RE: Duelling harps /Sonny Boy

[Reyzl Kalifowicz-Waletzky <reyzl...>]

Thanks Wolf.  Well I guess I know now.  Don't play much bluegrass even though I 
like the music very much.

But I still don't know of any harpists in Orthodox bands.

Reyzl

----------
From:  Kame'a Media [SMTP:media (at) kamea(dot)com]
Sent:  Wednesday, February 28, 2001 11:08 PM
To:  World music from a Jewish slant
Subject:  Re: Duelling harps /Sonny Boy



Reyzl Kalifowicz-Waletzky wrote:

> Harp - the instrument.  What they picture angels playing.  Don't know
> anything about Sonny Boy Williamson

The harmonica master, composer of "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl"
and many other classic blues was the star of "The King Biscuit Flour Hour"
a hugely popular radio program out of Helena, Arkansa in the 'Fifties.

One of the first American bluesmen to perform in Europe, Williamson
was lionized in England where he came to influence  a generation of
blues-musicians that included the original Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton
and Led Zeppelin, among others.

He  recorded with many of the young Englishmen who would later become
world superstars.  He is fondly remembered in the reminiscences of the
late Richard Manuel of The Band  in Scorsese's "The Last Waltz"

I don't think the  Orthodox would have hired him, either.

Wolf Krakowski

>
>
> Jordan claims that there are women harp players at Orthodox weddings.
>  Hasidic dance scholar Jill Gellerman recently told me that the quality of
> music in the Orthodox community has seriously declined because they depend
> on one electric keyboard player to do all kinds of musical magic.  So much
> cheaper than having a full band.  But here we have harps and they are women
> players yet too.   I dunno.
>
> Reyzl
>
> ----------
> From:  George Robinson [SMTP:GRComm (at) concentric(dot)net]
> Sent:  Wednesday, February 28, 2001 9:44 PM
> To:  World music from a Jewish slant
> Subject:  Duelling harps (Was Re: kol isha]
>
> Do you mean harp, like angels, or harp like Sonny Boy Williamson? I
> can't offhand recall a klezmer group that uses either. Am I missing
> something here?
>
> I must say, though, that it is interesting to note how few classical
> harpists are men. Without getting too far off topic, does anyone have an
> idea why that is? Or is that just my mistaken perception?
>
> George
>
> Reyzl Kalifowicz-Waletzky wrote:
> >
> > I agree with what you say about modesty, but how is it that klezmer
> >
> > >has not really made it in the Orthodox and Chasidic community.
> > >It is only now beginning to attract attention. So an artist like Margot
> > >is suffering under the double whammy of performing music not generally
> > >used to any great extent, yet.
> >
> > What do you think they play at Jewish weddings if not klezmer, which is
> > Jewish wedding music.  Yes the repertoire is a bit different from what
> most
> > stage performing klezmer bands play.  These like to play the repertoire
> > from the old recordings
> > or what the founding bands established as standard.  But if someone like
> > Margot were to add to her repertoire some wedding standards, such as Od
> > Yeshama when the bride and groom enter, Jewish nigunim, a few modern
> Hebrew
> > songs, the line dancing repertoire, etc., she could play at those hasidic
> > weddings.
> >
> > > If she was interested in performing as
> > >a side musician, all she needs to do is contact one of the big
> > >commercial offices like Neginah or Neshoma, and while I am not sure
> > >she would get much play there, for other reasons, she would be able to
> > >get a truer test of the motivation not to use her.
> >
> > Yes, it's those other reasons that you are not expressing.  Like make
> sure
> > their stable of men make a nice living, while a woman shouldn't have to.
>  I
> > don't think they would tell her the real reason either.  They are polite
> > guys.
> >
> > >Women are playing violin, harp, and keyboards on Orthodox bands,
> >
> > Harp is a special instrument and it seems that it is highly populated
> with
> > women musicians.  If you want a harp, your choices are more limited.  But
> > Jewish women fiddlers and keyboard players in Orthodox bands?  Which
> bands
> > have women musicians?  How often have you seen them?
> >
> > I don't know I seem to answering all my mail as it comes today.
> >
> > Reyzl
> >
> > ----------
> > From:  TROMBAEDU (at) aol(dot)com [SMTP:TROMBAEDU (at) aol(dot)com]
> > Sent:  Wednesday, February 28, 2001 3:41 PM
> > To:  World music from a Jewish slant
> > Subject:  Re: kol isha
> >
> > In a message dated 2/27/01 3:12:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> > rlcm17 (at) hotmail(dot)com writes:
> >
> > > The reason I would think Margot's posting is "a digression from kol
> > > isha"-and bringing up relevant economic issues is *not* a halakhic
> > > digression, by the way-is that kol isha applies (for better or for
> worse,
> > > etc., etc.) to women's *voices* and hence to women *singers,* not-so
> far
> > > as
> > > I know-women instrumentalists like Margot.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > At the risk of starting a new war here, I would point out that the reason
> > for
> > not having women in the band is that the idea of Women performers in
> public
> > is considered objectifying, and therefore, not in keeping with
> traditional
> > concepts of modesty.
> > This appears to be less prevalent in Chasidic and Orthodox thinking to
> day,
> > as
> > Orthodox people are more accustomed to seeing Women in roles that were
> not
> > part of the social structure in Europe before the war.
> > But Margot and others also have to realize that in general, Klezmer has
> not
> > really made it in the Orthodox and Chasidic community. It is only now
> > beginning to attract attention. So an artist like Margot is suffering
> under
> > the double whammy of performing music not generally used to any great
> > extent,
> > yet. If she was interested in performing as a side musician, all she
> needs
> > to
> > do is contact one of the big commercial offices like Neginah or Neshoma,
> > and
> > while I am not sure she would get much play there, for other reasons, she
> > would be able to get a truer test of the motivation not to use her. Women
> > are
> > playing violin, harp, and keyboards on Orthodox bands, although I have
> not
> > yet seen woman horn players. I don't know why those instruments are seen
> as
> > less problematic, but there it is. Personally, I would love to have
> Margot
> > in
> > the band, but she has to bring her sax and flute as well. Nowadays,
> > Clarinet
> > is still struggling to make a comeback.
> >
> > Jordan
> >
>
> --
> George Robinson
> Author, Essential Judaism
> Please visit my website, "Essential Judaism and Beyond"
> at www.GeorgeRobinson.freeservers.com
>


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