Re: schmaltz, pandering and Klezmatics

[KLEZMER313 <KLEZMER313...>]

Hi Everybody,

First I guess I should offer  that I am not a Klezmer expert as many of you 
are, although I have been playing the music many years and my band includes 
Klezmer in our repertoire (also all styles Jewish plus standards to American 
Top 40).  While we work about 130 dates per year, they are mostly bnai 
mitzvah, weddings, corporate work, etc....We do, however, perform concerts 
about 15-20 times per year.    I also have been hosting my Jewish radio show 
for nearly 14 years.... 

I offer the above partially in spirit of "knowing who we are" and partially 
to let you all know that my comments are my views, which I consider informed, 
but surely not "edicts from on high!!!"  So please don't interpret this as 
pontification, just and expression of views.

I have had the same experiences with Klezmer concerts (and concerts of other 
musical styles) as Bert - who started this discussion.

In the last 18 months a couple of "name" Klezmer groups have performed in our 
area and both concerts were less than favorably received, and both "enjoyed" 
tremendous bashing in the community following the events.

Both groups, names are unimportant, contain world - class musicians and their 
music is beyond reproach. Both groups, however, failed miserably in  bonding 
with the audience.   They both played what they wanted to play ( and did so 
nicely), but it wasn't what the audience wanted to hear. .....nothing 
recognizable to these folks in the audience who are not Klezmer  experts, but 
just people who want to be entertained.   The audience cannot be faulted, as 
they showed up in very good numbers for at least one of the concerts and 
respectable for the other.  

The key, from my view point, is to know your audience.  If you are on a 
college campus the approach may be different than if you are in the condos 
over on the east coast of Florida.  If you are in an area such as New York, 
where there may be a sophisticated understanding of the developing art form 
of Klezmer, you may structure your performance differently than if you are in 
a synagogue for a fundraiser out here in the Galut with about 1000 people in 
attendence, most of whom don't know Klezmer from Chassidic and really don't 
care what the difference is....they just want to have a good time.   This 
doesn't mean that the whole play list has to be altered....but the inclusion 
of recognizable, audience grabbing tunes, no matter how trite one may find 
them, should serve, when the audience requires it, to win over the audience 
at the outset.  Once you have the audience on your side, you can move into 
original and more "avant garde" pieces..., accomplishing your end goal of 
entertaining while exposing people to "your" music. OF course, doing this 
while always remembering who you are playing for.

Another area that really seems to need work with some groups is how to talk 
to an audience.   As "in your face" as many musicians are with their playing 
is exactly what they are not when on mike.   Words drop off, sentences fly 
by, etc.  At one concert the group spoke in Yiddish, which elated the 5 
people in the audience who were fluent.....and having the effect of many 
audience members leaving at the intermission.  Talk about not relating to the 
audience.

Other groups have performed in our area with great success. One, KCB, played 
in Sarasota on Monday afternoons.....selling out (1400) the return engagement 
this past winter.....having reached the audience in earlier appearances......

mike eisenstadt

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