Public Service Announcement

Attention JM "stars", fellow blogger and sometimes poster designer Velvel notes: "If you're going to insist on wearing a modest, yet shtark black suit and velvet kippah, please don't take your publicity photos with a black background. It's very hard to cut out around you."

JM PR Watch

Here's some older PR from the December issue of Country Yossi featuring Eli Gerstner's Yeshivah Boys Choir:

"That virtually every one of his songs has become a classic is testament to the tremendous scope of his talent and creative artistry. Eli's musical masterpieces are the most requested in record stores, on JM radio shows and at simchas the world over."

To name any one favorite on this outstanding debut album is no easy feat. "Kol Hamispalell" features the same chord progression as "Yihei" and uses the same format. This opening song is destined to become a favorite of the thousands who love "Yihei."

One addition older example comes from the "Message From the Publisher" in the November issue of Country Yossi. The cover ad that month was for the Nafshenu Orchestra, and in his message, CY writes:

Nafshenu Orchestra's meteoric rise to Jewish music prominence has long been recognized and appreciated among the cognoscenti of the Jewish music industry. Under the dynamic direction of Aaron Applebaum and Jonathan Rimberg they had built a sterling reputation for their unsurpassed musicianship, consistent high quality, integrity, and professionalism. As a result, their fame began to spread among the masses, simcha by simcha, until today they are widely acknowledged as the pre-eminent name in Jewish Orchestras. We are honored and proud to feature Nafshenu Orchestra as our cover story this issue.

From the Mailbag

I've received a lot of interesting emails recently in response to some of my posts. I've been extremely busy, so I'm just going to "dump" a bunch of them here w/o my thoughts.

(Note: When I post reader email, it doesn't neccesarily mean I agree with it... just that I think it raises a point worthy of consideration.)

Here are some excerpts…

"HaRebbe M'Lubavitch Hu Moshiach - V'Hu Yigaleinu... That struck me. I didn't know Avi P. was a dyed-in-the-wool meshichist. I may have to stop listening to his music. Then again, I listen to gospel choirs, so it's the same thing, right?"

"I happen to agree that the Moshav Band CD is awesome. My question is: When did the JPost wake up? If I'm not mistaken, the CD has been out since at least Chanukah of 5763, over a year ago. Are they going to review the Beatle's White Album next?"

"They don't particularly care, do they, because the *audience* doesn't know how silly the articles look, either. In corresponding with people on the Yahoo! Jewish Music group, I found that they either don't know the difference between they're, there, and their, so they have no clue that the phrase 'heart-rendering melodies' is funny, or they willfully ignore the over-hype and silliness--they pretend the articles are real and the albums are all uniformly amazing--and buy the music anyway.People who know good writing aren't going to give any JM fluff piece the time of day, except maybe to make fun of it. It's a lose-lose situation, because if they raise the quality of the writing, nobody will notice."

"Just like the secular business, we now have musical ignorami running record labels pushing out the worst kind of over produced, under-talented schlock. The JM in the AM - Sameach Music- Shea Mendlowitz- Adam Melzer cycle just digs a deeper groove of mediocrity, as what was once a simple little corner of the music business that attempted to provide an outlet for a small ethnic market has become just another way for some untalented, unmusical, uneducated hacks to make money."

"My best story is when a guy did kedushah to "cats" memories."

"This does not mean the JM business model is proper, correct, ethical or al pi Torah (all synonyms, I couldn't agree with you more). Perhaps I feel that you hold your colleagues to a higher standard, perhaps because you feel you are struggling to make that higher standard the norm. I can understand the frustration of being a lone voice of reason; my sister left a job where several supposedly frum people were not acting al pi halacha. Clearly the right thing to do is act in an ethical manner. The question is what can be done to change the system, and that was essentially my second point. If you can blog about what's good, what's quality, or even critique in an unoffensive manner (it's possible!) about what's not, maybe I could actually start visiting the Jewish music aisle again based on your recommendations."

"Chas veshalom to justify the behavior. What I'm trying to say is that for me, not being a business owner, not knowing the hardships of trying to lure corporate advertisers, it is wrong to judge since you know al tadun es chavercha etc."

And this is just some of it...

The Missing Song Lyrics

Here.

JM Interviews in Messianic Paper

This article was posted to the Yahoo Jewish Music group. It is the first of two parts that obviously were published in one of the "Meshichist" Lubavitch journals. The authors asked several JM performers three questions:
1) Do you have Moshiach songs in your repertoire, and if yes, how do
people respond to it?
2) Have you had a personal connection with the Rebbe or Chabad?
3) We are in the month of Adar, a month of joy and song. As a singer who brings joy to people, what do you think of Chassidic music today? Does the new sound we hear deserve the title of "Chassidic music?"

I think that the whole thing is quite revealing.

Here are some excerpts of their interview with Mordechai Ben David.

You popularized songs of Moshiach. What does your listening audience have to say about that?

I started it with "Moshiach, Moshiach," which was enormously popular throughout Eretz Yisroel, even among the nonobservant. I've said it before – the song's tremendous appeal is not altogether logical. The reason it became such a hit is simply because every Jew believes in the coming of Moshiach, so even when an nonobservant Jew hears the song, his spark is ignited. I am thrilled that the song was so well received by all sorts of people of all ages, including little children and seniors.

So you will certainly stand before Moshiach and sing. Have you composed a special song for the occasion?

Naturally, I will sing "Moshiach, Moshiach."

What do you think of Chassidic music today? Do you think it deserves the title "Chassidic?"

Unfortunately some music today is inappropriate. In my opinion it isn't only the style of the music, but also who is singing it. The first thing you have to know is who are the singers. Chassidus explains the effect a doer has on the person who receives. The early tzaddikim said that if you listen to a singer who is not a yerei Shamayim (G-d-fearing), it can have a negative influence.

I don't think I'm the biggest yerei Shamayim, but I try... I think that whoever loves music ought to be careful about this.

As far as the different musical styles today, I don't even have the time to listen to all the popular music. I try to get music back to its Chassidic roots.

Read the whole thing.

Bang It Out

DRUMMERWORLD: The DrumSolo Collection - from Steve Gadd to Dave Weckl

No 'splanation needed.

Music Activism

Downhill Battle takes on EMI over the Grey Album we mentioned last week here.

Recent Music Purchases

Picked up a bunch of CD's yesterday and listened to two so far.

Ben Perowsky's "Camp Songs" is an eclectic jazzy take on the tunes used for tefilah at the Jewish summer camp he attended as a child. The trio, led by Perowsky on drums, features my favorite pianist Uri Caine and bassist Drew Gress. Vocalists Oren Bloedow and Jennifer Charles (of goth pop group Elysian Fields) guest on "Birkat Hamazon." Standout tracks include "Yigdal" "Aleinu" and "Birkat Hamazon", but the whole thing is quite good.

Amazon has it here:


Tim Sparks' "Neshamah" features solo steel-string guitar explorations of traditional Jewish melodies from around the world. His arrangement of Brandwein's "Hora Mit Tzibeles" is beautiful.

"Meditations On The Ba'al Shem Tov's Melody" sounds like the tune I know as "Odom Harishon's Nigun", but his version of the A section is a little bit different from the way it is usually sung. The rehamonizations are interesting. "Freylich" is a tune I know as "Sherele", and the A section of his "The Shoemaker's Melody" is the same as the A section of Brandwein's "Terkishe Ya'ale V'yavo Tanz." This "sharing" of melodies is quite common in Klezmer. The Midde-Eastern and Balkan selections are nice too. According to Tim, despite being spread throughout so many regions, the genres covered retain a core harmonic vocabulary, and the tracks do all seem to fit together nicely.

Amazon has it here:


Both CD's are out on John Zorn's Tzadik record label, the musicianship is stellar, and I recommend both if you have an interest in Jewish themed jazz. Perowsky has reviews of Camp Songs on his website. Tim Sparks has reviews and sound clips on his website.

Fiddler Faddle?

The NY Post reports on the controversy over the B'way remake of Fiddler. Appearently, some feel it's not Jewish enough.

Via Jewschool

"American Chazzan" comes to FOX

The Knish reports, you decide!

Hot Time In The Old Heimishtown Tonight!

Heimishtown wants to hook Blog in Dm up with Aryeh Dworkin because she loves his music reviews. She's a little late, though. We blogged the Yanni 'dis she mentions over a month ago. In fact, we linked to a great JM article by Dworken last August. No shadchonus for you!

She also wants to know if anyone else feels that the cheese in my bagel each morning is spoiled.

Talk About Tasteless!

Yahoo News reports:"Advertising writers in Florida were planning to pitch hemorrhoid-relief products with a commercial featuring the Johnny Cash classic 'Ring of Fire,' but Cash's family said there's no way they will let it happen."

And While We're On The Subject

Here's miniguitars.com

The Guitar's Technological Crossroads

Interesting Tech Central Station article on evolutions in electric guitar technology.

Chevra Update

Following up on their concert at Brooklyn College last Sunday, "The Chevra" appeared live on JM in the AM this morning.

Here's some of the dialogue between host Nochum Segal and Chevra producer Eli Gerstner.

Note: The transcription isn't precisely word for word, but the substance is accurate.
Listen for yourself in the archives on the JM in the AM website. (of special interest is the one-man-band version of Yehai.

N: You sound much farther away then you are.
E: Broadcasted live from heaven.
N: Some would say the Chevra sounds heavenly

E: The concert was great!
E: Unbelievable crowd!
N: How were sales?
E: We only see the first two rows. Based on ticket sales we don't know exactly what it did/didn't sell.

N: Unbelievable! Those of you who that there's any type of machinery or gimmick that can make someone's voice sound a little different on a Chevra album, Eli Gerstner, I think we just proved that that's not the case.
E: [Sarcastically] We recorded the whole album in actually a couple of hours.

E: I knew we made it when a "chossonkallah" [Apparently it's one word. Ed.] said "two songs you can't play at my wedding – Yidden and Yehai. Yisroel Lamm told me that. He said "Eli, you made it." … If we're on the same level as Yidden, that's ok!

In related news…

Blog in Dm's YU Seforim Sale correspondent reports that the overwhelming female response to the Chevra 2 cover is "oh, my G-d, look how fat they've gotten!!!"

In general, we wouldn't comment about JM performers weight, but since the entire marketing/promotion of the Chevra has been geared towards objectifying the members and creating a "Jewish Boy Band", we feel that this is quite relevant.

Also…
Here's a favorable review of the show that notes

It was far from a sold out concert; the womens' section was practically empty and the balcony wasn't filled either, but the orchestra section was packed. The first few rows were full of overly enthusiastic girls who were waving hands and banners throughout.

Here's a less favorable review.

In fact, many of the follow-up comments on the Yahoo JM Group are of interest as well.

Finally, we've noted the rude behavior of many JM concert attendees before (for instance, here). Here's one person's description of their experience at Sunday's Chevra concert.

Look Who's Booking Gigs Now!

Online Tribute to William Hung a.k.a. Hong Kong Ricky Martin
Rumor has it he's angling for a slot in an upcoming Gerstner project.
A little "Auto-tune" should do the trick!

YU Seforim Sale

Stopped by the YU Seforim Sale today. Once again, the music section is selling rock CD's. I think that it's quite inappropriate. The fact that a band includes a Hebrew song or two on some of their albums and has released albums of Carlebach music ought not "kasher" a straight ahead rock CD; especially when the cover art uses immodest imagery that also incorporates elements of Avoda Zara and drug culture.

Amazon has one album I'm referring to here

The White Stuff

The BBC News is reporting that EMI has blocked distribution of "The Grey Album."

A DJ who has remixed The Beatles' White Album and rapper Jay-Z's Black Album to make The Grey Album has been ordered by record label EMI to stop it being sold. DJ Danger Mouse created The Grey Album using Jay-Z's vocals and beats made by sampling music on The White Album.

eBay Item Update

Sold!

The buyer also bought this! Think he'll be satisified?

Is There A Doctor In The House?

This week's Hamodia has an ad for One-Man-Band Elimelech Adler with a "Surgeon General's warning: music by Elimelech Adler has been found to cause 'Tanz all nightis'".