Re: greetings from oz

[Fred Jacobowitz <fredj...>]

Bill,
        L'shana tova. Welcome to the list. There is a flurry of Klezmer 
activity from time to time.Even tho you said that it was a rhetorical 
question, I'll bite anyway. I would assume that didgeridu would not 
exactly do as a melody instrument. However, if you can tune the bass 
notes so that you can get many different pitches I don't know why it 
can't work as a bass/drone instrument. Frankly, the Jews have always 
adopted the songs, dances and instruments of their host countries so I 
think there is precedent to incorporate it. However, the **KLEZEMER** 
style presents a problem because by definition, it is the music of the 
Eastern European Jews. It must be played in a specifically traditional 
way. Therefore, inless the digeridu can be played so 
that it fits into the rhythmic/chordal scheme of the style, you can't 
claim to be playing Klezmer on it. 

Fred Jacobowitz
Clarinet/Sax Instructor, Peabody Preparatory
Machaya Klezmer Band in the Washington, DC/Baltimore area

On Thu, 19 Sep 1996, Bill Parker wrote:

> I recently subscribed to  jewish-music, and as is my usual habit I do a
> "REV" to the listserv to see who is out there.....I appear to be the only
> one in Australia!  So here goes with a little intro:
> 
> My interest stems from the fact that I paly in a klezmer band on the west
> coast of OZ called the "Red Sea Pedestrians" - as far as I can gather we
> are one of four bands in this country that play klezmer or modern Israeli
> repertoire, the other being
> 
> "Klezmania" in Melbourne, "Kloset Klezmer" in Canberra and "Negev" and the
> "New Hepkatz" and ourselves in Perth.
> 
> As far as commercially available recordings go, Klezmania are the only band
> to have produced a CD, although we have done some recording for our
> national public radio system - the ABC.
> 
> Most of our audiences since formation in 94 have been multicultural, world
> music and folk festivals. The Jewish community is fairly small, and when we
> have played for Jewish audiences, its mainly the oldies that show up.
> 
> 
> Well, I guess I expected some lively discussion here, but silence thus far
> on the music front. So let me ask a rhetorical question. How ell do you
> think the digeridu fits with klezmer?
> 
> Bill
> 
> Red Sea Pedestrians
> Perth Western Australia.
> renew (at) iinet(dot)net(dot)au
> 
> 
>