RE: schmaltz, pandering and Klezmatics

[Judy Pinnolis <pinnolis...>]

Dick:
Good post. However, other concerts in Newton have about the same turnout
crowds. Been to a classical music concert lately in some Newton venues?
Jewish music, in general, ala the Center?
Judy.
At 09:34 AM 7/20/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Although my band is not well known enough to have "been there" I do have
>some thoughts on the matter.
>
>I think that there are a number of approaches a Klezmer band can take
>toward the music. None of these are better/worse than any other, they
>are just different. Broadly I see 3 groups:
>
>       Preservationists
>
>       Entertainers (there must be a better word)
>
>       Innovators
>
>For agruments sake (and I know I will probably get a lot of disagreement
>on this), some examples of the three would be:
>
>Preservationsists - Budowitz
>
>Entertainers - Klezmer Conservatory Band, Maxwell St.Klezmer Band,
>Mazeltones
>
>Innovators - Klezmatics, New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, Andy Statman
>Quartet
>
>Disclaimer - all of the above are some of my favorite artists and the
>list is only intended to be illustrative, not inclusive.
>
>I think that the "nostalgia crowd" wants to be entertained and that they
>will respond to the Entertainers. I think that they would find the real
>Preservationists to be almost as un-entertaining as they found the
>innovators to be. In a sense they don't want Klezmer music as it was in
>the old country (they weren't in the old country), they want the amalgam
>of Klezmer, Yiddish theater, Yiddish folk/pop and modern Jewish/Israeli
>that the Entertainers do so well.
>
>I think that the Presevationists and the Innovators succeed by appealing
>to audiences other than the "nostalgia crowd". I think that what makes
>the best of the Entertainers the most entertaining is that they have
>kept intergrity in their music while still being wonderfully
>entertaining.
>
>I also think it's an interesting marketing problem. Where I leave, near
>Boston, there is a city called Newton with a sizeable Jewish population.
>The Newton Public Library has a small auditorium and has a free concert
>series. There is always at least one concert featuring some local
>Klezmer talent. The audience always seems to me to be not only over 60,
>but over 70! It always surprises me that there are not more younger
>people at these concerts. How do you reach them? (I think this is the
>problem that Bert ran into)
>
>Genik shoyn.
>
>That's my $.02
>
>Dick
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Bert Stratton [SMTP:yiddcup (at) en(dot)com]
>>Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 1999 8:34 AM
>>To:   World music from a Jewish slant
>>Subject:      schmaltz, pandering and Klezmatics
>>
>>       Have you been here? Scenario:
>>       I'm a volunteer on a Yiddish concert committee for Cleveland's
>>Workmen's Circle.  I lobby to bring in the Klezmatics.  I persuade the
>>mostly elderly committee to "go for a younger crowd."
>>       Good publicity. Audience: 2000.  Free tickets.  Audience turns out
>>to be the "nostalgia" crowd. Young folks -- and I mean under 60 -- mostly
>>stay home.  Maybe 20% under 60 -- and I was at the door counting 'em as
>>they came in.       
>>      Klezmatics use a jazz-concert model -- minimal explanations(like going
>>into "Shnirele Perele" without an intro. no explanation of reefer song --
>>good idea), some very extended improvisations.  Musicians in the audience
>>-- about 20 of us -- love the music, but the concert is a bomb -- no
>>request for an encore, very little visible energy from band -- one
>>musician looked kind of asleep on stage,  a lot of  audience kvetching
>>afterward about where's "Romania, Romania" and "I don't want to hear
>>snake-charmer music!"  About 30 people danced in the aisles, but most were
>>comatose after the three-song "Possessed" medley.
>>      Afterward, I asked a Klemzatics musician, "How about when you play a
>>college town, like Ann Arbor?  Same repertoire?"  Band member said the
>>group isn't playing too many hip college gigs --  band is too expensive.
>>The hip young-people scene is in Europe, band member said.  In America it's
>>mostly the "gray-haired" (my words) crowd.
>>      The crux:  should bands use the elitist jazz model, or go schmaltz -- 
>> sell
>>out! pander! juggle! whatever.  I think there's a valid  middle
>>ground.(Klez Conservatory Band and Perlman's well-paced klez-smorgasbord
>>come to mind.)
>>      Saw the Chieftains the last night, same venue.  Great musicianship,
>>excellent pacing and variety, tons of guest artists, great communication
>>with audience thru ad lib and self-depracting humor, a dab of schmaltz (did
>>a "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" parody with disco lights going). Huge
>>ovation and encore.  Lots of fun.
>>      There's a lesson here for klez bands. The jazz-model of klez (like when
>>some of our leading clarinet players play to the bass player instead of the
>>audience) isn't going to help us expand our appeal beyond the core
>>"nostalgia" crowd.
>>      What do you think?      
>>
>>
>>Bert Stratton
>>Yiddishe Cup Klezmer Band
>>http://www.yiddishecup.com
>>
>
>
>

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+