Happy Simchas Beis Hashoevah!

On second thought, lets ban it!

9/25/07 Link Dump

Krum as a Bagel writes "Confusing Our Jewish Youth (In Song!)" (Hat tip, E.)

Shira Salamone doesn't like the musical choices the cantor at her shul has been making. Here is her take on his Rosh Hashana selections.

Here's a taste:

First, there were the usual Broadway tunes. But the "high point" of Kedushah was the cantor's apparent tribute to the recently-deceased Luciano Pavarotti: "Hu Kelokeinu, Hu avinu, Hu malkeinu, hu moshieinu (He is our G-d, He is our father, He is our king, He is our savior)" . . . to the tune of, would you believe, "La Donna é Mobile (Woman is Fickle, " from the Giuseppe Verdi opera "Rigoletto")?!!!

Here's her take on his Yom Kippur selections.

Yitz blogs about "Shlomo Katz's Alt-Neu Niggun."

THE LIFE-OF-RUBIN BLOG has had many of his YouTube videos deleted. A while back, he posted a clip of a guitarist for one of the big wedding bands massacring Niggun Neshoma at an affair. In an unusual coincidence, here's Eric Clapton playing that very solo note for note.

Zinger Not Included

Ever wondered what it would sound like if a "von-man-band" got a film scoring gig?

9/20/07 Link dump

Mordechai Shinefield rounds up Jewsapalooza for those who were gigging and couldn't make the show.

Alexander Gelfand reviews Alex Kontorovich's "Deep Minor" in "Whither Klezmer?"

Ben Jacobson lists his top 10 discs of the year in the Jerusalem Post. Ta Shma's promised review disc never arrived, but Hamaokor's "The Source" is on the review stack.

Hirhurim posts 'Why Rabbis Do Not Like Cantors."

Rabbi Avi Shafran: Yiddish Song Translator.

For those who haven't heard it, here's an audio sample of the banned Yiddish rap album.

Over at Jewschool, Rav Shmuel writes "Ortho-punk High Holy Days!"

Yoshie Fruchter was interviewed about his Beyond the Book project on The Book of Life.

From the mailbag...

Naftali writes:

You always suspected this... Click here.

Psachya writes:

Selections from the "request list" at a recent gig:

Ma Ma Ma
Ya Ma Mai
Yo Ya
Ai Didi Dai
Sha La La
Bag Bag
Numa Numa

Some recent verbal requests:
- During a Sephardic set: "Could you please play some Sephardic music?"
- During a "Yeshivish disco" set: "Could you please play some Jewish music?"
- During a yeshivish freilach set (requested by a Sephardic lady): "Would you please stop playing that JUMPING-UP-AND-DOWN music?"
- Before the beginning of a gig (asked by a teenager): "Will you guys play anything good tonight?" (Only possible response: "Nope. We only play bad music.")

Like you often say - you can't make this stuff up.

E. emails a link to JE's Pruzansky/Bald interview and notes that the album features "custom made arrangements."

He also forwards a link to Gershon Veroba's blog, American Jewish Music.

Speaking of JE...

D. wants to know why we haven't fisked a recent deceitful JE cover story containing a host of blatant lies, misleading statements, disingenuities, deceptions, misprepresentations, falsehoods and fabrications, inventions, prevarications, and whoppers. Chaim Rubin will be interviewing the editor after Yom Tov and has invited readers to submit questions. Why not use the opportunity to ask him?

High Holiday Musi(ci)ngs

On the plus side... no trifecta. Only Ein Aroch.

I believe I suffered through the worst setting of a Rosh Hashana piyut ever. That would be "Atah Hu Elokeinu...Dagul Mervavah etc." set to Shwekey's "Shomati." Four words per section. Ouch!

Passed the Conservative shul the next morning. They were singing "Ohr Chadash" to Carlebach's "Oseh Shalom". With live music. Me? I was on my way to hear the Shomati reprise. Shoulda bailed. Hashem woulda understood, right?

The Torah portion we read mentions the big party Avraham made when Yitzchok was weaned. We should bring those back! And have live music at them. It'd be a new niche. Talk about growing the market.

Synthetic Shofar

Given the interest in exotic instruments, I suppose this was inevitable. Note: According to Jewish tradition, a synthetic shofar is not acceptable for religious use.

The Old Man and the Peeps

"Too Much Personal Information Guy"

"Too Much Personal Information Guy" gets a Mazal Tov. His daughter had her first child this past December after nine years of trying to conceive. It's nice to meet you too! Oif simchas!

"The Pregnant Bride"
'nuff said!

"Take Your Religion and Shove It Gal"

This non-observant peep is having a traditional ceremony to honor her very Orthodox parents. Dinner will be mixed dancing with an American band. So, naturally, to walk down the aisle to the chupa, (for which Daddy has hired a klezmer duo), she wants the band to... DJ a recording of a breathy female singing "Time After Time." The Chassidic relatives are sure to love this one.

"The Salesman"

"The Salesman" is an ad rep for a local Jewish paper. He tries to sell the band an ad during the wedding. Did we mention that he's also the groom?

Cognitive Dissonance

Played a few heavy chassidic gigs recently...

At one affair, we had the volume significantly louder than we prefer; this was necessary to fill the room and accomodate the size of the crowd. At the event, we had several people come over at various points to say how annoying it is that the music at simchos these days is so painfully loud... and what a pleasure it is to hear low-volume music that allows them to talk and isn't headache-inducing.

At another, we had two people come over and compliment the music, especially the classical music. Interesting praise, considering we hadn't played any classical music all night; just chassidic nigunim, some klezmer, and one ballad each by Shalsheles and Lev Tahor.

These vignettes demonstrate that the affair you play may not have been the event the guests attended. Go figure!

Ban First, Censor Afterwards UPDATED

Emes V'emunah tells the truth!

The Rabbi Teitelbaum article we linked to earlier has been edited. Here's the expunged bit:

Things haven’t changed much since ancient times. Today, too, we have self proclaimed agitators and charlatans who have nothing to do with their time but to go around to our leading Torah sages and try to convince them that separate-seating concerts are a threat to our Yiddishkeit and to ban them. They falsely claim that there is pritzus in the hallways plus other fabrications. Exaggeration is a blood relative to falsehood, and almost as bad. A gossip is one who can give you all the details without knowing all the facts. Unfortunately, they often succeed in their mission. All it took was one Korach to convince the 250 heads of Sanhedrin of the holiness and purity of his mission.

UPDATE:
Now, Yeshivah World has removed the post entirely.

Things We've Heard About Our Music

One divorced woman told an acquaintance of ours: "The only nice memory I have of my entire first wedding experience was the music played by the band my ex-husband hired." A nice reference we'll never be able to use.

Another bride told a relative of ours that she loved the music on our demo (which she'd gotten from a friend) so much that she was planning to walk down to one of the songs at her wedding. Ironically, she never contacted us to inquire about having our band play the affair. Talk about missing the point of a demo CD.

Another client hired us to be the simcha music specialists for the one Jewish dance set at his wedding because he "loves our music and wants to have some updated repertoire instead of the same old hokey songs". After hiring us, he informs us that he wants to respect the American band's hora set. Instead of having us call the tunes, he wanted us to simply enhance the other band's Hava Nagilah set. So, we wind up sitting in with the American band for their set.

Here's their set list:
Hava Nagila
Tzena
David Melech Yisrael (yes, the one you learned in kindergarten)
Bashana Haba'a
Mayim
Am Yisrael Chai
Hava Nagilah reprise.

Musn't forget the reprise!!!

While You Were Out...

So, the KlezmerShack calls Blog in Dm a daily read, and we turn out to be on hiatus. Talk about timing. Thanks for the kind words, Ari.

Meanwhile, the other J-music blog he recommends, Teruah - Jewish Music, has been on a roll. Go check it out. Lots of great links. I'm digging Israeli band Boom Pam. Two electric guitars, drums, and tuba. SCHWEEEEEET!

9/5/07 Link Dump (fixed BlogThis! edition)

Cleaning out accumulated links...

Now they're banning Yiddish rap! Emes Ve-Emunah comments.

Catch the fat man in Bass Player! Nice piece!

It's Elul, and Pete Singer is doing teshuvah.

The Right Coast has more .

Amy Winehouse's shver: "Boycott Winehouse Albums!" Ah, tough love!

Gruntig posts "MBD Talks About The Song Yidden."

Yitz is "Respecting our Sages and Their Teachings."

Dixie Yid - Thoughts on life and Chassidus: R' Lazer Brody with Yosef Karduner at Yad Binyamin

Greatest line about Sen. Craig: "Guilty Feet Have Got No Rhythm"

Here's a nice tribute to Max Roach. Comes complete with sound clips.

Ben J.' is giving the ladies some attention.

You can't make this stuff up.

Turnabout is fair play!

PT on GV.

Keith Richards feelings are hurt!

Finally, here's a little Humoresque for y'all.

From the mailbag...

E. forwards a link to the new Pruzbomb release.

A Simple Jew forwards An Elul Message From SRV.

Psachya and PT forward "A Kosher Alternative", an article by Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum.

The bit about "Jewish Rock" at the end is weak, but in general, more people need to speak out on this.

Following up on "The Song Remains The Same?"...

An anonymous source close to Chanale emails that she never heard the original song, only knew the lyrics, and did not know where they came from. She'd seen the lyrics as a poem somewhere. She has updated her website and has contacted the original composers in order to pay any royalties and offer credit in future printings of the booklet. The Stone brothers have given permission and say that the original original source of the lyrics are from a poem written by Mrs. Kahn of Camp Hasc.

A-Musings

Some miscellaneous thoughts...

Blogger's "Blog This!" tool is fixed, so more links soon. It hasn't been working for me lately and made link posting a nuisance.

Is it just me, or is there something incredibly ironic about an office telling me to play standards because the client has unique musical needs?

Been having some fun with the whole Kutz brouhaha. Sunday night, I did the simcha specialist thing with a clarinetist on an American gig. They opened the ballroom for dinner with some smooth jazz. I told the clarinetist it made me feel like rushing to the bathroom and starting a maariv minyan.

Been discussing the smooth jazz maariv concept with some musician friends. The consensus appears to be coalescing around a punk maariv service as a better choice.

In the no good deed goes unpunished category...

Picked some beer with a hechsher up at a recent gig. Only thing in town with a hechsher. Turns out the hechsher is good, but the beer is a fundraiser for missionizing.

Klezmer Shack Goes Political - Gets Results

Over at the Klezmer Shack, Ari Davidow goes political and gets results. I'd been planning to link to his post in support, but before I'd managed to, the J-Post reports on ADL head Foxman's change of heart.

They must be kvelling at KlezKanada.

Who appointed Foxman anyway?

Watts Up!

Alexander Gelfand writes about drummer Elaine Hoffman-Watts in "She's Still Got the Beat."

This Post Is Banned!

ADDeRabbi satirizes the Jerusalem concert ban envisioning Uncle Moishy's last recording session.

The underlying point of how bans affect performers and musicians who have not done anything wrong, and are finding their parnassah opportunities taken away, is one that the Rabbis sigining these bans need to publicly address.

It's not just about concerts. The Agudah did the same thing with its takanos on wedding band sizes. The notion that someone can take away a person's legitimate parnassah, let alone an entire industry, without addressing said loss of income and their responsibilities to those affected is bizarre, and creates a huge chilul Hashem.

What did these people expect would happen when they suddenly banned a show (that followed their previously established guidelines) just days before. Who is supposed to assume the financial loss that would have resulted had the ban worked? Simply put, it's rishus, and I don't say this lightly. The people who instigate or support these bans have an obligation to those financially affected by them.

The Bandleader Makes All The Difference

I recently had the experience of playing two gigs with the same band. Only thing was, the sign on the bandstand (and the drummer) was different. It was one freelance gig apiece for two different offices.

It was interesting to see how the musicians responded to the featured vocalists who were leading each gig. The affairs were similiar MO weddings with similar repertoire. One affair was unpleasant to play (from when the singer arrived after the cocktail hour) while the other was a lot of fun the whole time. The other musicians kept contrasting the two gigs. I think the difference comes down to respect. On the first gig, many of the musicians felt the singer didn't respect them. On the second gig, they felt respected and appreciated and it came across in their playing.

Personally, I didn't have issues with with either singer, but I felt the other musicians sentiments were affecting their playing. Obviouly, it's more fun to play a gig here everyone is into it, rather than one where some people are feling disrespected.

Thing is, I'm pretty sure the first vocalist is pleased with how the gig came off and has no idea of how many of the musicians perceive him and his behavior towards them.

Surprise! Its A Machlokes!

In a recent post, we presented Rav Ovadyah Yosef's approach to the issue of using romantic melodies for davening.

Now, the rest of the story...

The Tzitz Eliezer (Vol. 13:12) rules that it's forbidden to sing kaddish/kedusha to shirei agavim. He says its a toevah to put divrei kedusha in begadim tzo'im. He says it's a ma'aseh Satan to get people to sing tunes which bring a loss in the purity of one's kavana both knowingly and unknowingly.

He argues that the melody is the essence of the song (re'ach hashir) and many times conveys the meaning independently of the lyrics. He dismisses the argument some make that it won't affect them as "just words". And, he writes, it certainly causes the hamon am to have improper thoughts.

He explains his ruling: The Rif writes that a shat"z who is meranen b'shirei arev (it doesn't have to be during tefilah) is given a warning. If he doesn't stop, he is removed from his position.

he cites the Rema who rules like the Rif. There is a question as to whether the text of the Rema reads "Shirei Agavim" (romantic songs) or "Shirei Nochrim" (secular songs). The Magen Avraham reads "shirei nochrim." The MA quotes the Sefer Chassidim (238) re:teaching a priest and says the Rema is referring to tunes that are used for Avodah Zara.

The Tzitz Eliezer takes issue with this and says that this is not the Rema's reason. Rather, the Rema holds like the Rif that shirei agavim are always assur and the Sefer Chassidim is adding that shirei avodah zara are assur. He then quotes the Sefer Chassidim (768) re: one who has a good voice, and points out that it doesn't say anything about avodah zara there because 9he claims) it refers to shirei agavim.

He brings the Radvaz says that the Rif (when he writes shirei arev) means shirei agavim and since the Rema is based on the Rif... (this works better if you're gores "shirei agavim" in the Rema.)

He argues that even the Bach and Magen Avraham, who interpret the Rema as referring to shirei avodah zara, would agree that shirei agavim are assur. It's a kal vachomer. (This is Rav Waldenberg's interpretation of the Bach. The pashtus is otherwise.)

He brings the Ma'aseh Rokeach says it's assur and may also be a violation of u'vechukoseyhem lo seyleychu.

Ra Waldenberg then points out that although the Chida critiqued the Ma'aseh Rokeach (re: Maharam Lunzano) he didn't take issue with his psak.

He argues that the chachamim who sang nigunei nochrim didn't know the source so it didn't affect them. (I find this assertion hard to believe. Also, it seems to conflict with his idea of the melody being the "re'ach of the song.) He writes that those who know where the melodies come from are affected by them.

He cites Krach Shel Romi and vehemently disagrees.

He brings the Divrei Chayim, who writes about those who use shirei agavim for tefilah: "oy lahem lepsaim halalu areyley lev, eyn tevunah bahem."

The Tzitz Eliezer quotes Shu'T Ziknei Yehuda (R' Yehuda Aryeh of Modena) who praises professional quality singing by chazzanim and say repeating words during tefilah is permissible. He says to ignore him because he was a kofer and a gambler.

This concludes the summary of the Tzitz Eliezer's responsa.

In a related note, the Yosef Ometz (quoted in Minhag Yisroel Torah) says it's forbidden to use secular tunes for davening, and says we shouldn't try to be smart and say that they stole the tunes from us in the times of the Beis Hamikdash. That's an approach I've seen some in the J-blogosphere take and it strains credulity. At any rate, here's a Chassidic source that doesn't accept that approach.