Hashem is Where?

Hirhurim pens "Reflections on Returning from an Uncle Moishy Concert."

You're The Meaning In My Life, You're The Inspiration.

Psycho Toddler writes:

You know who has inspired me? A family friend, who once swore to us that he would never put his kids through a yeshiva education, who started learning in the kollel. That made me determined to get a chevrusa, though the needling of the frummies always made me want to keep out.

Lenny Solomon, who loves Rock and Roll and Star Trek, but insisted on taking an red-eye flight into Chicago before a gig, so that he would be able to catch a minyan there. After that I started going to minyan more.

Ruby Harris, who, during a break at an Irish Pub where we were playing, turned to me and asked, 'Are you taking time to learn a little everyday? You should do Daf Yomi.' That made me want to play in Bars more (just kidding).

Lenny Solomon... a true "Minyan Man."

PSA: Country Music May Be Hazardous To Your Health!

From Musical Perceptions:

In my high school speech class I gave a persuasive talk on the dangers of country music. I detailed the monotonous harmonic progressions that could hypnotize drivers; the suggestive lyrics that could encourage divorce, drinking, and truck driving; and the potential for certain vocal twangs to puncture ear drums. It was a very popular speech, and apparently one ahead of its time. Steven Stack of Wayne State University and Jim Gundlach of Auburn University have published a study of 'The Effect of Country Music on Suicide.' They found that listening to country music did cause an increase in the white suicide rate, 'independent of divorce, southernness, poverty, and gun availability.'

He's got a link to the study.

Lo Talin - A Forgotten Mitzvah?

Here are two pesukim. The first is from Vayikra 19:13. In Parshas Kedoshim the Torah writes: "Lo tashok et re'acha v'lo tigzol, lo talin peulat sachir itcha ad boker." The second is from Devarim 24:15. In Parshas Ki Teizei, the Torah writes: "B'yomo titen scharo, v'lo savo alav hashemesh, ki ani hu v'eilav hu noseh es nafsho, v'lo yikro alecha el Ad-noi v'haya vicha cheit."

Halacha mandates that day laborers must be paid at the end of the workday and night workers must be paid at the end of their shift. It seems clear to me that freelance musicians playing one-off club dates fall into this category, yet it is common practice for offices to wait weeks, or in some cases a month or more, before sending out payment. I believe that this practice is anti-halachink. In the case of smaller bands, therefore, musicians should be paid at the conclusion of a gig. The band owner or bandleader should bring the musician's checks to the gig and pay them upon its conclusion

In the case of larger bands, where there are many musicians perfrming at numerous events at any given time, from an organizational standpoint, it's not practical to cut the checks in advance, as there are frequently last minute additions or substitutions of musicians. In these cases, I think that there is an implicit understanding between the musicians and the office that the payment will be somewhat delayed. Even in those cases though, the bands should cut the checks as soon as possible. I'd favor a weekly bookkeeping date, but think that a bi-weekly check mailing is the outer limit.

Over the years, I've freelanced for many bands/offices who delayed payment for over a month. I've been fortunate enough to never have been in a financial situation where I was living from gig paycheck to paycheck, but there are many musicians who need each gig's earnings ASAP just to make ends meet. I think that an increased sensitivity to this Mitzvah D'oraita is warranted among the JM community.

Man In The Long Black Coat

Bob Dylan gets Shlishi at Adath Israel in St Paul, MN, an Orthodox congregation with a strong Chabad tilt.

Attention Do-It-Yourselfers

Build your own Swedish Bagpipes.

Cat Stevens Update

LGF has a report that Cat Stevens was the guest of honor in 1998 at a fundraising dinner in Toronto, hosted by a front group for Hamas, and that in his speech he described Judaism as a “so-called religion."

Something has broken, but I don't think it's "morning." More likely, it's Mr. Islam's moral compass.

Linkage

JM in the AM listeners may be a little confused after yesterday's broadcast with Yerachmiel Begun. The huge Kiddush Hashem event at Nassau Colliseum isn't this, it was the past Siyum Hashas.

The KlezmerShack reviews the Chevra...er...Khevre.

Velvel posts a new Even Sh'siyah MP3. Vietur.

Eli Gerstner has updated his website. Sheet music for his songs can be found here.

Finally, here's Instapundit on how he used MP3.com as a sort-of foreign-aid program for African musicians.

Via our effectively-nonprofit (well, it never turns one) record company, we had a sort of foreign-aid program for African musicians going for a while. We put their stuff on MP3.com and let them earn the "payback for playback" royalties. Those weren't a lot of money for most Americans (a few people made a lot, but a few hundred dollars a month -- what my band, Mobius Dick, was earning -- was doing pretty well). But a few hundred dollars a month is a lot of money in places like Uganda and Nigeria. Sadly, that was another casualty of MP3.com's collapse. If we can get micropayment-style systems working, I think that African musicians and artists would really benefit. There's a lot of talent there that's going underutilized for want of capital, in a whole range of fields.

Three Out Of Four Ain't Bad

Here's the UJA of North Jersey "Israel Carnival"website.

Symphonia Productions presents:
AVI, DAVID AND DONNY OF THE CHEVRA
Featuring Kol Zimrah Acapella Singers
The Kletztraphobix
Magic & More............

Tuesday, October 5th, 2004
10AM - 5PM
at the JCC on the Palisades

100 % of all proceeds are helping
Israeli Families in Crisis

The Vengeful Philosopher

This Hashkafah.com thread picks up the discussion on the appropriateness of singing about revenge ala "Zochreini Na."

Shameless Plug Update

Here.

This Thriller Sounds Bad

Scholars Gather to Deconstruct Jacko.

Shofar, So Good

Here's Musical Perceptions:

I played a long note tonight, but certainly not as long as I had the capacity for. I still am uncertain whether to crescendo the note to a loud climax and cut it off, or to taper the sound. Doing the latter allows for a longer note, and is more musically satisfying to me. But the purpose of the shofar is not musical, it is theological. I tapered the sound this year, and cut the note off when the sound threatened to get too weak. But maybe a niente effect is appropriate, to suggest the sound never really ends. Any suggestions out there?

Shameless Plug

Jordan Hirsch writes:

I just want to let you know about another bit of shameless self
promotion. I am doing another show at Satalla this Sunday at 5 with Klezmerfest. That band includes Greg Wall, Jordan Hirsch, Zev Zions, Brian Glassman, and Aaron Alexander. You should check out the review we got from Ari Davidow on Klezmershack. Come down and check out the band!

Gal Paz Update

The NY Post has the shameful details.

It's a keyboard and... a keyboard!

It's Prodikeys.
Check out the video demos on the left side of the page. They're funny enough, but I really enjoyed the demos for the Asian market, especially the Asian drum demo. (Windows Media Player required.)

The Power of Kol Nidre

Here's an interesting J Post article about Kol Nidre. Here are the first 'graphs:

When Reb Leizer of Czenstochow walked out of the gates of Buchenwald, he set out to find his youngest son. In the last moments of deportation he had thrust the child into the arms of gentiles - perhaps he was still alive. In his old town, he was told to try the monasteries. Not surprisingly, none of them admitted to sheltering any Jewish children.

Reb Leizer bought an organ and added one melody to the stock of marketplace ditties: Kol Nidre. He moved about the countryside as an organ grinder, setting up his instrument in each village and watching as children ran to hear his music. Whenever he played Kol Nidre, he would observe their faces for any reaction. Sometimes, he saw signs of recognition, of sadness and longing. He would follow these children, take them aside and tell them: "The war is over. You can go back to your own people."

According to the story, Reb Leizer never did find his son, but he helped dozens of Jewish children regain their faith.

Tzadik On The Roof?

Menachem Wecker reviews the Masada String Trio's recent performance at the Bridge Shul.

One nitpick... the dubious song title is "Mahshav" not "Moshav."

Are They Related To Yidcore?

Meet the Makkabees -- dedicated to preserving Jewish tradition through unconventional means. They have a few audio clips on their site, and CD Baby has some more here.

Not your grandma's "Hava Nagila!"

Turn The Plane Around!

Cat Stevens, terrorist?