Welcome!

[Ari Davidow <jmusic...>]

With any luck, I get to send the first message. I've agonized over this,
because I don't know who will actually =read= this message--I mean, almost
no one has subscribed yet, right?

There are all sorts of things going through my mind--as I type this, I am
listening to the new Mashina album from Israel. I'm not all that familiar
with the group, but it seems to be interesting rock 'n roll. The English
translation of the title is "Monsters of Glory." An odd translation for
"Miflatzot ha-t'hila," but what the heck.

I've been going crazy with all of the CD releases of the older Israeli
albums that I knew years ago--No Names, Arik and Shalom, Behind the
Sounds, Apocalpse ... even Esther Ofarim and the Roosters. In some cases,
I can hear the CDs with a clarity that never came across back when. This
isn't always a blessing :-).

On the klez front, I am blown away by the release of the Dave Tarras
retrospective on Yazoo: Dave Tarras: Yiddish-American music. Not only is
this outstanding vintage klez, but it is a wonderful picture of the
evolution and Americanization of Jewish music. Another "must have" CD is
the Yikhes release from Europe. Lots of wonderful Naftuli Brandwine.

One of my big complaints of friends during the klez revival was that the
music was being played as "period" stuff--it wasn't klez for today. Listen
to old albums by Kapelye or the Klezmorim and you'll hear what I mean. On
the other hand, the latest album by New York's Klezmatics is outstanding.
I dunno what it is, but it transcends klez. In different directions, you
can hear similar fusions of klez with jazz and other stuff in new releases
by the New Klezmer Trio and the Amsterdam-based Klezmokum.

A recent article about klez referred to the difference between
American-based klez, and the Israeli-based version. Indeed, they appear to
be different types of music altogether, sometimes. I mention this because
I have noticed that the friends with whom I get together to listen to
local klez bands are seldom the same friends with whom I discuss the
latest CDs from Israel. To most people (myself excepted) there is no
particular point of intersection--certainly it is hard to expect the same
person to be infatuated with EthniX and the Klezmer Conservatory
Orchestra. This has lots of implications--What types of Jewish (including
or not including Israeli pop) interest people on this list?  For that
matter, how should record stores file the various forms of Jewish music?

Okay, that's enough for now. Enjoy.

ari
jmusic (at) israel(dot)nysernet(dot)org

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