More peeps

"The Idiot Photographer"

This peep has no self awareness or self control.

When I play smaller events, with just a keyboard/small system, I occasionally skip bringing a mixer, and simply plug my vocal mic into my keyboard and run the keyboard directly into my powered speaker setup. Up until today, this worked great.

However, when this peep is around, the system has a flaw. That is, when the Bat Mitzvah girls friends are singing their a cappella song about the Bat Mitzvah girl on the mic, said peep will go over to the keyboard and start banging on it along with them. The few 'out of key' right handed flute notes were annoying, but when he triggered the full-on arrangement of "Te Pego" with his left hand, the presentation was done.

Since there's no way to have the volume of the keyboard off, when the mic is being used for presentations in this setup, musicians need to keep a sharp eye out when the "Idiot Photographer" is on the gig.

"The Hapless Videographer"
This peep, who is not connected in any way to the "Idiot Photographer" will show up at the gig and discover that his camera isn't working. Naturally, he won't have a backup. Also naturally, he won't tell the client or call a colleague for help. Instead, he'll walk around pretending to shoot the gig, only to tell the client at the end of the gig that something went wrong and the footage is gone.

"The  Clueless Booker"
This person will text you to ask if you're available. When asked what time/where the gig is, there will be no response. A few days later, they'll text again, asking about availability. The same exchange ensues and they drop the conversation again. A few days later... same thing. Just had three with one such peep, but had more with someone once.

An interview with Daniel Spreadbury

Over at Sibelius Blog An interview with Daniel Spreadbury

I'm very much looking forward to seeing what they come up with!

Its All About That Jingle

Over at Tablet... Kars 4 Kids Rakes in the Buckz—by Not Touting Its Jewish Beneficiaries

Shark in the Mikve, er Super Bowl

Ha! Super Bowl halftime show review: A professional dance critic defends “Bad Left Shark”

Robert Fischmann Quartet Plays "A Sukele"

From the mailbag....

Yosef Peysin writes: 

We are Rogers Park, a Chicago-based Hassidic Folk/Pop band that just released this video today as part of the national NPR "Tiny Desk Concert" competition. 

This song is based off of the old Russian Chabad niggun - "Nyet Nyet Nikavo", which is the concept of "Ain Oid Milvado", and this is how we interpret it in English.

The song is called "The Holy One" 

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6B2Jd1PBpM

A Fire-Breathing Turtle and Chazzonus

That Time When Pink Floyd....

... put an anti-Semitic sax player on their new record. 'Circumcised trolls' row: Protest after Jewish jazzman has Nottingham concert cancelled.

One of the Greats!

Pete Sokolow Is the 'Youngest Old Guy' of Klezmer

שגריר ג'אז: "בכל מקום מחפש את המוזיקה"

Nice Hebrew interview with percussionist Gilad Dobrecky: שגריר ג'אז: "בכל מקום מחפש את המוזיקה" | Xnet.

Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows

"The Voice" finalist Eyal Cohen, who wouldn't perform with women during the program, and whom the producers graciously accommodated in this regard, and Ofir Ben Shetrit, the daati finalist from last year's season, released a political single in support of Naftali Bennet's "Bayit Yehudi."



‫ג'ינגל הבית היהודי 2015 - אנחנו אחים - אייל כהן ואופיר בן שטרית‬‎

Divorced So She Could Sing

Details at the Forward's Sisterhood blog... After Ten Years, Finding Her Voice

The Peeps Are Out In Force Again!

Vafilu Behastore Guy
 No need to describe this peep. The name says it all. He needs to sing "Nigun Hastore". Many times. Doing the A section four times each time through. Then doing the B four times to end. Genug!

The Dinner Singer
This peep comes over with a laundry list of songs he wants to sing during dinner. Four-five at least. Wishes Chayil, Carlebach's Mimkomcha. Yes, the long one. Vezakeini. And more.Naturally, the chosson "wants" him to sing. For real. Also naturally, he wants to finish his set with "Nigun Hastore." Of course, with all the extra repeated bits, as his friend we just mentioned likes to do it. Oy!

Varda Gets Her Groove Back

In Tablet... "How One Orthodox Woman Got Her Musical Groove Back"

Quoting

In the Telegraph... Beware the wrath of the church organist – musical revenge is sweet.

Jesus Was a Dreidel Spinner

Jill Sobule sings all about it!

Extended Album Covers

I always knew there was a shark in that pic... Famous Album Covers Extended To Reveal Background Action

Salome's Mechitza

Over at Tablet... Using Dance To Explore The Mechitza's Effect On Women

Classic Film Score Sunday

Extreme Shabbos!

What's the Tempo?

Tempo Tap

Where Are The Musicians On This?

And, where is President Obama? The EU leadership?



Sick hit parade: Another Palestinian song praises running over Jews 

Food for Thought...

How To Make Streaming Royalties Fair(er)

He's Not Going to Shacharis!

Shema Yisrael!

You can make a Kiddush Hashem anywhere... even on a pop TV show! Really!

Sing, Sing, Sing

Over at Cross-Currents... Aaron White pens "TheThree Cardinal Sins of Singing".



With regard to Sin One - I agree with him about the song "Zochreini Na". In fact, I wrote about it in 2003 here. However, it is not Mordechai Ben David's song. It is Dov Shurin's. Credit/blame where it is due.



With regard to Sin Two... Mr. White judges people based on superficialities, ironic given his intended point about moving past superficialities in choosing music. One can be sitting in a hotel in the "lap of luxury", seemingly jovially,  while still having serious personal issues on one's mind, whether health, financial, or faith based, any of which would well connect to those lyrics.



I think the underlying issue is not only, as the author notes, that singing is vertical rather than horizontal. I think it is also connected to the fact that so many are Jewishly illiterate, and even after years of Day school, cannot translate the words to many popular songs, and certainly can't identify the textual source. I can't even estimate how many times frum singers have asked for the source of lyrics to a new (or rediscovered) "in" song like "Mareh Cohen" (from the high point of the Yom Kippur musaf).

Too Much Free Time - Frum Shred Guitar Edition

עשרת קטעי הסולו גיטרה הנבחרים של המוזיקה החסידית

Hava Nagila for Real

Sharon musician Daniel Gil wants you to hear real Jewish music.

Not Zis

Latvian Musical On Nazi Collaborator Stirs Anger

Juicy Litvaks

Rachel Kafrissen reviews Litvakus’ New Album “Raysn” for Jewcy.

One Hell of A Story

Scott Ian: The Hellish Childhood of a Jewish Metal God

Oh, Air Canada!

Neshama Carlebach on Kol Isha

Neshama Carlebach: "Kol Isha does not belong in 21st Century Jewish life.

Kind of 'Kind Of Blue'

Interesting! Check it out! 'Kind Of Blue' Recreated Note-For-Note

‫תפילה לא-ל חיי - ניגון חב'ד מהעיירה קובליץ - אורן צור ונדב בכר‬‎

Performed in Verdi tuning A=432.

Praying With A Pedophile

Joshua Berman writes "Praying with a pedophile."

Via Torah Musings.

Time for Atunement

In the Forward: Ring In the New Year: Top Tunes to Atone To

David Schlusselberg- I Miss Her

David Schlusselberg, 27, lost his mother to breast cancer when he was a child. Today, he launched his first single, "I Miss Her," in order to raise awareness about the illness. "Through the hard times, music has always been my way of coping," he said.



Via The Jewish Week

Lazer Lloyd-Talk

Talk to the Lord! Let Him know what's on your mind!

Oh Listen, Oh Listen, Oh Listen Bas Pharaoh!

Basya Schechter and Pharaoh’s Daughter Rock Religious Songs on ‘Dumiyah’

We Are Jewish and We Like It A Lot!

'I FINK U JEWISH' by Gardens Shul In association with Choni G

Long Article On Freygish Mode

How Time’s Arrow and the Phrygian Half-Step Make Jewish Music Holy



I found this tedious and I like this stuff. And Tablet printed it. Wow!



Hat tip, E.

Pearl of Wisdom

Judea Pearl: Met Opera’s uncivil ‘art’ 

The Title Says It All

The ‘Klinghoffer’ Opera and the Mainstreaming of Jew Hatred

Mareh Leonard Cohen

In Tablet... Is Leonard Cohen’s New Album His Best Yet?

Itzik Eshel - El Ukraina אל אוקראינה - איציק אשל

So Sephardic Breslov Rosh Hashana in Uman dance trax... it's a thing.

Hyperbole Doesn't Help

The Yeshiva World Chasuna Alert: We are Serving Treif at Our Weddings

CME (Chaim Meir Erps) Rabi Nachman חיים מאיר ערפס - רבי נחמן

So Yiddish Breslov dance trax... it's a thing.

"Hamas" by Ari Lesser

‫קמתי באשמורת - רועי אמיר ועידו פורטל - Kamti Beashmoret‬‎

Roee Amir writes:

As Rosh Hashana approaches, I would like to share with you a new rendition for the Piyyut "Kamti BeAshmoret", which is usually said right before Selichot.

A part of the music is loosely based on a traditional Moroccan-Jewish chant, and the other is original.

In order to achieve the special sound and feeling of the song, the production process incorporated talented musicians from all over the world.

Your feedback and/or sharing of the song would be greatly appreciated.

Vayidom Aharon, Not!

Satmar Rebbe speaks about ALS ice bucket challenge and Niggun Hastara



 Here's it is isYiddish:

דברות קודש מ'מהר"א מסאטמאר היום אצל דינור לטובת המוסדות במאנסי בשילוב עם יארצייט טיש של היטב לב זצ"ל: איך האב געוואלט זאגן אזא נקדה, יעצט איז די עולם אויף מיט א נייע ניגן וואס הייסט ואפילו בהסתרה, איך בון נאכגעגאנגען די ניגן און דער ניגן שטאמט פון מקורות זרים נאך פון די דייטשן ימח שמם, אויך דער נייע פירצה פון זיך אנגיסן מיט וואסער וואס מיר האבן דאס נישט געזען ביי אינזער אבות הקדושים, איבערהויפט וועם פרויען מאכן דאס, און דאס איז זייער נישט איידל הן הגשמיות והן ברחניות צוליב וואס די קלייד הייבט זיך אויף ווען מען טאנצט פון קעלט און אסאך טון אויס די בגדים ברבים צוליב וואס עס איז נאס געווארן, און עס האט שוין פארדארבט גאר אסאך בחורים, און איך וועל עס מסביר זיין באריכות אן צווייטן מאל, וועגן דעם בעט איך במר נפשי און איך פאדער שטרענג פון די הנהלה פון די בית רחל עס איז אסור פאר א תלמידה זיך אנציגיסן מיט קאלט וואסער נאר און שויער איז עס ערלויבט, און בשום אופן דאס נישט אפ כאפען, און אויב בדיעבד האט מען יא, זאל מען דאס ח״ו נישט צושפרייטן אויף וואטסעפ, און פאר די מענער וויל איך בעטן מען זאל נישט מער זינגען דעם ניגן, ווייל לויט ווי די מחנכים געבן איבער ברענגט איינס צום צווייטען.

Doesn't sound any more compelling. He's either saying "I make stuff up" or 'I accept made up #$%@ as fact'. I don't believe Nigun Hastore is a secular German song.

How Embarrassing!

The article title that is, Cutest Maccabeat Goes Solo, not the story itself.

Best line:

“I was in an orthodox all male a cappella group for God’s sake,” he exclaimed with a laugh, “I better have thick skin!”

New U2 Album "Songs of Innocence" Is Now Free

Here's a paradigm shift. U2 Gives Away New Album NOW, Skip Charts, And Who Cares? No Money in CD Sales.

The new U2 album is free on iTunes until Oct. 13th.

Check it out!

I wonder about how this strategy might be effectively used in the Jewish music world...

Temple Judea is HAPPY It's Rosh Hashanah

Hat tip, E.

Dueling Bands - Shloimy Daskal Edition

A little dueling bandstands for you today... Shloimy Daskal vs. Shloimy Daskal.

Since it's become very common for people to hire a band and a separate featured vocalist, there are lots of times when name singers are performing the same songs/arrangements with different bands.

It can be interesting to contrast these versions. Here's one such 'battle of the bands".

The tune is an old Tzlil V'zemer number (off of Vol. 2), which was more recently covered by Dedi in the '90's, IIRC. This Latin arrangement is based on the Dedi version

To me, the Freilach version is much more interesting. (I don't think their arrangement works as well on the second tune they segue into.) Both versions are reasonable well-done, as it were. Freilach takes it out of wedding band cover territory, adding their own personality to it.

What do you think?

Freilach Orchestra version


Aaron Teitelbaum Orchestra & Productions version

‫איציק אשל - בסוף כולם יהיו ברסלב‬‎

In the end, everyone will be Breslovers!

No Playing Tkof Taaseh Biguim

Over at Life in Israel: Interesting Psak: no playing Tkof Taaseh Biguim



I disagree with this.... the lyrics are violent, but the tune isn't, and humor/parody serves an important function too.

Heyerida Tzorech Aliyah Hi

Israeli Band Shmemel Urges Aliyah — to Berlin

“Lincoln’s Nigun - Yamin U’smol” by Joey Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble, Featuring Deborah Sacks

Romania Rap

Heyb Oyf Dayne Hentelakh....

tau Peter Himmelman!

Y'hi Shalom - Neshama Carlebach & Josh Nelson

The Title Says It All

The Times Square Guitar Center Was a Bad Idea.

“Rosh-yeshivenik”

“Rosh-yeshivenik” Performed by Lifshe Schaechter-Widman - Yiddish Song of the Week

But Does He Have Any Klezmer Records?

The Brazilian Bus Magnate Who’s Buying Up All the World’s Vinyl Records.

Bad Move, Givati!

In the J-Post: IDF commander nixes concert by female pop star for fear of offending religious troops.



This is a bad decision by the commander. He could have used the opportunity to build, instead of destroy, unity. Instead of refusing/canceling the show, he should have scheduled the show, and -- unlike the usual army MO which forces religious soldiers to be in attendance when there are female vocalists, against their religious beliefs --  simply exempted those soldiers who felt religiously uncomfortable from going to the show.



This wouldn't have damaged the religious secular unity, which has improved over the course of this water, and also would have set a precedent for religious cooperation about such things within the army structure, which would be a long-term improvement for the religious soldiers he claims he's protecting.



Really poor judgement here.

Steal This Album!

... and play it on Shabbos!

Reverse psychology marketing with a helping of religious guilt. Nice.

‫תקוף תעשה ביגועים - גרסת לכה דודי‬‎

Hamas Invents "Terror Pop"

Yoram Hazony in Tablet: How a Hamas Anthem Became a Hit in Israel

Lenny Solomon - Am Yisrael Lanetzach

Daniel In Babylon - "Give Me The Strength"

Lenny Solomon's latest project...

The Audience Better Buy Lots of Drinks

The Bulletproof Stockings play Arlene's Grocery: All-female Hasidic rock band bans men from show.



The audience better buy lots of drinks, otherwise, there's no point to the venue accommodating them (and other drum women's bands) in the future.

“Come to Boro Park“

בא ל׳בארא פארק

Matisyahu: Unplugged and Honest

Matisyahu: He's lost his locks and wife but found a new voice.

Peter Himmelman - The 1937 Game

Bob Dylan's eidim writes: "The 1937 Game".

Hamas Song Bombs!

So Hamas released a song about terrorizing Israel... and the Israeli's got to work recording covers and tributes.



Hamas Scare Clip Becomes Israel's Summer Hit



My fave is the Smurf one:

Maximum Restraint (written and performed by Peter Himmelman) - YouTube

Yasher koach, Peter!

‫גולני שלי! - שלומי שבת‬‎

Why We Need Jewish Music

An Interview with Adam Stotland

Go, Yossi, Go!

COLLive.com's Picture of the Day.

The Devil Went Down To Gaza

Charlie Daniels (yes, that Charlie Daniels) posts "Israel and Her Enemies."

Classic Tune!

- YouTube:

Lazer Lloyd Has The Bomb Shelter Blues

‫תפילת הרב‬‎

‫תפילת הרב‬‎ - YouTube:

Avraham Fried Is A Class Act!

He was asked to sing at a shiva visit at the home of one of the Israeli boys who was kidnapped and murdered.



‫תניא אברהם פריד ונעם יעקובסון בניחום אבלים אצל משפחתו של גיל-עד שער בטלמון ז' תמוז התשע"ד

Real Jazz Review

Check out Jazz Is The Worst…. 

Best Cover of Leonard Cohen's Halleluya Ever

From Moscow, The Most Insufferable 'Hallelujah' Cover

"Jimmy Hendrix Religious Experience"

Over at Pinkasot  M'pi Ha'aton: A Religious Approach To Art and the Aesthetic 

Di Mezinke Oysgegebn

The Mizinke Dance: Tradition, Folklore or Other?

‫אלי פרידמן ויצחק מאיר - קיים את הילד

חיים גולד - אשרינו שאנחנו יהודים ‬‎

Oh Dear!

Pro-Gay Video By Israeli Singer Featuring Orthodox Children In Shul Pulled From YouTube

‫אורן צור - אור חוזר‬‎

Sweet! First single off Oren Tzur's new solo album.

South by South-Western Wall

The Lynyrd Skynyrd Connection to Mount Zion

Girls Are Singing

This story, if true, is appalling. "Haredim Allegedly Chase Singing Girl Out of Park in Kiryat Gat"

The Best Things In Life?

Over at the NY Times... Free Music, at Least While It Lasts.

Iron Like Lion In Zion!

L'chaim!

The Chareidi Penguin Dance

עונג שבת (עונ"ש): גלגולו של ריקוד: הפינגווין והחרדים:

Note this warning:  (אזהרה למחמירים בהלכות צניעות: יש הרבה בנות עם ביקיני).

Yoely Brach Z"L

Over at VosIzNeias:  Beloved Chasidic Musician Remembered By His Peers.