Re: Yiddish poetry

[Warschauer <Warschauer...>]

Many of us in the Yiddish and klezmer revival have been active in writing new
*instrumental* tunes for quite some time now.  I agree with Ari that there
seem to be many more revivalists around who are creating new settings for
Yiddish poetry.  As someone who has started to spend a lot of my time doing
just that, I can say that it is a great thing to work on.  

Ari mentions Josh Waletzky.  Josh, of course, has been writing new settings
to existing poems for *many years*.  Another wonderful thing about Josh is
his ability to create new Yiddish *lyrics and music* with power and emotional
depth.  

As a disclaimer, I should mention that Josh is my pal, and also that I feel
privileged to be involved, along with Deborah Strauss, in the presentation of
the program of Josh's original material that Ari mentioned.  

Disclaimer aside... it's really great stuff! 

Jeff Warschauer