ALternative sounds from traditional sources

[Benla Den <benla...>]

Hi there all. I've been watching all these messages from this group fill my
mailbox each day and I decided it was my turn to stuff one in yours, so to
speak.
I am an accordionist in Philly and have done a lot of work with Jewish music
for the last 15 years or so. I have a band called Benny and the Vildachayas.
We've been using traditionaly Jewish source material and imposing the
methods and madness of free jazz to that material. I use everything from
Israeli folk songs to Yiddish theatre, Sephardic melodies to Trup, Sun Ra to
Ornette Coleman. The band has a horn section (traditional revolving horn
section, some players some nites, other players other nites...its all in the
scheduling) Tuba, drum, electric guitar, and me on the squeezebox.
We are fortunate to work with a guitar player who has spent years working
with Jamaal Adeen Takouma (From Ornette Coleman's band). He's helped us
apply Ornette's theory of Harmelodics to the Jewish music.
We also have many instruments sort of strewn around us, percussion things,
bells, whistles, Cymbals and gongs, assorted hand drums. When the spirit
moves us we'll switch to some of these instruments. I've also been playing a
lot of shofar with the band. It has a primal sound that can be funny, eerie,
mournful and triumphant. I also learned how to play Yankee doodle on it.
When I really want to show off i can play two at one time and do harmonies.
Ok, I'll admit the harmonies aren't perfect but what the hell, I did say
FREE jazz.
I also teach Jewish music to Special Ed classes for the Jewish Community
High School ( part of Gratz college here in Philly). And of course I'm a
whore for the occasional wedding or bar mitzvah, you gotta make a buck here
and there.
I'm interested in how you go about getting funds to support alternative
Jewish music projects. I'm ready to record but need the do re mi to get it
done. I also am interested in distribution channels for this kind of stuff.
Thanks for letting me bend your ear...well...twist your
eyes...er...uh...whatever.

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