Re: Reviews for kids and other things

[robert wiener <wiener...>]

Some additional information on Judy's list:

Shimon and Ilana was originally on LP (same label & number)
Jon Simon's CD is Silver Lining Records SL004D (1992)

Someone else must have mentioned:
Cindy Paley's Chanukah: A Singing Celebration on Koleet
  Productions (CD) (1988)


I have a dozen or so other lChanukah records on LP, but most of them are
unavailable on CD or cassette.  Some that I believe I've seen around are:

Chanukah At Home on Rounder Records (1988)
The Klezmer Conservatory Band's Oy Chanukah! on Rounder
  Records (1986)
The Moyshe Oysher Chanukah Parter on Banner

The most recent mass-market productions are:
Festival of Light (mostly not Hanukah) on Six Degrees (CD) (1996)  and
To Life! (not all Hanukah) on Rhino (CD) (1998)
  (anyone heard it?  Just out.)

Bob Wiener
-----Original Message-----
From: Judy Fertig <fertig (at) brandeis(dot)edu>
To: World music from a Jewish slant. <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Date: Thursday, December 10, 1998 11:57 AM
Subject: Reviews for kids and other things


>Mike:
>Thanks for the info on the upcoming show. It's great to know there is "tons
>of good stuff out there"... Will you send a play list?
>
>Wolf:
>I don't want to belabour a point about something that happened almost a
>decade ago and I don't really remember all the details, but I think the
>"controversy" at that time centered on the song about "That's what Grandma
>says". Some people thought it played to stereotypes about Jews being
>obsessed with food (etc.). I thought at the time it was a funny way of
>expressing the transition of our times-- in a borsht belt sort of way-- and
>set to a popular tune. Others didn't see it as Jews laughing at themselves.
>They didn't think it was cute and were offended. You know that's what
>happens sometimes and can't always be predicted. But I'm not sure I would
>label this as a kids album, but perhaps some of the songs are appropriate
>for children.
>
>Most of the music on this album, Happy Chanukah My Friend, has sort of
>"easy listening" or "contemporary" settings, is upbeat, tries to express
>ideas of peace --for a holiday that reminds us about needing to fight a war
>to stay Jewish,-- and has some tunes with a slightly jazzy flair.
>
>The Maoz Tsur, with a children's choir with cantor, totally changes the
>tone of the album,  is somewhat hard to hear and seems out of place. (There
>are better arrangements and better sound engineering for Maoz Tsur).
>
>As a whole, I felt that at least someone was trying to come up with
>something new, upbeat, and appealing to contemporary listeners!
>
>To those of you who asked me about children's albums:
>Now the caveat: this is not a complete list, and it's not even a
>contemporary list. I've put on my website links to places you can find
>music and I'm sure others (Simon? Dena?) can help you with that better than
>I. This is just some items I happen to be familiar with, mostly from a few
>years ago. Here's my list of some cassettes I like...it's an old list since
>my kids are older, (notice a lot of stuff from the 80's...) but ...here
goes:
>
>Two of my favorites for young children:
>Chanukah: Songs for Children by Shimon and Ilana on Elite Records, ELS-404,
>originally an LP, I think.
>Both Shimon and Ilana have extremely pleasant, non-threatening voices and
>storytelling style which I found very attractive to children. The
>storytelling in American English has a very welcome tone. Singing some
>traditional songs in a pleasant folk style (not a cantorial voice style)
>with guitar, accordian and flute accompaniments. Songs are in Hebrew and
>English. Apparently the LP had text printed; the cassette doesn't. The
>songs are clearly pronounced. It's a good first album for kids because of
>the storytelling aspects and appropriate for young children and lower
>elementary grades.
>
>Sharon, Lois and Bram in Candles Long Ago: Songs for the Chanukah
>Season.Elephant Records, Drive Entertainments, DE4-43236.
>If you like Sharon, Lois and Bram from Canadian TV, (via cable in the
>States) you will love this album. Sharon Hamson, Lois Lilienstein and Bram
>Morrison are not only great educators, but entertainers who understand
>children (in my opinion). There is a mixture of songs in English, Hebrew
>and Yiddish. The orchestrations by Danny Troob, Glen Rouen and Lawrence
>Schwartz (various songs) are sophisticated and slick (a la Sesame Street).
>Some reflect influence of the klezmer style clarinet and are quite a bit of
>fun with flair. Some are typical of their show on TV. The album includes
>Chanukah songs, general Yiddish songs, and some typical Sharon, Lois and
>Bram fare such as "Don't Bring an Elephant to a Family Meal". There's also
>the fun arrangement of "A Winter Sweet" which takes Tchaikovsky's
>Nutcracker music and puts it to wonderful lyrics by Mark Saltzman and Glen
>Rouen. Very upbeat and fun. Young children will like this album, I'll bet.
>
>Another good album for kids in a different style:
>Paul Zim: Chanukah Miracle: A Sing Along. with the Dreidelettes (a
>children's chorus) and orchestrations by the "Dreidel Players Orchestra"
>led by Michael Tornick. There are some great songs written by contemporary
>Israeli artists such as Ehud Manor and Nurit Hirsh, and songs by Paul Zim.
>One with words and music, George D. Weiss, "Eight days of Chanukah" is a
>fun counting song. The cassette includes words in Hebrew and English.
>Inside the cover are Hebrew, transliterations and English, which is good
>for a sing-a-long album! Arrangements range from easy rock to the
>children's choir.
>
>For Very Young Children, perhaps the tot or preschool set:
>Latkes and Hamentashen: Holiday treats for All ages by Jackie Cytrynbaum
>and Sung by Fran Avni... oops.. don't have the album information. My album
>is an LP.
>
>Older kids:
>Yemei Hachanuka: Chanuka songs
>Hed Artzi AN 14875 This is an LP number.
>Traditional and Israeli school songs.
>
>Songs for Hanukah and other Festivals:
>The Haimsche Music Co. 1984
>Arrangements by Charles B. Crews. Traditional songs.
>
>Hanukah Songs by Chaim Parchi 1987.
>Arrangements by Richard Friedman
>CP Music
>Newton MA
>
>Hanukkah and all that Jazz by Jon Simon. (no album info just now).
>This is a solo piano album that puts the chanukah songs to easy listening
>jazz arrangements. If you like that kind of "jazz", then you may like this.
>If not, then don't bother with this album.
>
>Have a fun and musically filled holiday.
>j.
>
>
>
>At 09:56 PM 12/9/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>In a message dated 98-12-09 15:13:38 EST, you write:
>>
>><< Mike:
>> We had this CD some years ago (pre-1990 at least) at our NPR station and
it
>> was "withdrawn" as "too controversial". (unfortunately many people took
the
>> recording the wrong way). Lots of folks didn't think it was pc and the
>> music director just didn't think it was worth it since there were lots of
>> other music to use. Ithought there were several really fine and clever
>> tunes on the CD and have a copy at home. But my favorite Chanukah album
is
>> our local group: Zamir Chorale the "Lights" album. It's one of the finest
>> recordings of Chanukah music and especially for those who love choral
>> music. j. >>
>>
>>Strange.....I think it is rather a stretch to consider this album not pc.
>>I don't have the Lights album.....
>>I will be doing 2 2hour shows of chanukah music and related sound (comedy,
>>stories, etc) beginning with thisSunday's show.  There is just ton's of
good
>>stuff out there.
>>
>>The show airs Sunday 12 noon EST   www.wmnf.org    is where you can catch
it
>>live or at your leisure in the archives.....ENJOY!!!
>>
>>Chag Orim Sameach
>>
>>mike eisenstadt
>>
>>
>