoire he had stored for half a century, as well as new songs that he composed.

This is his first and only recording, reflecting the powerful history of his generation, as well as his own warmth, wit and humor. The collection includes a song heretofore unrecorded by Itsik Manger, which Arkady learned from his sister, as well as a verse to the folk song Tumbalalaika, previously unknown. His rich, sonorous voice comes from a bottomless well of neshoma, perfectly complimented by the accordion accompaniment of Jeanette Lewicki of the San Francisco Klezmer Experience.

The Jewish Music Festival recorded Arkady Gendler at Fantasy Studios, after the wildly enthusiastic reception he received from more than a thousand concert-goers at our 15th Annual Festival in March, 2000. Everyone connected with the production donated their services so that all profits would go directly to Mr. Gendler. The cost of the CD is $18 plus $2.00 shipping. Group orders are possible. Credit card orders can be taken by phone at 510-848-0237 x 226. Checks can be mailed to: The Jewish Music Festival, c/o BRJCC, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709

Radio Szalom, Jewish music Internet broadcast from Poland

Radio Szalom from Poland transmits 24 hrs/7/365 days Jewish and Israeli music !!! There must be a lonely Jewish Musician in Poland? From 3.5 million Jews, are left only about 8,000 elderly Jews. How tragic it is. If you have a Real Audio Player listen to the most beautiful Jewish and Israeli Music. www.platforma.pl/szalom/.

Writing about the Klezmer Revival, by Ari Davidow

There has been some excellent writing about Klezmer Music in recent years. Prompted in part by the guilt Ari Davidow feels at reading Ruth Gruber's new and excellent "Virtually Jewish: Reinventing Jewish Culture in Europe" which he knows he'll want to write about as soon as he finishes, he has caught up a bit by writing about recent klezmer-related books by Henry Sapoznik, Seth Rogovoy, and Mark Slobin.

December 7, 2001

Years's Best Recordings by George Robinson

George Robinson selects the years best, including albums by Bang on a Can, Klezamir, Klezperanto, David Lang, Frank London, Peter Salzman and the Revolution Ensemble, Shirona, Robert Starer, Josh Waletzky, Za'atar, Emil Zrihan, and recordings of Composers of the Holocaust, The Yemenite Jews, and The Music of the Mountain Jews.

December 1, 2001

Klingon Klezmer Live, on the web

You can view a live video clip of the bad boys of klezmer being themselves. This is a new wrinkle provided by Pennpat which we greatly appreciate. Please send us your feedback! Jack Kessler, Supreme Commander, Klingon Klezmer

The latest hot stuff, part 2, 12 Dec 2001

Capsule reviews of music by Moshe 'Moussa' Berlin, Klezmokum, Di Naye Kapelye, Shirim Klezmer Orchestra w/Ellen Kushner, Lerner & Moguilevsky (aka 'Klezmer en Buenos Aires'), Hester Street Troupe, Mesinke, a rerelease from the Chicago Klezmer Ensemble, and two compilations: the Rough Guide to Klezmer and Henry Sapoznik's Klezmer! Jewish Music from Old World to Our World.

Wholesale Klezmer with timely new CD

Franz Kafka wrote that the Messiah will only come when he is no longer needed. Joe (Yosl) Kurland of the Wholesale Klezmer Band has composed a rousing Yiddish song turning that idea into a joyous invitation to take part in making the world a better place. You'll find Kafka's Paradox and much much more on our new album, Zingen far sholem, tantsn far freyd (Sing for Peace, Dance for Joy)