Mini Link Dump

One of the perils of being a Chassidic pop star is that people recognize you!

The Rebbetzin has been quoting Pink Floyd.

Here's an interesting NY Times article on children's entertainer Ralph Covert.

From the mailbag...

Arkady forwards the following link (Windows Media Viewer required) and writes:

If covered by the the Jewish Music star(s), or the next "stars shift", i.e. the Young Lions, this could become a BIG ONE, to dwarf all Chazaks and Moshiachs put together...

Then, imagine the nightmare for Avremi G having to notate that melody for the horn players to play it, and trade Letters A, B, C ... Z with the guitar and keyboard players?!

The TRUE NIGHTMARE would be for 1-Man-Bands...

I can see the OYLAM standing in front of 1-Man-Band bandstands, and monitoring the accuracy of the melody being stated! Then, the SINGERS would be subjected to the same test of accuracy!!!

This HIT could become a litmus test for Hasidic performers' excellence:)!!!! Kind of like "The Giant Steps" Yard Stick of Jewish Music...

Soon after, SIMILAR HITS would follow. I.e., if this MEGA HIT will come out under the name of Punjab Hora, then the follow up versions will be called The NEW Punjab Hora, in keeping with the Jewish music tradition...

Then the ladies dance instructors would dispense their choreographic genius onto the Jewish women!!!

Hopefully the keyboard players will resist the temptation of trying to outdo each other with the re-harmonizations of this MEGA HIT, i.e. A Fresh New Sound in Jewish music...

The PURISTS will insist on the ORIGINAL version, so not to throw the Jewish Paula Abdul's off their choreographic Masterpieces routines...

Eventually this SONG will turn Chazaks and Moshiachs into Jewish business' equivalent of Old Time Rock And Roll, or Satisfaction, and we all shall reminisce about the good old Erev Bar days:) ... when we didn't have to "double" on our WiFi laptops in order to rock the house that "offices-bands-orchestras" have built...

Aided by multi tracks laptops (?!), the bands will create the Sonic Ha Kotel upon which the Towering Guitar Solos shall be erected in order to whip the sea of black hats into a Halachicly Correct Frenzy, which will hopefully
culminate into musicians' Good News Code words uttered by a victorious band leader -- "We are going over... Half hour...", i.e. half hour OT (over time)!!!

I strongly doubt that this lingo will be too inside for anyone, with maybe the exception of John Coltrane's Giant Steps. But, hey, that's what http://google.com/ is for... :) or just ask a musician... :) And while at it, if need be, explain to that musician what OYLAM means:)...

Shalom Aleichem and Aloha onto yall:)...

Arkady
http://jewjazz.com/

BY of Monsey or Beis Feiga?

DovBear gets a wedding invitation.

More Matisyahu

Psycho Toddler shares some impressions of Matisyahu's concert last nigh at Turner Hall.

Reader "Who knows one" contributes two links:

A brief Denver Post review and Cleveland.com profile.

MC Hy-mish

The Forward reports. He's got an interesting mix of collaborators on his upcoming album, Wyclef Jean, the Dave Matthews Band, and cuban pianist Omar Sosa.

What's That About Artistic Integrity?

In a review of "Ne'imot Yitenu", Ben Jacobson observes:

Ne'imot Yiteinu was released independently, but following its release, the Shevet Ahim ensemble closed a deal with Noam Productions. This is especially encouraging for two reasons. Firstly, it indicates that even in the small niche market of Jewish music, it is possible for artists to move up.

Secondly, the fact that Noam Productions is interested in working with acts far outside the hassidic pop genre shows that even in Mea She'arim, a market exists for music that has far more artistic integrity and spirit than Mordechai Ben-David and his cookie-cutter peers.

1/26/ 04 Link Dump

Bloghead has a post on the chumra of the week.

Psycho Toddler gets the call for a dream gig... but it's on Yom Tov. Bummer!

Apparently, there's a huge demand for MIDI Bagpipes.

Rolling Stone repents.

And now, a musical interlude. Here's a pretty Jobim melody,"The Girl From Ipanema."

The All-mom bands are coming.

EMES sheet music is now up.

Finally, mentalblog has posted a link to a video clip of Matisyahu's appearance on Carson Daly's show. He's also posted a message to us.

Not Men At Work... Still from a land down under!

The Jerusalem Post reviews Yumi.

Questioning CD Distribution

Kyle Gann has a question about album release schedules.

I appeal to my experienced readers to settle a dispute. I have been told by a couple of artists that the only way to break through the wall of public indifference and get attention in the press is to have a lot of work come out at once. A CD will pass unnoticed; release three CDs in quick proximity and people will suddenly think you’re on a roll, and treat you as important.

Now, it just so happens that I may have the opportunity to put out three CDs in 2005. And one of the record producers just told me exactly the opposite: that if you put out two CDs in quick succession, one of them will compete with the other, and each will only get half the attention it might otherwise have. Both of these opinions have been given to me in the strongest possible terms, with the presumed weight of vast experience behind them.

Interesting question.

They're With The Band

Here's a Washington Jewish Week article on Jews in the U.S. Marine Band.

Music Articles

The Forward has an interesting piece by Seth Rogovoy on Sephardic Music

The Jerusalem Post has an article on the BBC documentary "Holocaust - A Music Memorial Film.

Googlewhacked!

Confidential to the person who found us via this Google Search. Need a wedding band?

Money for Nothing, Prunes for Free

James Lileks is looking ahead:

I expect to be picking out prunes as a 75 year old man, dimly aware that “Money” by Pink Floyd is playing overhead.

Inauguration Update

The inauguration will not not be takana compliant. Will any of the Agudah rabbonim attend?

Me too!

Instapundit is music blogging.

No he didn't... Aaron did.

The Klezmatics are preaching the klezmer gospel!

Ben J. Breaks It Down

Ben Jacobson reviewsBeyond Eden's debut effort.

Led by Toronto's Chayim Newman, who sings lead and plays rhythm guitar, these guys combine many fashionable flavors in an interesting manner: Beyond Eden's boy-band visual image, post-yeshiva cheekiness, and pop/hip hop/rock-reggae sound come together in a package that is highly marketable to today's Modern-Orthodox youth.

After opening its latest disc, On the D, with the obligatory Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach cover that must appear somewhere in every Jewish rock recording, Beyond Eden punches us in the face with its unique attitude in 'Avenue J (Which Way is the Scene)'- an ode to global Jewish late-teen aimless fun, pre-Shabbat loafing, and the pursuit of all things trendy.

On the platform of a Linkin Park-style mixture of boy band rap-lite and hard rock, Newman flows with too many lyrical gems to cite here. Rest assured, however, that MC Newman is known to 'Chap a shmef with my bunch of goons,' and likes 'To hear every girl from Michlala / Checkin' my Marzipan and goin 'Oooh La La.''

Via The Town Crier

Blogs on Matisyahu

Psycho Toddler weighs in.

SklarO World too.

But not MoC. Yet.

K'neged Kulam

Matt's shiur this week was on "Kedusha of a Nigun."

Klezmer stuff

the KlezmerShack informs of a new book containing transcriptions of thirteen doinas and seventeen kal bazetsns, most for the first time in print. The music was transcribed by Cookie Segelstein and Joshua Horowitz.

Also via the Klezmershack isBelfsMusic.com, a website hosting mp3's of recordings by Belf's Rumanian Orchestra.