Some links

The Bet Shemesh community is raising funds. Their project introduces a Hesder Soldier from our neighborhood, Elie Deutsch. It presents him to you as a son, a soldier, and a musician. We are selling a downloadable album of his music combined with audio clips (recorded from the phone) of him and his comrades from the Northern front. All proceeds of the sale go to various charitable efforts, to help soldiers, people in shelters in the North, and people displaced from the North. Visit the American Chayal Home Page to participate.

Rabbi Avi Weiss spent last week in Israel. He kept a diary of his trip.

As we left the hospital and started to climb the Carmel to Jesse’s home, I felt overwhelmed by all the pain I had seen. Jesse turned to me and said it looks like you need a psychiatrist. He pulled out a CD of my dear friend, Elli Kranzler, a professional psychiatrist and brilliant soul singer at our Bayit in Riverdale. Elli and his daughter, Ravital were singing the haunting words of the Psalm, Gam Ki Elech-“Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You are with me.” On the right side of the car, I could see the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Above our heads, the heavens sprinkled with fluffed white clouds, and on our left, the Carmel housing projects neatly tucked into the mountains, beautifully built by the people of Israel. It all seemed so peaceful, and yet we were walking in the valley of darkness. For the first time during this visit, tears came to my eyes.

Bagel Blogger has posted an anti-Nasrallah music video.

Yihyeh Tov

In today's Jerusalem Post, Barry Davis writes about "Braving the North with David Broza".

There's A War On...

... and I'm not feeling like posting the usual at the moment. Back soon. Hopefully. Et litschok v'et livkot; et milchama v'et shalom.

Robert Zimmerman Lyric

Today's Dylan lyric: "Neighborhood Bully".

From the mailbag...

Ron Benvenisti writes:

I carry a sound pressure meter (fits in my pocket) to Simchas. When I see people getting uncomfortable about the db level, especially the elderly and children (who start to cover their ears) I show the management the reading in real-time when it's above the safe threshold and have the photographer shoot it with a date-timestamp. This is very effective, especially when you give him your lawyer's business card.

Check out my Torah Music (that's what it is) at: www.soundassets.com

You will not be disappointed - Mamish -

Thanks for the air-time,

Ron

V-blogging

Psycho Toddler has been on a V-blogging binge, posting video clips of his band opening for Foreigner.

While we're talking video, here's a Scottish take on Piamenta's Turkish Kiss knock-off, Kol Hamesameach.These guys clearly have way to much free time.

Welcome Back, Ben!

Ben Jaconson is writing again at the Jerusalem Post. Here's a Shlomo Katz profile.

From the mailbag...

Jordan writes:

Menagenet writes about song parodies. The fact that a song is a parody is what makes it permissible to use on recordings such as Schlock Rock. What is not acceptable is the lifting of rock tunes or movie scores and placing them wholesale into arrangements or melodies of Jewish recording with no parodic intent. At least that is how it was explained to me. Lenny Solomon actually made extensive inquiries into what his legal obligations were and this is what was told to him AFAIK.

The Pischu Li that's been going around on the web I believe is from one of those Theodore Bikel/Hankus Netsky concerts on PBS featuring the Klezmer ensemble from NEC and a local gospel choir in Boston.

I think that part of the issue is determining what constitutes a parody. Taking a melody and setting pesukim or lyrics to it doesn't implicitly make it one. I believe the law is unsettled to some extent with regard to whether the parody lyrics need to be spoofing the original version.

Dov Levine writes:

The clip is from a Theodore Bikel Passover special that aired on PBS some years ago. The audio CD is here:

http://www.yiddishstore.com/theodbiketal.html

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/customer-reviews/B000005YVU/701-7220197-1817103

My favorite segment was the Matzoh Ball demonstration by Chasia Segal, clip among these:

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?z=y&EAN=11661315921&ITM=3

A Simple Jew forwards a link: Anshel's Wife: I can't get no satisfaction

From the mailbag...

Rafi G. forwards a link to the Simchat Yechiel - Kol Berama Choir - CD preview page as well as some mp3's. His wife composed two of the songs.

Menagenet writes:

I came across your blog while Googling for "lo talin pe'ulat sachir itcha ad boker". I was surprised that my transliterated spelling actually matched someone else's.

You cited where it was from, and I wanted to tell a friend..a musician who had not been paid promptly by one of the club date offices. I have a background of both Orthodox Judaism and the club date world.

I came across your posts about song parodies, and about how outside the traditional style(s) much of today's recorded Jewish music is.

I couldn't agree more with most of what you said. Jewish music as played at contemporary simchot does not come across from the folk music traditions (Eastern European and Middle Eastern) out of which it arose. It's true that all styles evolve over hundreds of years....But many of my friends acknowledge that if they had to play I IV V all night long, every night, with no fun substitutions and reharmonizations/variations, they'd go NUTS..They reharmonize out of boredom..to try and make the music more interesting to THEM.

There is some "shtick" that is for the audience.....breaks, a capella bits, and so forth. That's very nice. I must admit, guiltily, that I love what the really good ones do when they transcend stylistic boundaries with "cool" chord changes and other such rearrangements...But it's still not the traditional style...

Frankly, I don't think most guests at a wedding would notice all that much if the keyboard player substituted the occasional Dmin7 with a Bmin7(b5), and resolve downward to A7 to Dmin7....Carlebach was a folk composer. Like his music or not, he didn't hire fancy arrangers to reharmonize his stuff to make it sound like Kenny G outtakes with busy string counterlines which get in the way of the vocal, and horn hits out of 1980s pop records.

Bob Dylan didn't need fancy tensions in his chords to write what is often cited as the greatest rock and roll song of all time˜"Like A Rolling Stone".

One other point: Almost no one in the Orthodox world seems to get that recording and /or selling (which includes live performance) song parodies without obtaining permission (when necessary) paying appropriate mechanical royalties, and performance royalties to the original composers/publishers, is stealing in the name of God. If there's any mitzvah involved in bringing rock and roll with a Jewish message to kids, isn't it a mitzvah ha'ba'ah b'aveirah? I brought this up to a few of the parodists in the Jewish world. One told me that the owners of the original songs would have to catch him first, and they never would because his albums are too small time. Real good stuff, huh? :) ..I'm sure God's very impressed. Another had the nerve to tell me (in more vulgar language) that stealing from someone who's not Jewish isn't the same as stealing from a Jew. How disgusting.

It's really funny to watch these Orthodox Jews (and others too, of course) invoke God to promote their political or personal agendas, but who go on to steal in His name, in violation of Torah Law AND Copyright Law. Cute, huh? They send their kids to yeshiva, and give "charity" with money they should be paying to music publishers and composers. Enough ranting.

Welcome aboard, sister!

Richard R. writes:

Have you any information on the source of the gospel Pischu Li -- the date and location of its performance and the soloists and choir? It is dated 5/30 and comes from Shmuel.

Anyone know the source?

From the mailbag...

E writes:

Speaking of simcha hall anomalies, does anyone remember "La Mer" overlooking the cemetary on Ocean Parkway?

Yet another anon writes:

I'm still in the thick of the June season, and will address the hall anomalies in a future letter. Just one quick story to share. I was setting up in the White Shul a few years ago, when a guest approached Meir the maitre-d' and said, "Why the heck is your guy setting up shnapps & cake in the bathroom?" I never saw Meir run so fast. "NOT THE MEN'S- ROOM!" he shouted. "THE MEN'S ROOM! THE CHOSSON TISCH!"

MySpace/YourSpace

I've gotten several emails from J-musicians with links to their Myspace pages. So far, I haven't posted any of them. Here's why.

I'm conflicted about linking to MySpace. in general, I try to avoid links that are inappropriate for segments of my regular readership. As I see it, Myspace has some real issues in that reagrd. I do know that they've made an effort to clean up, since being bought, but there's still a ways to go.

For example, one young frum musician has links on his page to/from er, adult entertainment models. I'm reasonably sure that this resulted from his naivette about how Myspace works and his willingness to "add" friends to up his own visibility. In many other cases, I've seen posts/comments that either have pics or link to the kinds of images I make a conscious effort to avoid.

On the other hand, there are some interesting Jewish musicians out there whose only web presence is on Myspace, and who don't have anything offensive or inappropriate on their pages...

I suppose I should figure out a clear linking policy, but my current approach seems to be working fine, for the most part. I'll give this topic some more thought and perhaps write more later.

From the Mailbag... still more

S. writes:

What about elevatorless La Perville's A"H? For Guests also!

How come in every hotel, the management gives you problems for keeping your equipment cases in between the side of the stage and wall?(in that 4 inch space)

The bathroom guy at Excelsior Grand is a little bored these days. Saw him reading a book on a chair next to the sink a couple of weeks ago.

OK, now here is a really hard question. What the heck do you need a guy sitting in the john giving out napkins for? Is that classy? I think can manage myself.

from the mailbag... more wedding hall anomalies

J writes:

And from the chasidishe point of view,

Must I eat only Potato “Ki-Gel” and Cabbage and Noodles every night?

Ever had an overenthusiastic crowd of people dancing in a formation of moving walls, backwards no less, slam into the poor unfortunate musicians that are sitting in front of the bandstand?

Did you know that for ten bucks the Rent-A-Guard that chain smokes outside of Ateres Chaya all night will sell you the rights to the parking spot right in front of the hall?

Do you really think that a bunch of guys singing in a scale that has yet to be identified  really care that the Chosson and Kalla actually requested special music for the Chupa?, or that their parents dished out a lot of money for Misha & Co. to play it for them?

Of course I had equipment disappear from the band stand,, I actually had a “GUITAR” disappear, turns out, one of the waiters was doing me a favor, he  “put it away” for safekeeping.

I love the song Ya-Ma-Mai, and I don’t care which version or chord progression, or rhythm you use,,, but hey,  enough is enough,,, let’s try something new? (Bag-Bag?)

I can not make a band that is playing acoustically at the K.P.  any lower then they already are, unless there is a mute for a flute that I havn’t seen yet.

Is it me? Or do singers at Weddings, shiny shoes, or boots for that matter, suffer from “Selective Hearing Disorder”? they can never seem to hear themselves no matter how loud the monitor is.

E writes:

Speaking of hall anamolies from a non musician's perspective... How about all those main hall entrance doors at Ateres Avrohom that are really the back wall of the bandstand?

How about that chosson/kalla "entrance" at the Rose Castle that is never timed right between the band and that silly elevator door?

Speaking of foreign bathroom attendants singing Jewish songs, have you met the napkin dude in the mens room at Marina that sings Od Yishama though he is sick of the song?

You can spend 5 hours at Terrace on the Park and never know that some of your closest friends were there due to the fact that the hall is long and narrow and you were on opposite sides.

The long hike to the chuppah when taking place outdoors at Crest Hollow.

The noisy traffic/subway chuppah outdoor on the roof next to the train tracks on New Utrecht at Ateres whatevertheheck its called (actually i think im thinking of the wig store place).

The very poorly constructed makeshift dancefloor in hotels, paticularly the Brooklyn Marriot.

The halls that have very strictly law abiding "no smoking" signs and ushers who enforce said rule, yet there are still tall ashtrays at every entrance and cigarette vending machines in the lobby.

He also writes:

speaking of the Surf Club - those chuppahs are stinkiest - smells like the surf!

Other stinky smelling chuppahs include the outdoor ones at Marina (not to mention helicopters flying by drowning out the music).

Mini Link Dump (Michael Brecker Update edition)

Here's a New York Sun review of Herbie Hancok's Carnegie Hall show. Michael Brecker was a surprise guest.

Introducing "One-Finger Snap," from the 1964 album "Empyrean Isles," Mr. Hancock told the crowd that the tune "really needs a horn player," which proved the cue for the major surprise of the evening. The tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, who has been out of commission while fighting the effects of myelodysplastic syndrome for the last three years, strode onstage triumphantly, as if he had never been away, as the sold-out house leapt to its feet in approval.

Now a quartet, the four men came together in a way I have rarely seen in an all-star jazz concert, and they tore through Mr. Hancock's oft-recorded composition. When Mr. Brecker reached his high note, almost a multi-phonic climax, it felt like the kind of moment many in the hall would someday tell their grandchildren about.

Chaim has been emailing Dschingis Khan.

From the mailbag...

David Linn sends a link to a musical post he put up on Beyond Teshuva this morning, "Live on the Radio: The Seeds of Teshuva of a Nascent Rock Star".

Another clubdater comments on "Wedding Hall Anomalies":

Two things about Marina come to mind.
There was an old bathroom attendant at the Marina who used to sit next to the sinks and eat a main course while talking to guys sitting on toilets doing whatever it is they do, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. He always had the Yankee game on his radio, and he must have been a retired well connected mobster, because he used to get the game in the middle of January.

I have had similar experiences with Tommy, the manager at Marina about keeping the Bandstand clean. The truth is, that hall may be very popular, but it's management has been overtly anti Semitic at times, and its a shame most people don't know it.

A frequent wedding goer writes:

How about how in every hall, no matter where or when or how many avaialable electrical outlets there are or aren't, the music is just too darn loud always? Sorry - it has been a busy June season, and every bandstand was unique and different, except for the same unreasonable, abnormal, deadly deafaning volume of the music.

Obviously, he hasn't been attending the right affairs.

From the mailbag... Wedding Hall Anomalies

A clubdater writes:

Wondered if we could start a string talking about wedding hall anomalies….weird stuff that no one can explain…but that we all deal with as club dating musicians….

For example:

Eden Palace- cloth bibs hanging in the urinals, stalls that are so small u cant fit in them, and a wall that (of course) has to go right through where the band has to set up

The mysterious urinal in the middle of nowhere in the corner of the bathroom in the Concorde plaza….and everything else about the Concorde Plaza

Orion Palace- No electricity ANYWHERE near where the band has to set up (yet a MASSIVE top of the line - full back line and sound- set up on the stage at the end of the room for the Russian night club).

The famous Sephardic Temple ice (which apparently makes the urinals not smell according to a high level informant at the hall).

The beverage blender that plays an F# at the Sands….and that they always seem to use it at the most inopportune time…

The residual Bb overtone at El Caribe.

Grand Prospect Hall….need I say more….

Why we can’t park in the Marina parking lot….yeah, yeah….we know someone once broke a panel in the door…..I was actually and- I say this firsthand- physically threatened there…. “You see how nice the floor looks now? It better look that way when you leave….” Told to me while my hand was squished by a rather large gentleman….

Terrace on the park- have u ever tried to leave after a gig, only to be stuck behind mountains of garbage, bar carts, caterer boxes and the Puerto Rican waitress singing Veyaidu?

Surf Club- ever played a chuppa with the entire swim club standing around and watching in their bathing suits?

The outlet in the floor of the Rose Castle stage….that invariably gets knocked out at some point….

I am sure there are plenty more….but that is all that comes to mind at this moment…..

And in closing….

Ateres Avrohom- every club daters DREAM….best food, the band does not move, and you can walk into the kitchen and ask the chef (during service for a 800 person wedding) for a main and he willl usually say “SURE” and give you one…(I once got a tray of steaks for the whole 10 pc band-….where else could you even think of doing something like that?). The staff always tells you what they want ahead of time, there is CONSTANT communication… …BEST HALL IN THE BUSINESS HANDS DOWN form a clubdaters point of view. (I knew I was in trouble when at a recent gig, I was able to look at the shmorg table and immediately pick out which of the 100 items on the table was new to the menu – it was the carrot muffins btw….)

Oh, Man! I could go on for hours.

Here are a few...

Ever played a chupa on Ocean Parkway... during rush hour?

Ever played a shul with NO exposed available outlets?

How about a hotel with no outlets on the band's side of the room?

What about a venue where the caterer insists on a one hour dance set for an older couple's wedding, because the food is nowhere near ready?

How about those dives in Brooklyn or Belle Harbour who give the band more attitude than the ritziest upper-crust private clubs in Manhattan?

Have you had staff at a venue steal equipment from the stage while you were playing the chupa?

Why was there a female bathroom attendant in the men's room at one popular Five Towns venue on Memorial Day?

I'll stop here for now so others can chime in.

From the mailbag...

Nextbook's Alissa Neil writes:

We thought you would be interested in the following audio feature on Galeet Dardashti, the lead singer of the Austin-based band Divahn, the only all-female ensemble performing Mizrakhi-influenced music (Jewish music from the Middle East and North Africa) in the US, just posted to Nextbook:

"Galeet Dardashti, granddaughter of acclaimed singer Yona Dardashti, talks with Sara Ivry about the Arab-Jewish music craze currently taking-off in Israel and shares samples of her own songs along with some of her Grandfather’s."

Here's the link.

Ozer writes:

Can you recommend any CDs or downloads for Yiddishe niggunim played on harmonica (any key)?

zei g'bencht & kol tuv.

I'm not aware of any specifically yiddishe music projects featuring harmonica, but I'd reccomend checking out Shtreiml, a klezmer band featuring great harmonica playing. Also, harmonica wiz Howard Levy has recorded some jewish music too. Finally, the Diaspora yeshiva Band features harmonica on some of their recordings as well.

Michael Chusid forwards a letter he apparently sent to the jewish Press.

Drear Jewish Press,

I am no longer a supporter of the Yisheva Boys Choir. This change of heart has absolutely nothing to do with the boys themselves. Those fine young men sing with their hearts and souls and with the sincerity of a child. Their support staff on the other hand is a whole another issue. I forwarded an e-mail to them regarding a particular track on one of their cds. I have been searching for the lyrics for weeks now. I tend to lose thngs more easily then I would like to. I have lost the lyrics to that particular track and asked if the staff at YBC would be kind enough to e-mail me a copy of it. Simple enough request one would think. Not in their way of thinking it seems. I received a response e-mail glowing with how happy they were that I
enjoy their music and all. It came replete with a gazillion links to sites at which even more products might be purchased by them. On the subject of the lyrics, An individual by the name of Avi indicated to me that he had sent me an attachment of the lyrics in question. I have that e-mail and it contains 0 attachments. My point is simply this. I am old school. I believe that if you treat those that purchase your products/services it will sustain continued support from those supporters. If you however only attempt to gouge people by giving them more and more links to products without adding a little common business sense then that support sours. And the support by me has soured to the point that it would make a lemon blush. Is the cheapness of refusing to email the lyrics to KOL HASHEM by the Yisheva Boys Choir that dear to their hearts, that of the support staff, that they would chance allienating former supporters ? It seems so. The boys are great. G-d forbid they should pick up any of the business practices of their support staff, especially Mr. Avi. It,s really a shame that we treat one another in such a vein. We have so many that hate us. Do we need to treat one another with such rank cheapness ?

Seems more than a tad over the top. I'd bet the attachment was accidentally omitted and that a follow up email would have quickly resolved the issue.

Update: Sruly from Sameach music (YBC's distributor) sends in the lyric Mr. Chusid requested.

6/25/06 Link Dump

Heichal HaNegina reports the passing of the Modzitzer Rebbe ZT"L.

The Forward has an article on the Klez revival in Russia, "Klezmer in the East Looks to the West for Guidance".

Psycho Toddler posts about playing during avelus.

Emes Ve-Emunah has a pair of posts on Wedding Takanos and Lavish Bar Mitzvahs.

Trumpeter Ken Watters has written a JAZZ MUSICIANS' PROTOCOL.

Shira Salome went to Girls' Night On again.

CIRCUS TENT discovers "The Hasidic Nigun As Sung By The Hasidim". I mentioned that release here. It's an excellent resource. Actually, if any of our readers has this and wants to help, our disc 2 got damaged and will only play the first 8 tracks.

Dag posts: "Great save by Uncle Moishy's Mitzvah man..."

NY Times Remembers German

The NY Times has published an obituary for German Goldenshteyn Z"L.

Are Jewish Bands Price Gouging? (part 3)

Steven I. Weiss comments on "Are Jewish Bands Price Gouging?" and canonizes "Band in Dm." Thanks much!