Continuing my review of Rabbi Ephraim Luft's "The Torah Is Not Hefker"...
Here are some comments on Chapter 1 - The Influence of Music.
Rabbi Luft introduces this chapter as follows.
There are many people who have been led to think that there are no bad influences in music. They assume that if we do not find any prohibition mentioned by our Rabbis of previous generations to refrain from listening to any type of music, then everything is permissible. We do find one place in Chazal in Chagiga 15, that tells us that the Tanna Elisha Ben Avuya was influenced to become an apikorus by listening to a Greek song. This seems to imply that there did exist in the Geek music of that period bad influences that could corrupt the soul. This does not mean that all types of non-Jewish music are bad, as we find that over the generations our Rabbis permitted to use non-Jewish melodies even for Kaddish and Kedusha [see Birchei Yosef O'CH 560 and Pri Megadim O"CH 53, E"HAE 14].
This opening paragraph is very relevant, because Rabbi Luft here essentially concedes that he's making this whole prohibition up, a fact that the rest of the book tries very hard to obscure.
It's important to note that, here too, Rabbi Luft is distorting his Torah source. The Gemara in Chagiga 15B does not say Acher (Elisha ben Avuyah) was influenced to become a heretic by "listening to "A" Greek song" [italics mine]. It says "Zemer Yevani lo pasak mipumeih"; i.e. he was always singing Greek songs [lit. Greek song did not cease from his mouth]. In other words, even without getting into the definition of "Greek song", we can already clearly demonstrate that Rabbi Luft has incorrectly cited a source. "Greek song" is worthy of its own post. Perhaps I'll write on the subject after going through the rest of the book in a general sense.
This chapter also contains the following:
We see therefore that our rabbis also mentioned that music has beneficial and detrimental influences. But we should ask why there is nothing mentioned by the Gedolim of Europe on this subject [as we find that the only type of goyishe music that they prohibited was music of avoda zara and shirei agavim (love songs), where the bad influence is essentially in the words, and not in the music]. The answer is that European music until the 20th century was generally clean and respectable, and did not contain negative influences. Therefore we see that those Gedolim who did write about harmful music were the ones who live among the arabs, whose music is full of immoral content...
he then cites a quote from Kaf Hachaim who prefers that chazzanim shouldn't use melodies based on Maqam for kaddish and kedusha because they bring "hirhurim ra'im". [bad thoughts].
Rabbi Luft is forced to take this position because he is well aware of the numerous secular European melodies adopted by the chareidi community, especially various Chassidic communities.
Rabbi Luft ignores the fact that this is true of the Sephardic communities from Arab countries as well. They too have adopted many secular melodies from the local culture. Kaf Hachaim's opinion is one side of a well-known debate amongst Sephardic poskim over the years. The common practice in those communities has been to accept the use of those melodies. Indeed many Sephardic poskim to this date (including Chacham Ovadya Yosef) permit this. In his responsa Yechave Da'as II:5, Chacham Yosef includes a list of great Sephardic Chachamim who condoned the practice of using the melodies of Arabic love songs for Kaddish and Kedusha. Whether he is unaware of, or deliberately misrepresenting the reality, Rabbi Luft is once again shading the truth in his pursuit of his agenda. There is no distinction between the communities in this regard. There is is only a Euro-centric bias, here.
Citing a minority opinion as authoritative is not reflective of how the Halachik system operates. It's also intellectually dishonest. Either Rabbi Luft is being misleading here, or else he is opining in ignorance.
Rabbi Luft also describes the musical changes of the 20th century:
New forms of popular music appeared with a new purpose to promote immorality, rebellion, and violence. The results can be seen on the street. This musical anarchy has already destroyed the last two generations of modern society, and over the past 25 years has been creeping into chareidi music by means of irresponsible singers, arrangers, and producers who do not seem to care about our spiritual welfare.
For Rabbi Luft, the blame for anything negative in society can be traced back to music. It's always cause, never effect. This is not a very nuanced position. It's not an accurate one either.
Next in the series will be a look at Chapter Two - Quotes from Newspapers and Books on "Rock and Roll".
Avromy Ackerman forwards a link to a Nir Naaman saxophone solo.
I think you’ll get a kick out of this. At 6:38 in the link which I’m including, in the middle of a round of five saxophonists trading twos, Nir quotes a popular Jewish song for his full solo!
I use both Finale and Sibelius. Personally, I find Finale easier to use, and I find that "real-time" entry from the keyboard is much more accurate with Finale. Sibelius is less forgiving, and frequently becomes very quirky by inventing its own rhythms on the manuscript. Has anybody else had this problem? An old DOS program, MusicPrinterPlus, had the best processor for "real-time" entry. Just thought I'd pass that along.
Personally, I've gotten better results from Sibelius vs. Finale in that regard.
The only problem with your whole theory is that e natural is not part of the melody. Not how the song goes. Could be implied and suitable to the mode, but it’s an embellishment. I therefore still stand by what I said, that the fraygish mode takes its ingredient from the harmonic minor and if an e natural is introduced it is not germane to the mode but rather an anomaly, which is why it’s accidental is not in the signature.
Nope. It’s part of the melody. That’s my point. Some people sing it without and that’s the common variation, as I noted, but I think the original version had the E natural. I suspect that it evolved this way because of this non-familiarity with modes. Just like the wrong Gm ending to Eishes Chayil everybody sings, which is not that old a song, and clearly ends on D.
It’s an accidental because it’s different (natural or minor) depending on where in the mode you’re coming from/going to. In either event, the E natural is not suited to C Harmonic Minor.
We’ll have to agree to disagree.
On the same topic, Jordan Wosnick writes:
Just a note of appreciation about the blog. I am Jewish, and an occasionally-semi-pro jazz musician -- so the lead sheet idea is not foreign to me. But not a "Jewish musician" (I don't play Jewish events typically) so your analysis (especially the mode structure of the music) was interesting. I take turns at SHa"Tz duties at shul so the modes are "in my head", but I don't have a theoretical understanding of them -- at least not on the level of traditional jazz theory.
Can you recommend any books (in English) on traditional Jewish music theory?
Pete Sokolow has a very useful essay on Klezmer modes in The Compleat Klezmer. Amazon has it here:
Josh Horowitz wrote a wonderful article, The Main Klezmer Modes which is hosted at the Klezmer Shack.
I'll admit this to be a total nitpick, but I couldn't resist. In addition to everything else, Rabbi Luft owes an apology to all Bobover Chassidim for describing what is probably their most famous nigun as a "Vizhnitzer" chupa song. (I bet he probably loves Arkady's version...) :-)
I can get you a band,,, just have someone cover the gas and tolls!
See, that wasn't too hard. There are now two public offers to cover the music for this event at no charge (assuming the details are as presented in the original post).
Over at Orthonomics, Sephardi Lady is upset about a tzedakah request sent to the Five Towns list server on behalf of a Bar mitzvah boy whose family recently lost their business. The post asked for the following:
money for music clothes food hall prizes for kids candy to throw
SL criticizes the pork in the post.
I have a different perspective. I agree about the need to direct tzedakah money more appropriately, rather than to luxuries. However, we are also taught that the obligation to give tzedakah is according to the recipient's needs -- even if those needs are not necessary, like a horse to ride and a servant to run before him. (Rambam, Hilchos Tzedakah, 7:3). Enabling a child to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah in a manner similar to that of his peers is important, and even worth spending tzedakah money on. In my opinion, it falls into the category of "dai mechsoro" as defined by the Rambam cited.
That said, this does not mean that the first approach should be to throw money at the problem. Take music, for example. There are many musicians who, in cases of genuine need, would be glad to play for a reduced rate, or even volunteer their services, assuming the event does not conflict with their paid bookings.
It is important to educate the community about the need to moderate unnecessary expenditures in tough financial times, but it's unfair to insist it be done at at a child's expense, when there is an alternatives. A cheap or dull Bar Mitzvah party can have especially strong social ramifications in that specific community. Whether it's fair or not, it is the reality.
I'm reasonably certain that, with creative thinking, most of the items on this list could be obtained without the need to raise money. Obviously, people donating their time or goods is money, in a sense; but it doesn't take tzedakah dollars that would otherwise go elsewhere.
I have done this in the past, in situations where I became aware that there was a genuine need, like the times when a family's rabbi has contacted me discreetly to explain the situation and budget or lack thereof.
I don't have the contact information for this family, and have not verified the legitimacy of the need. If anyone can verify the need and I am available that date, I'd be glad to donate my time. I'm sure many of my readers would do the same as well.
As promised, before continuing with my critique of the substance (or lack thereof) in his book, I intend to address his musical ignorance as evidenced in the rules for playing Jewish music posted in the BBC article
Here are Rabbi Luft's rules: (click to enlarge)
I'm not going to go through all of these; they're plainly arbitrary and absurd. What is important to note here is the evidence of Rabbi Luft's musical ignorance with regard to the terminology he uses. He also seems to be unaware of the role different instruments play in the contemporary simcha ensemble. And, his music history is inaccurate. This is extremely relevant, since Rabbi Luft is holding himself out as an "expert" on music. His credibility as the head of the Committee for Jewish Music" is predicated on the assumption that he is knowledgeable about the subject.
Here's the ad for his committee he published in front of the book:
Rabbi Luft has set himself up as an expert on music who is qualified to issue standards and opinions. Yet a close look at these rules alone, not to mention his other writings, reveals his ignorance.
I'm not going to go through all of these; let's look at rule # 4 as as representative.
Rabbi Luft writes:
"2-4 beats" and other rock and disco beats in the percussion must not be used. The modern drum set was created specifically for disrespectful music and other percussion instruments should preferably be used." In a footnote, he cites "The Malbim [in Yeshayahu Ch. 24, 8] comments that the place of the drum is only in dance music."
The language of this rule alone proves my assertions about Rabbi Luft's musical expertise and it also proves that he misrepresents Torah sources.
2/4 does not mean what Rabbi Luft clearly thinks it does here. It's a time signature, not a description of rock beats. What Rabbi Luft means to ban is a backbeat, the emphasis on beats two and four, as in much pop/rock music. This is elementary music terminology. It is simply impossible for a musically knowledgeable person to mistakenly refer to 2/4 in this context. It makes no sense. Anyone that can make this error is clearly ignorant of the "Alef-beis" of music terminology.
In fact, in his own book, Rabbi Luft has two transcriptions of the same nigun. One version is kosher and the other stylized version of the same nigun is "treif". The Kosher version is notated in 2/4. As well, much of the music Rabbi Luft does approve of, like many dance nigunim, for example, is in 2/4.
Here's a scan of that notation:
Incidentally, a friend and I recently got together to play through both versions in Rabbi Luft's honor.
It is clearly evident that Rabbi Luft uses musical terminology incorrectly and lacks the ability to accurately describe what it is he objects to. This speaks to his credibility as a music expert, and even more so, to his ability to accurately draft legislation.
Sholom emailed on this very point:
I keep reading, here and elsewhere, about Ephraim Luft's attempt to ban, among other things, what he refers to as the "2-4 beat".
But I don't think he means what you think he means. You are a musician, and much of your readership is comprised of either musicians, or other people knowledgeable about music, so you naturally interpret this statement the way any musician would, namely the 2/4 time signature, and (rightly) ridicule him for attempting to remove such things as freilachs from our repertoire.
I submit that Rabbi Luft, who is evidently not a trained musician and probably can't read sheet music either, probably wouldn't recognize a time signature if it bit him on the nose.
So what then does he mean? Judging by the rest of that paragraph, it seems to me that what he's trying to describe in his clumsy way is the rock 'n roll back beat, which of course emphasizes the second and fourth beats of each measure. This fits in with the rest of his rant about "rock and disco beats", which as mentioned above are usually in the 4/4 time signature.
(Of course the back beat has been vilified by clergymen pretty much since the legendary Earl Palmer introduced it into the mainstream in December of 1949, so "ein kol chodosh tachas hashemesh"...)
I've been letting people have fun with the whole 2/4 thing because one way to demonstrate a flaw in legislation is by showing how easily it can be misinterpreted.
Back to rule # 4...
Rabbi Luft's assertion that the modern drum set was created specifically for disrespectful music is a misrepresentation of reality. According to Wikipedia
'Drum sets were first developed due to financial and space considerations in theaters where drummers were encouraged to cover as many percussion parts as possible. Up until then, drums and cymbals were played separately in military and orchestral music settings."
Finally, and perhaps most tellingly, Rabbi Luft's representation of the Malbim on Yeshaya he cites in the footnote is false as well. As with his musical assertions, Rabbi Luft's surprisingly infrequent Torah assertions (considering that he claims to be standing up for Torah) are often not accurate representations of the source cited. The Malbim he quotes does not say that "the place of the drum is only in dance music." On the pasuk of "Shavas mesos tupim...", the Malbim comments: "Ve'al yedei shebatlah hayayin nishbisu harikudim shehayu regilus la'asos betupim u'vemecholos, she'hatof haya meyuchad lerikud umachol,ve'al yedei zehmemeila chodal lashon alizim." I've italicized the part of the quote Rabbi Luft distorts.
The Malbim does not say what the role of the drum IS; he makes a historical claim as to what it WAS in Yeshayahu's time. That's very different. (I'll let the musicologists address whether it is correct. I don't have much knowledge of drum customs in Biblical times.) Rabbi Luft is misrepresenting the Malbim's comment.
For the record, even if Rabbi Luft's representation of Malbim would have been correct, it still would be irrelevant because Malbim's gloss suggests this as commentary, explaining pshat in the pasuk, the meaning of the verse. The Malbim did did not issue this as a Halachik ruling. Neither has anyone else. Furthermore, even if the Malbim had issued a ruling to this effect, it still would not be binding on the community, as evidenced by the fact that no Halachik authority has validated this position in the intervening years.
In short, Rabbi Luft has no Halachik or Hashkafic source prohibiting the use of drums/percussion on slow songs. His attempt to represent that he does represents ziyuf haTorah.
To sum up, looking at these rules, we can easily see that Rabbi Luft has neither the musical knowledge or vocabulary to write music legislation. Even if one argues that such legislation is needed, and frankly, I think the notion is absurd, Rabbi Luft is clearly not qualified to be the one making these decisions and/or drafting rules.
The next post in this series will begin looking at the "content" of "The Torah Is Not Hefker".
Here are some more reader comments on the Vesamachta lead sheet I’d posted . (You can find the first three comments here.)
Reader # 4 writes:
A few thoughts if I were reading this sheet (as is, I had someone else's on Succos...'twas not all that much better!)
1. It is missing popularly-sung Part C! (So was mine) 2. It does not have a beat or tempo notation 3. I'm not going to address the syncopation (though others did), since most people on a Jewish bandstand would interpret this right. 4. 1st note in 2nd bar should probably be Gb 5. Chords that continue from bar to bar probably should be repeated on 1st note of the 2nd bar in which they appear 6. Chords in B should be:
G /// | Ab /// | Fm / F#dim7/| G ///| (I personally would play G7s for all those Gs but that's personal preference)
7. I do not understand the half notes in 1st ending of B. It should just be a whole note. 8. The chords should be printed in a larger font. (The horn players in my band go nuts when the chords are not printed in some large font -- YMMV.)
Reader #5 wrote:
Your second opinion is incorrect. Key signature is fine and considered acceptable (Harmonic minor, fraygish or ‘Mixolydian Minor’)
Your third opinion is incorrect for the most part because he’s trying to make it more interesting or ‘musical’. For me I like to reflect the sung lyric in it’s purest, original form. He’s right about that D7 chord though.
He also writes:
And it is harmonic minor (albeit having the 5th degree serve as it’s tonic), which is why some refer to it as Mixolydian harmonic minor
and
BTW, some call it Spanish Phrygian (raised 3rd degree)…
Reader #6 wrote:
My main criticisms of the lead sheet posted (chord choices I find to be more subjective and so will not comment on these):
1. Key signature is wrong, wrong, wrong – it suggests that this is in C minor (or I suppose, Eb), when of course it is actually G Phrygian (or “Fraigish”, as some insist). This error then requires the use of accidentals in bars 4 (1 and 2), 5, 6, and 8 (1), to “fix” what would otherwise be played as Bb.
2. Lack of expression A: No rests! Where does one breathe? Whoever did this probably writes sentences with no commas or semicolons!
3. Lack of expression B: Some phrasing marks in the low part, and accent markings in the first bar of the high part, would be helpful to a player who is not familiar with this tune.
4. Missing ties or wrong note values in bar 6 and 7, if the melody is sung using the traditional words and phrasing.
Reader #7 writes:
My 12 year old son didn't like the D7 chord at the end. He was voting for a G and then maybe an F at the end. (I may have gotten his suggestions wrong, but I think that's what he was voting for. What do I know? He's been taking piano lessons for a third of his life...I haven't.)
Reader # 8 writes:
You are picking up a relatively subtle point.
The key signature indicates C minor or Eb major, but the home base chord seems to be G. The reason is that the song is in a freigish key. One way to look at freigish keys is as an altered dominant of a minor key. That would put a G freigish song in C minor.
But that only holds true for certain songs. In Yiddish music, as in other folk idioms, Freigish is the "home" key, so the key signature should be constructed to reflect that.
Another interesting manifestation of this phenomenon is the G minor ending often sung on the Shenker Eishes Chayil. In the original recording, the song ends on a D. But our Western sensibility pushes us to hear the D Freigish of the first section as naturally ending in G minor, which was not the intention. That song is a bit misleading, because the tune does take a detour to G minor, but ultimately returns to it's proper home.
Thanks to all of those who took the time to send in their comments.
The reason I posted this was because I thought the errors/omissions in the Vesamachta chart were revealing of a common misunderstanding of this music. The indicators are the D7 chord, and to a lesser extent, the choice of F instead of E natural as the first note in measure two. (In the book 101 Hassidic Dance Tunes -- 2nd Ed. Pub. 1988 by Renanot, Jerusalem, Israel -- Andre Haidu and Yaakov Mazor have recorded both versions of the melody, the F and the E natural, as known variations.)
Here’s how I understand this (and similar) tunes.
This song (as well as many other Klezmer and Chassidic songs) is a modal song. That means that it is not in Cm or Eb; the keys usually indicated by this key signature. It is also not in a mode of C harmonic minor, although the written melody in the example I’d posted shares the same notes as the C harmonic minor scale.
This melody is in a Jewish mode called either Freygish or Ahava Raba by klezmorim and chazzonim. It differs from the Greek Phrygian mode in that it has a major third rather than minor. (There's another difference I'll get to shortly.)
When playing this kind of modal music, it’s important to understand that it is modal, rather than diatonic. Doing so allows the musician to make better melodic and harmonic choices when harmonizing or embellishing the melody. A good understanding of how modes traditionally work lets the musician make educated choices about harmonies and improvisations. Modal music differs from diatonic music, even when the notes in the mode are the same as the notes in a diatonic scale. Nowadays, people sometimes use some contemporary harmonies and chord substitutions over modes, but that’s not how they were traditionally accompanied.
You can step out and also choose harmonies from outside the mode, if a more contemporary sound is desired, but, it’s important to understand what the traditional approach would be in order to understand how/why to choose another approach. In other words, it’s helpful to take a look at the roots of the music, before moving on to advanced explorations.
Many Simcha musicians meet this music on the bandstand in a more modern context and so they never really get into a full exploration of the modes. They just play the “hip” changes the other guys are all playing, without necessarily gaining a full understanding of how this music works. Alternatively, they just play the “bad changes” in the charts they might be given and assume that the changes are right and their “ear” is off. Then they get used to playing that way.
In modal music, the mode is strong and essentially supports itself. Modes do not have “avoid tones” as opposed to diatonic music which has "avoid" tones that are harmonically dissonant (unless you play out jazz etc.). For example, try playing a C or Eb melody note against a G major chord. In diatonic music, this is very dissonant. Yet, in Freygish, you’ll see this frequently. (Take, for instance, the first bar of Ben Zion Shenker’s Yosis Alayich.)
A modal tune can use just one mode throughout, or it can shift modes without strong harmonic modulation needed to do so. This is because the tonal center of each mode is so strong. A mode just is. It doesn't need to have tension and resolution via Western dominant-tonic harmony.
It’s possible to notate this mode in several ways. For those interested, I wrote about the question of which key signature to use here a while back.
For this example, I’ve used standard key signatures and indicated the accidentals where they occur. This approach works well for the “standard” Klezmer keys that are commonly used on the bandstand; where only a few accidentals are needed. I might choose a different approach for a melody in Bb Freygish, for example. Using standard key signatures, instead of the more obscure ethnomusicology ones, makes the music more immediately accessible to the non-klezmer player who is sight-reading it for the first time on the bandstand.
When notated this way, the key signature alone does not give a good indication of the mode. Instead, it is the melody itself that indicates the mode. An experienced Klezmer musician will recognize the mode by ear, but many musicians, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, might not recognize the mode if they haven’t played a lot of these melodies. And, if they think of it as C harmonic minor, their improvisation over it might technically work, but they miss a chance to add additional coloring using the “optional” notes.
Now, lets take a look at the mode. Here’s how it looks on the staff.
You’ll notice that the first two notes in my example are in parenthesis. That’s because the mode actually begins on the third note G. Those first two notes are only used when the melody dips below the root of the melody; the E natural is not used in ascending the scale. In other words, the E natural is the choice a Klezmer musician can make when dipping below the tonic and improvising around it. It would be used as a leading tone back into the F. That E natural is simply not available in C harmonic minor and that’s why I don’t view the scale as a mode of C harmonic minor. It’s also why using the E natural in bar two sounds so natural to me. It’s a melodic choice that more clearly helps to define that we are in Freygish.
To more clearly illustrate this, here is a klezmerish melody fragment I improvised. I’ve set it in both G Freygish and C Harmonic Minor. Play it over the indicated chords to hear the difference.
Examples of familiar Klezmer tunes that use these lower notes include “Old Sher” off the seminal Andy Statman/Walter Zev Feldman recording "Jewish Klezmer Music", as well as “Sherele”, “Fun Der Khupe”, and “Ot Azoy”.
You can check out some recorded examples here:
It’s important to understand that modal harmony is not the same as traditional Western harmony and that it doesn’t use the same chord progressions or resolutions. Understanding how modes work will help to choose appropriate chords from within the mode. (It is also possible to choose chords from outside the mode, but this does change the feel of the piece. I’ll give examples of popular Freygish songs with sections that are typically harmonized this way later on.)
In the traditional approach, one would use chords from within the mode to accompany this melody. In this mode, the chord used in place of the dominant in cadence is a minor chord built on the seventh of the scale; in this case Fm-G. In Greek music, the similar cadence often used resolves from the second instead (Ab-G). Contemporary Simcha bands use both approaches. (Ironically, Bock and Harnick used the Greek approach in “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof.)
The D7 error in the chart I posted comes in the context of the transcriber attempting to fit standard Western harmony over a modal melody. It looks like he was trying to fit a I-iv-V-I progression in (G-Cm-D7-G). In this case, as many pointed out, it doesn’t work.
This can work backwards too. Klezmer musicians might view certain Jazz chord progressions as modal when they needn't. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) When I first sat down with a jazz teacher for some lessons, he asked me to blow over Monk’s “Well You Needn’t.” So, I took a look at the F and F# chords over the A of the tune and proceeded to play a Freygish-based improv. Not exactly the approach a typical jazz musician would take to playing over those chords.
Here’s how I’d notate this melody. I’ve included the E natural in the melody, changed the chords on the B section, and changed the phrasing on the B section to match the lyrics. I could have made other chordal and phrasing choices without being “wrong”, but this seems like a nice basic approach.I also added slurs to match the lyrics.
With regard to some of the suggestions offered...
I would not substitute G7 for the G chords in the B section because, to my ear, the G7 implies a different mode, Mixolydian or as the klezmorim/chazzonim would call it, Adonoy Molokh, which is not the mode the melody is using in the rest of that phrase.
Similarly, the F#dim7 chord suggested as the 2nd to last chord in the B doesn’t work, to my ear, because it leaves the mode.
I chose to use an Ab chord instead of a Cm, because that indicates the mode more clearly, by making use of one of its defining notes, the Ab.
As I mentioned, outside choices are possible when harmonizing Freygish melodies, but they still need to make musical sense. Examples of tunes often harmonized using outside harmony include Naftule Brandwein’s “Firn Di Mekhotonim” (in the C section), “Moshe Emes” (in the B section), and “Kumi Roni" (in the C section).
There are many melodies that will shift modes for a short time and then shift back. This works without a strong harmonic progression to support it. That’s because each mode is strong and supports itself. There are lots of Klezmer and Chassidic melodies that do this. A classic example of this that occurs on the Simcha circuit is the melody known by some Lubavitchers as “Shimu”, which is also commonly used for “Baruch Keil Elyon.” When I played with a Lubavitch band years ago, we used to play this one.
(Incidentally, this tune can be used as an example of how songs can be played wrong if the modes it uses aren’t recognized. Check out this song, "Sfashkenaz." It uses the modal melody described above for the “Baruch Keil Elyon” part of the song. Yet, every time through, on the words “Hashomer Shabbos/Shabbat”, it misses the modulation to G major for those two bars until the words “Lakeil yeratzu…” The melody note should be a B natural there, not a Bb and the chord should be a G major not a G minor. This is a typical Klezmer modulation. Omitting it makes the whole section less interesting.)
It is also possible to play diatonic melodies using modal harmonizations too. But that’s another discussion…
A few additional comments on your emails:
Reader #3 wrote a much more specific response that I’d expected. Let’s set his syncopation suggestions aside, as this is meant to be a simple lead sheet, not an arrangement.
He added an additional measure 9A as a correction to the repeat of the B. As with many folk melodies, there are often several common variations sung and these two demonstrate that fact. There is not necessarily one correct notation of the melody. I’ve heard both versions sung. (Haidu and Mazor do not record this second variation in their book.) Another reader suggested a different variation for that bar as well.
I think the “missing part C” a reader referred to is actually a different “Vesamachta” melody. They're just often played together.
Many of the other criticisms are of design/typography choices. Those aren’t errors, per se, just “house styles.” Different people have different font and layout preferences. They are valid points, but that was not the point of this exercise.
The beat/tempo indication is useful, but in the context of when this lead sheet would typically be used, it is not really necessary.
Most lead sheets of this type lack notation of short breath rests, etc. The assumption is that the musician understands how to phrase idiomatically. Here's a website that describes how this works in pop music. Check out his section on "Style" near the end of the page. Here's a taste:
In addition to knowing how things should sound, you need to know how your players are going to interpret what you write on the page. For example, if you write an isolated quarter note on a page and put it in front of an orchestral trumpet player, he will play a full note starting on one beat and ending on the next. If you put the same page in front of a funk player, he will give it a much harder attack and will cut the note short. In order to get the orchestral player to produce the same sound you would have to put an accent and a staccato mark over the note (and he still might not play it quite as short as the funk player).
Expression and phrasing markings would be helpful, for sure, but I don’t think their omission is a critical flaw here. Personally, I often like to put slurs into my lead sheets, but the original posted chart does work acceptably without them.
There’s a difference between a lead sheet for a club date, which is designed to get the job done in the least confusing way possible, and a "record copy" or a more nuanced sheet for when more specificity is required. The more “bits” of information added to the page, the more the musician has to process while playing, and the greater the likelihood for errors. If I was transcribing a specific performance off of a record, for example, I’d be a lot more detailed about the phrasing, embellishments, etc. For this context, though, less is more, as long as the musicians understand the style/genre.
With regard to Eishes Chayil, Shmiel ranted about that here a while back.
I don't read notes well but the chords sound a'ight. The rests smack-in-the -middle of the notes does not look familiar, though
Another wrote:
OK, I'll take a stab at it (could be very wrong though). At first glance - the key signature and the chord notations don't "shtim".
A third wrote:
Not being a musician myself I'm not sure of the technical aspects of the chart, e.g. whether the key signature is correct or not; this may simply be me not remembering the right way to write sheet music from my lessons that ended thirty years ago. However, I would make the following changes. Not to say they're mistakes exactly, but if I was singing it I'd do it thus:
Measure 1: Change the last note (F) to dotted-1/4, and insert an 1/8 note on E. (I like a little syncopation.)
Measure 2: Change the first note to E, and tie it to the preceding 1/8 note. Change the last note to dotted-1/4, and insert 1/8 note on G.
Measure 3: either tie the first note to the last note in preceding measure, or just replace it with 1/8 rest (the dancers are gonna stomp there anyway). Change last note to dotted-1/4, and add 1/8 note on D.
Measure 4: Change first note to D, tie it to last note of preceding measure. Change last note to dotted-1/4, insert 1/8 note on G, and tie it forward to the first note in Measure 1 on the repetition (are you allowed to do that without having to re-write the whole bar?)
Measure 5: Change first note to D.
Measure 6: change last note to 1/8, add 1/8 note on F, and tie it to first note in measure 7.
Measure 7: Tie 4th and 5th notes.
(Alternate: leave measure 6 as is, and in Measure 7 tie 2nd and 3rd notes, and 6th and 7th notes. Or do it one way the first time around and switch on the repetition.)
Measure 8: similar to Measure 7, depending on which option you picked, you might want to do the opposite here. Also, extend the overhead line (the thing indicating repetition, I forget the right terminology) to cover this measure, since you're gonna play it differently next time around.
Measure 9: replace the second note with four 1/8 notes B-G-Ab-G, and tie the 1/2 note to the following 1/8 note.
Insert measure 9a: 8 eighth-notes, first four notes same as measure 9, last four B-F-G-Ab. Put overhead line connecting it to measure 10.
Measure 10: keep the same.
As for the chords, lemme go get my autoharp...
OK, I'd change that G in measures 6 and 9 to a G7 (works either way, just personal preference). In measure 8, that D7 has gotta be a typo, I'd say Fm belongs there.
(If I was playing it for myself and not in public, I'd consider using Eb at the beginning of measure 7 and go to the Cm at the midpoint; but that's just me. I can't get any fancier than that without hauling out my accordion, the autoharp has only 21 buttons...)
Did I do OK for an amateur, or am I full of you-know-what?
The first guess is incorrect. The second and third answers both touch on the main reason I posted this exercise in different ways. That's your hint. Anyone else want to try? I'll give it another day or so and then 'splain.
Ever since he died 14 years ago, there has been a resurgence of interest in Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach's music. In fact, he's composed more hits since he died. Obviously, I'm kidding, but the reality is that there are many melodies he composed that have only been discovered on private recordings since his death, and some have been popularized throughout the Orthodox world.
One of the most popular of these melodies is a tune called "Nigun Neshoma". It's a short and simple melody. For some reason, it has become common for singers and instrumental soloists to, er, take liberties with the song. Probably, like on the Dm Keitzad Merakdin, (which, contrary to popular misconception, I did not compose), they get bored with the melody and feel a need to stretch out.
Lets see how they do so. Here's an overview of many of the available performances of the tune on YouTube. You'll notice a common trend among singing styles (and sometimes "dance moves" such as they are) in these clips.
Recently, the topic of Rabbi Ephraim Luft's ongoing attempts at controlling/banning certain kinds of Jewish music have been attracting some attention, in part due to this BBC NEWS article (which we blogged here), and in part due to recent concert bans .
There have been several approaches towards Rabbi Luft's efforts suggested by Jewish musicians.
I was forwarded an email by another JM performer who wrote "I think the appropriate reaction is to deeply respect the intent of our very frum brothers and sisters to retain an ambience of purity in their lives. And then to crank up some good rock and roll and get on with our own."
I disagree with these approaches.
1) I think the MBD clip makes MBD look bad. I do think it's fair to point out that Luft's ideas are ridiculous. I intend to do so myself, as I have done in the past. Sarcasm is an effective means of commentary. I do not intend to ridicule him personally, though.
2) I think ignoring Rabbi Luft leaves some in the community with the impression that his grievances are accurate and sanctioned by gedolim so therefore "da'as torah." The rational members of the community need to see that there is another side to the debate.
3) Although I think it is important to respect those who, upon hearing Rabbi Luft's representation of Da'as Torah, attempt to follow it, even though I think they are being mislead, I have no such respect for Rabbi Luft.
Over the course of a series of posts, I intend to take a close look at Rabbi Luft's book on the subject, "The Torah Is Not Hefker", as well as revisit some of his other essays.
I intend to demonstrate the following about Rabbi Luft.
1) He is musically ignorant. 2) He is intellectually dishonest. 3) He is a manipulator. 4) He uses "junk science." 5) He is a racist. (This is relevant because he builds his music criticism on racial theories.) 6) His approach is, in the main, not based on Torah sources.
I do not intend this as a personal attack, but as an intellectual confrontation of his ideas and their fruits. I don't believe I will convince him, as he has, in my opinion, demonstrated that he is not at all open-minded. That is not my intent. It is my hope that others, including those around the Rabbonim he has successfully manipulated, will reconsider their positions and will once again begin to consider Emes (Truth) as an integral part of their hashkafic and halachik calculations.
To start, I'd like to look at the opening and closing vignettes in Rabbi Luft's book, as I think they are quite telling in a manner he did not intend. Here's the opening to his introduction:
The gaon, Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Shapira ZT'L related that the gaon Rabbi Boruch Ber Liebowitz ZT'L used to compose songs to words from pesukim and tefillos, and would bring them to his Rebbe, R' Chaim of Brisk ZT'L who would decide if the songs were suitable and respectable to be sung to the words. Unfortunately in our times, every ignoramus who wants to write songs set to words from pesukim does as he likes, and the people who decide whether it is good or not are the businessmen and disc jockeys who run the Jewish music business.
Rabbi Luft's point in telling this story is obvious. However, he seems oblivious to the fact that he has arrogantly arrogated for himself the role of R' Chaim of Brisk, taking on a task that (if one believes the story) even the venerable Rav Boruch Ber was unable to do.
At any rate, it is clear that Rabbi Luft has in fact designated himself Rav Chaim's memale mokom to address such issues for the entire Jewish community worldwide. Thus far he has had limited success outside of Israel (and enjoys far from total success in Israel). However, his ideas are spreading here resulting in other kannoim taking up the flag against concerts etc. These ideas need to be addressed.
Here's the closing vignette from the book.
It is a transcription of a public address given by Rabbi Yisroel Elya Weintraub Shlita in the Lakewood Yeshiva in Cheshvan, 5755.
THROW THE TRASH OUT OF THE HOUSE!
At present in this country we are witness to the phenomenon of 'Greek song". Two of the mushchossim of the tzibbur who were thrown out of Eretz Yisroel returned to America with their merchandise to sell to the public. One of them made rachmono litzlan, a song about the most important principle of the 13 principles. The second took examples from this to make a song about the destruction of Amolek, and they turned them into jazz Rachmono litzlan - literally! What happens to a person's heart when he listens to this version of mechiyas Amolek? He hears that to wipe out Amolek is jazz! Is it possible to receive any good influence from this? Or chas vesholom the opposite, that he is disconnected from the whol concept of destroying Amolek? Or if he hears 'Moshiach' with that imbecilic nigun - is it possible to elevate oneself by hearing this? In this way they are killing the public, and we have to publicize them by name - one is called Freed [sic], and the other is called Werdigger [sic]!
Anyone who lets their songs into his house must know what this will cause to his Torah. Elisha ben Avuya, one of the four great members of the chaburah, did not stop singing a Greek song, - and it made him into a different person and finally a heretic! We have to throw this out of the house! Throw it all out! And not let this trash remain in the house!
Apart from the incendiary language, there is another serious problem with Rabbi Weintraub's words. Rabbi Weintraub is respected as a godol, whose words reflect da'as Torah, which is held to be infallible. Yet, these words are demonstrably untrue. Firstly, neither "Werdigger" nor "Freed" were thrown out of Israel.
I don't know MBD well, but I've had the opportunity to get to know Avraham Fried somewhat, and spend a Shabbos with him and his beautiful family, and Rabbi Weintraub's characterization is so far off the mark that it's laughable. I won't go into details. Suffice it to say that Avrohom Fried is a true Chabad chossid who makes a profound kiddush Hashem in his personal and professional life. I may not like many of the songs he chooses to record, but I have a tremendous respect for him personally, and I love how he sings real Chassidic music. Rabbi Weintraub's public shaming of him is unjust and anti-halachik.
It is also unwarranted. It is clear from Rabbi Weintraub's description which specific melodies he's referring to. It's also evident from the timing of when the speech was given. Both of the "horrible" songs he describes were recorded by MBD, not Fried. In other words, Rabbi Weintraub publicly named and shamed Avrohom Fried for recordings he had not made. There are two possible options. Either Rabbi Weintraub doesn't care about factual accuracy or he was mislead by askonim like Rabbi Luft. Either is unacceptable.
These two vignettes are very revealing, but they do not present Rabbi Luft and his enablers in a positive light.
Time permitting, I intend to address the substance (such as it is) of his book. Before that though, I intend to address his musical ignorance as evidenced in the rules for playing Jewish music posted in the BBC article linked above.
Oh, and in honor of Rabbi Luft's naming the Hebrew edition of his book "Ki Devar Hashem Bozoh", I'm naming the Hebrew translation of this series "Shimu Devar Hashem."
UPDATE 2/1/09: For your convenience, I have updated the posts in this series to include links to all of the posts on this topic.
Here are the links to all of the posts in this series:
Here's a lead sheet of Vesamachta, a traditional Sukkos melody. It is a composite based on two charts handed to me at chassidic simchas beis hashoevas. Can you spot the errors?
Give it a shot. I'll post a 'splanation in a few... This will be a good jumping off point for a useful discussion, I think.
I made it through Rosh Hashana w/o being subjected to any of the trifecta which needs to be updated to include Rabbi Mottel Twersky's Im Eshkacheich, methinks. Come Shabbos Shuva, the chazzan pulls that one out on us. Dang.
The worst setting this year was "Lakeil Orech Din" to a fast version (think at least 2x as fast as usual) of the Carlebach melody commonly sung to Eilecha. Nothing like a slow melody sung really fast to stir the spirit. On the plus side... no Shwekey.
******* Cantor Sherwood Goffin has a piece in the YU "Torah to Go" on "misinai" melodies. I can't find it on their website at the moment. The article really needed music notation to illustrate what melodies he's referring to. Also, Cantor Goffin is a staunch proponent/advocate/defender of nusach, but sometimes it comes across as close-minded towards legitimate change.
******* The Sukkos issue of Mishpacha Magazine has a wonderfully honest interview with Andy Statman. Surprisingly open for a chareidi magazine, it can be found hidden amongst the usual JM PR "interviews" with many chassidisco singers like the one who does hisbodedus daily and is close to an anonymous rebbe in Europe and "Reb X" who would never record any treif rock music because his rebbe would hear it. (The snark isn't about these singer's self-definition as such. It's about the attempt to use it in marketing. "Buy my CD, I'm such a holy Jew" doesn't seem so appealing, but that's just me.)
******* Had one night off on Chol Hamoed, so headed out to Boro Park to check out the festibities. Danced in the street with Lubavitchers. Watched various Rebbes make brachos in their sukkahs, and checked out the Bobover shul where there was a tnoim underway. Mucho fun. They have some cool tunes. I hadn't been in far too long.
I also got a nice overview of the one-man-band keyboard scene while in BP. Despite using different gear, there's a definite sound that most seem to share. Interesting.
******* Played an interesting mix of Simchas Beis Hashoevas this year from heavy chassidic (Satmar) to MO. It's always interesting to see what tunes people call at these gigs. This also leads to a peeve of mine about lead sheets common on the chassidic circuit. I'm planning a separate post on that soon. A music lesson for y'all.
******* Visited a number of shuls for hakafos this year. None particularly inspiring. It's tough to find meaningful ones. I wonder what God thinks of the shenanigans in many chareidi shuls. Seems like it's all about competing egos. And drinking.
By the way, my wife's secular cousin (who was seen having a great time dancing at our wedding) told us last week that the whole dancing with guys thing made him uncomfortable so it was a great idea to have a room for the guys to get together before the dancing started and get wasted.
interesting Hamodia article. But has the wrapping become expensive? How? And poems (I would think) are free, so why ban them?
He also emails about the new RJJ Journal. One of the topics is :
Kol Sasson V'kol Simcha: Halachic Considerations of Loud Wedding Music by Jason DiPoce and R. Shalom Buchbinder -- Is the mitzvah of attending a wedding sufficient reason to go to a place where your hearing will be damaged?
I'd like to see this one.
Psachya writes:
I just did a gig last night with Matt Miller on drums. Bli ayin hara he looked great and sounded awesome. I know that people on this blog have been concerned about him, so I figured to go into the new year with a bit of good news.
Soon word will go out, and this rude caterer will lose his good name and at least some business
Wow!
(Wasn't Lipa at that wedding by chance??)
Nope, Lipa was not there.
Joe also forwards a link to his review of Sruly Werdiger's new album
PT writes:
I once had the power turned off by the principal of my kids' school when we played there for a simchas bais hashoava, (with Meyer Pasternak on sax). Apparently he was offended by our playing Piamenta's "siman tov" so he yanked us. I never played for the school again as long as he was Principal. I remember the night well. My second son was born later that evening, 17 years ago.
Turning off the power is simply offensive.
Anon. writes:
Why is a concert fundraising for an organization once again hiding itself? See the ambiguous language in the ad for the Achdut Concert and see the people behind it. http://www.israelrescue.org (It's in the source code.)
Good question.
Finally, Zvi Lampert comments on Rabbi Luft's rules:
I took a look at these 'rules'. They are so ridiculous, I can't believe I'm actually taking the time to commit my thoughts about them to writing. I find this man's nebulous and arbitrary standards of decency and his level of general ignorance regarding music astounding. After reading his little manifesto, I don't know whether to laugh out loud or to hang myself out of sheer frustration.
Yes, the words of Jewish songs should be pronounced correctly, and yes, the music should be appropriate to the meaning of the words. This is where the coherence ends.
The use of swing? When did a triplet feel become vulgar? If anything, the application of 'swing' in Jewish music usually ends up sounding kind of corny, an effect that I would think fanatical ideologues like our author would find appealing. Percussion is not allowed in slow music, neither are "2-4 beats and other rock and disco beats in the percussion" (rock and disco are in 4-4, but who's counting?). This pretty much rules out the possibility of drums in any dance music, which goes against what the Malbim allegedly says in footnote 3 (as soon as I can get my hands on a Malbim. I'll see what he actually says). So, no swing, no 2 beats or 4-4, what are we left with? That's right folks, WALTZES! Woo hoo! This man doesn't know a treble clef from a goose egg.
Which brings me to instrumentation. Let me preface this by stating my belief the idea of a particular instrument being inherently good or evil is preposterous. Like anything else in the world, moral value lies not in the instrument itself, but in how it is used.
The saxophone was invented in 1841 and was originally designed for use in military bands or as an orchestral instrument. Its use eventually spread to all types of folk music including klezmer. The Saxophone was indeed dubbed the Devil's horn (not the Devil's flute, as he posits), and banned by fanatics in such illustrious institutions as the Catholic church, Bolsheviks and the Nazi party. Is this the company that this rabbi keeps? If we legitimize such sources, maybe we should also adopt the view that Jews use the blood of gentile children to make matzoh and wine, or that they control world banking. Incidentally, the violin was referred to as "the devil's instrument" by fanatics in the medieval priesthood. http://music.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/0010_halloween/violin.shtml
Point of fact: distortion is almost never used on a bass guitar. Early rock n roll bands used acoustic upright basses, not electric bass guitars. Just watch any Elvis video. Pianos are also frequently featured in rock music. Should we ban those too?
The modern drum set was not created specifically for 'disrespectful music. It is comprised of the same drums as those used by traditional marching bands, only they're configured so that one person can play all the drums, rather than strapping individual drums to separate people, which is inefficient.
Finally, we have the ultimate self-contradiction.
Article 9 states: "When playing at simchos only the person who pays the musicians has the right to tell them what and how to play." Amen, brother! And what happens if the person paying wants rock 'n' roll, jazz or funk? Would you, Ephraim Luft, abide by your own rules and stay the hell out of it? I doubt it. I know your type. In 18 years of gigging, I've run into my fair share of self-riteous, ignorant blow-hards. They can't keep their mouths shut. Their sense of self worth depends on casting stones at others.
And so, with minimal research and even less coherence, this man took it upon himself to put forth himself and his rant as somehow being representative of rabbinic consensus, creating the sense that mainstream Orthodox Jews are ignorant and fanatical. Is he solely responsible for this Chillul Hashem? By not publishing their rebuttals with the same publicity, other Orthodox leaders are lending their tacit approval to this foolishness.
Ok, I feel better now.
We'll have more on Rabbi Luft soon. (Most likely after the chag). Also some CD reviews...
It is segregation in Meah Shearim for Simchas Beis Hashoeva this year. No outside women allowed!
Lipa records a political ad for an Israeli politician he says he does not endorse. It's going to take a lot more than that to get him elected, though. The chareidim appear to have shot themselves in the foot again this time. Kind of ironic that he hired Lipa, given his consituuency ad the people he needs to reach. Should've hired Aviv Gefen, perhaps.
The Recessional (instead of Od Yishoma, Siman Tov, etc.) -- Holy Nigun Simcha. (This holy nigun made a brief reappearance during the "mezinke tants" too.)
Here's something that happened at a recent left wing MO/Conservadox wedding at a venue in a Chareidi 'hood.
During the first dance set, the caterer walked in and gave the leader of the Carlbachian-style jam band a "one minute" sign indicating that he should end the set in one minute. (Typically, the caterer gives more advance notice.) About twenty seconds later, he walked out of the room, giving him a "cut the music" sign. Ten seconds after that, the power goes off. Apparently, the caterer had seen that some family members were dancing together during "Keitzad Merakdin" and decided that he'd end the music due to the mixed dancing.
(Some venues in Chareidi hoods have "no mixed dancing" clauses in their contracts. From what I've been told, this venue did not. I've played a few events where the caterer has enforced that clause in their contract by asking the band to stop playing until the women return to their side of the mechitza, but I've never had the power turned off with no warning.)
Annoyed at the rudeness of the caterer's interaction with the band as well as the potential damage to the electronic equipment, the musicians immediately grabbed their instruments -- clarinet, violin, acoustic guitar, and melodica-- and completed the dance set from the center of the packed dance floor. The room was rocking!
The caterer turned the power on shortly thereafter, when he was told by the family that he would not get paid otherwise.
Viva la revolution!
(I just might have first-hand knowledge of this episode.)
Extra! Extra! Read all about it, right here on Lipa's astoundingly, astonishingly, astronomically superb site!
After many major consultations, conferences and conventions on the subject, the next Big Event has been officially signed, sealed and secured! The staff at Madison Square Garden is already busily preparing the location round-the-clock for the occasion of the century.
Sheya Mendlowitz has once again teamed up with the unstoppable Lipa Schmeltzer to dazzle, daze and dumbfound their excited audience. This concert will headline under a different name - one that alludes to The Big Event, while still dignifying and respecting those Rabbanim who previously ruled against its taking place. Boruch Hashem, this time around, Lipa has secured the support and the approval of daas Torah for his unparalleled performances. Permission has been granted by a number of distinguished, chashuva Rabbanim, for Lipa to stage this newest musical phenomenon. Stay tuned for more thoroughly thrilling details!!
Two items recently crossed my desk. The first was an article that appeared in The Jerusalem Post written by Matthew Wagner entitled "Haredim move to silence 'treif' music". It was about a movement to ban musicians who produce or perform any music which the Guardians of Sanctity and Education deem inappropriate. Musicians playing such music would be banned from playing in wedding halls, their CDs would be banned and their concerts disallowed.
The other item was a breaking news piece from JTA indicating that Rabbi Benzion Twerski had resigned from a task force in formation being brought together to deal with sexual abuse in the Orthodox community. New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, also an Orthodox Jew, is establishing the task force to deal with this scourge. Twerski resigned because of the many threats against him and his family made by several individuals from his community.
When taken together these two items suggest such a profound and disturbing conflict regarding the current goals of the Orthodox world, of which I am a member. If music is so important, is not the emotional welfare of members of the community even more so? How can music be a threat and abuse not be? While some may argue that this is not the message to be learned, that the insular community is seeking ways to deal with the sexual abuse problem discreetly, it is clearly not so when someone as prominent and discreet as Twerski can be so horrifically threatened. But, he is not the only one to receive threats. Apparently so have musicians. The canceling of a recent concert is evidence of this.
Read the whole thing! (Hat tip, E.)
More...
Mendy Pellin asked MBD about the proposed music hechsher.
I know what you are saying about worlds colliding, but this isn't the first we're hearing of it. Srully Williger was one song short on his last album and recorded Niggun Nevo. When he was on Nachum Segal he described going to Israel for a wedding and "discovering this song all the Bochurim were singing." When referencing the composer he said he thought it was composed by "some Israeli guy", lol.
I'm sure Shlomo Katz (born in California I think) is glad he's known as some "Israeli guy." In some cases I think it's more explotation of a more popular style of music among the mainstream. People who would otherwise never even give the time of day to a Shlomo Katz, being forced to acknowledge that style is more popular tofday. Allthough I do think it's also some people who really do appriciate those artists.
So if it takes Chassidic Pop artists to bring Shlomo Katz, Adi Ran, Aaron Razel and Yitzchok Fuchs, then so be it. I look forward to many more of these collabarations.
That's actually a good example of the exploitation side of the equation. To date, Williger has not paid royalties to Shlomo Katz for the use of his song. He didn't ask permission either. The notion that he was unaware that it was a Katz composition strains credulity. And, Williger did not make the song popular. It was already popular when he decided to include it on his album. Classic exploitation. Taking a song that's popular in the YU/NCSY community, and is beginning to be requested/played at Charedi weddings, and releasing it on your own album, without securing permission/paying royalties is simply unethical. Plus, adding insult to injury, the cover version didn't exactly do anything for the song from a musical standpoint either.
Watsky comments:
Thats one big leap to call this stuff Funk "anything". Its about as funky as Mozart. Actually its not "even" as funky as Mozart. Its an insult to funk to call this stuff funk. Funk is a culture. This music is not of that culture, this just ain't funky. Not funky, not even close. I wish is was funk, but it isn't.
It's a good time to reprise Jack's equation: "Funkish = Jewish + Funky - most of the funkiness."
Yossi Zweig emails a flyer for a concert to benefit Project Yes.readers may remember that Project Yes's Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz paid us a visit here. Rabbi Horowitz, the guest post offer stands. Seriously.
Yosef Na Nach comments on the new music ban:
This whole music ban thing really makes me happy, First of all my music gets banned, that's a first, Yeah! Second of all the "Rabbi's" are right to a certain degree, all this music that is with a pop sound to it sounds a little bit prideful (except the Na Nach music of this sort and by the way I hear that "Lipa" is getting more into Na Nach as well as "Leviyatan" and others I suppose that I don't know about). and as far as the Rabbi's turning the youth away from them, this is, in my opinion also good. I don't think that this is their intention, I fear that their intention is really is much worse... to turn kids away from Judaism. By making something asur that really is not by Halaka. Being too strict in one area makes for leniency in another area. I don't want to think what they are being lienent about. But Na Nach will always be here for the kids as an alternative. To follow the way of Rebbe Nachman and listen to great music. Thanks for keeping us updated with all the hot news of the Jewish Music World.
E. has some questions about "Kosher" music:
1) If a cd doesn't have a hechser, does that make it treif? 2) Is a non hecschered cd permissble lefi some deyos? 3) Does a cd need to be officially banned in order for it to be considered treif in contrast to one with a hechsher? 4) What about individual songs on the cd?
Consult your local Orthodox kanoi!
A reader forwards his propsed design for a new music kashrus symbol he calls the "Clef K,"
Personally, I'm makpid to only listen to 2/4 Yisroel, but I'm meikil on stam notebending. Saxophone akum is assur lechol hadeos.
J. writes:
The Shloimy Daskal video should be banned! Made me cringe…
Oy! No compassion for off-the-derech children!
Speaking of... Joe Flix emails a link to his review of the Daskal album.
Finally, Gordon Dale writes:
My name is Gordon Dale; I am an ethnomusicology student in Boston, MA. I'm very interested in the series of bans that have been issued such as the MBD show in Israel and The Big Event, and now the Committee for Jewish music's outline of permissible music. I have looked to your blog for updates on these issues and it has consistently been a great help.
I'm hoping that you can help me to get clarity on a few specific points about which I've been wondering.
1) When the Lipa ban was issued it had the same signatures as the ban on the MBD show in Israel. There was much speculation that the ban was not actually signed by all 33 Rabbis that were named on the ban. Did this turn out to be true?
2) The new Committee for Jewish music just released a series of points outlining what would make music kosher. Do Rabbi Luft and the other people on the committee hold enough clout within the Haredi leadership to enforce these guidelines?
3) Why, in your opinion, are these bans coming out now? Recreational Jewish music has been around for a long time and instruments such as saxophones and electric guitars have never been called into question previously. What is going on in the world that prompted this situation to come about now?
I sincerely appreciate your help with these points and I hope that we can stay in touch as I continue to study this interesting time in Jewish music.
Our response: 1) The 33 rabbis who signed the Lipa ban were not the same rabbis who had signed previous concert bans in Israel. Those bans were signed by some Israeli rabbis. The Lipa ban was signed by American rabbis. The text of the Lipa ban makes reference to the Israeli rabbis disapproval of concerts —in fact, the text was partially lifted from one of those bans — citing it as a basis for the ban. Apparently, all of the rabbis did sign some form of public notice, but some have since gone on the record, either admitting that they were manipulated into signing (Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky), or claiming that the text they signed is not the one that was published (Rabbi Yisroel Belsky). You can find this information elsewhere on the blog. I’ve been told that other rabbis who signed have privately disclaimed the ban, or elements therein. I believe I posted a link to the letter Rabbi Belsky wrote about this and I linked to the Jewish Star interview with Rabbi Kamenetzky wherein he made this admission.
2) Rabbi Luft has had some success achieving concert bans in Israel (and at least once in Manchester, England). I don’t know if clout is the right word, but to date, he has successfully manipulated some prominent rabbis into supporting his crusade. He’s been agitating about this for many years. Some of the earliest posts on my blog address his writings on the subject. He may be successful at getting rabbis to sign onto this latest campaign, but it will not be very successful, IMO.
3) There is no ban on saxophones and guitars. Rabbi Luft is attempting to achieve this now. He’s been trying to do this for years. It is important to note that this entire episode fits into a broader pattern of how the Hareidi leadership has been working (or not working) over the recent past. It’s too much to get into right now, although I’m happy to discuss it at some point, but essentially, IMO, the Hareidi leadership in America has abdicated its responsibility to lead and the Hareidi leadership in Israel (and America too) are allowing themselves to be manipulated. As a result, a small group of connected extremists can effect a new prohibition on something previously allowed. This has happened a number of times in other areas of Jewish life over the past few years.
I should add that although Rabbi Luft's proposed ban will not be adhered to, should he succeed in manipulating gedolim into endorsing it, the trickle down effects will make life more difficult for musicians working in the Chareidi community.
The prospective client who goes from "we have an iPod, that should be fine" to booking a six-piece band in .2 seconds. (This without a sales pitch!)
The couple spotted doing body shots at the bar at a recent Orthodox wedding in the Five Towns.
The cigarillo hand rolling cigars in the lobby for wedding guests to take with them as they exit.
The woman who asks us to turn down before we played a single note.
The Trinidadian singer (with charting singles in the '70's) who wants to hire the simcha band to make a record with him.
The smart waiter who removes a table from the party room, sets it up as a drinks table outside... and then carries it back downstairs and into the room with drinks, glasses, and soda bottles falling all over.
Finally, some fashion advice. If Heaven has gifted you with thick black bushy eyebrows and a huge schnozz and you've chosen to grow a thick black mustache... you might want to choose a pair of glasses other than the thick black plastic frames exactly like the ones in the popular "Disguise Glasses."
Don't miss the "Rules for Playing Kosher Music." No matter what style of Jewish music you play, whether you're a chazzan, a klezmer, or a Jewish rocker, you're all in violation of some of these rules!
Musicians who use rock, rap, reggae and trance influences will not receive rabbinic approval for their CDs, nor will they be allowed to play in wedding halls under haredi kosher food supervision, according to a new, detailed list of guidelines drafted with rabbinical backing that differentiates between "kosher" and "treif" music.
The guidelines, which are still being formulated, also ban "2-4 beats and other rock and disco beats;" the "improper" use of electric bass, guitars and saxophones; and singing words from holy sources in a disrespectful, frivolous manner.
Those damn 2/4 beats still here? Ban 'em, I says!!! And those saxophones devil horns too! Some people even play jazz on those. Can you believe it??? Of course they're treif! Treifer than pork knuckles, says I!
Naturally, Ephraim Luft is behind this. I've addressed some of Luft's writings in the past.
Essentially, what all of this boils down to is Luft's delusion about the origins of much of the "Chassidic" music he idealizes. Also, I find his presentation incredibly racist and condescending. Plus, these banners are clearly ignorant about what they're trying to ban. 2/4 beats? Really? Do they really mean to ban freylakhs? Hard to believe, given the music they seem to approve of. Why are "leading rabbis" listening to ignorant "experts"? It's sad. And, although it might impact on a given concert here or there, ultimately it won't work. The end result? A diminution of respect for rabbinic leadership. Somehow, I suspect that's not what they're aiming for.
Hold the date! Speaking of Lipa... he's got a non-singing performance with the circus on Cool Hamoed. Its non-singing because he won't sing in front of mixed-seating audiences. Obviously, there's a world of difference between "singing" in front of a mixed audience as opposed to acting. [/sarcasm}
Jack posts about Yosef Karduner's Shir Lama'alos. You can buy the official Karduner songbook here.
Michoel Pruzansky has a new music video. The concept behind the song, that someone was miraculously saved from a suicide bombing at Sabarro's in Jerusalem and from the 9/11 attacks appears to be based on an internet hoax. The person this allegedly happened to was killed in the Sabarro's attack.
