Re: article on Jews, jazz, etc, in Jazztimes magazine

[DAVID CHEVAN <dchevan...>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Seth Rogovoy <rogovoy (at) berkshire(dot)net>
To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2001 9:57 AM
Subject: article on Jews, jazz, etc, in Jazztimes magazine


> In the September 2001 issue of Jazztimes magazine, there is an article by
> Howard Mandel called "Vibes from the Tribe: Jewish Identity, Music and
> Jazz," in which the author interviews David Krakauer, Steven Bernstein,
Eric
> Rosenthal of SHirim/Naftule's Dream, Ben Goldberg of New Klezmer Trio, and
> Elliott Sharp, and discusses, well, Jewish identity, music and jazz.

The JazzTimes article is quite interesting and full of information.  But it
is also quite problematic.  After much soul searching and consultation with
a handful of friends I composed a brief letter to JazzTimes to articulate my
concerns with the article which I sent to them via e-mail on September 4.
There is far more that I could have written, but I actually want them to
publish my letter so I kept it concise.  Since I am not certain if they will
publish my letter I am reproducing it below in order to allow the group to
know what my concerns are with the piece.  I would be curious to hear the
reaction of this group, to the article as well as to my thoughts about it.
David

To the Editors of JazzTimes,

Howard Mandel is to be commended for presenting a broad overview of several
creative strains of secular Jewish music in his article "Vibes From the
Tribe: Jewish Music, Identity and Jazz" in the September 2001 issue of
JazzTimes.  I was pleased to read an article on new Jewish music that didn't
focus solely on the creative talents and distinctive vision of John Zorn.
Nevertheless I was, in the end, disturbed by a picture that Mandel has
painted of this resurgence of American Jewish musical culture that
highlights artists who work in a sector that is secular and anti-religious
and marginalizes the work of Jewish musicians whose work centers around
religious music.   With few exceptions Mandel's piece was limited to Jewish
artists who went to great length to distance themselves from their Judaism.
Yes, Judaism is a culture--and for many Jews it is the cultural aspect that
resonates most strongly, but it is foremost a religion and that element was
missing from this article.  I can't even begin to imagine a similar article
being written about any other religion and certainly not one about any race.
Could anyone imagine an article in which African- American artists made
statements that denied the essential elements of their culture in their
music?  I should think not.  Yet Mandel quotes one artist as saying "I don't
want Judaism mixed up in my music as a religion."  I'm sure that, after
reading a quote like that or "I don't play Jewish music, I play trumpet,
"Diaspora Soul" was a job, an assignment . . ." most readers must think that
Jewish musicians think very little of their own religion.

So the question that remains to be answered is, are there any Jewish artists
who are addressing the spiritual, the religious elements of Judaism in
musical work that is at all connected to jazz?  The answer is yes and two of
these artists, Frank London and Anthony Coleman were mentioned, but not
profiled in Mandel's piece.  Both Coleman (Sephardic Tinge and Self-Haters)
and London both with the Hasidic New Wave, and on his recent "Nigunim" and
"Invocations" recordings) have addressed religious themes and concerns
head-on in their music.  Similarly, pianist Uri Caine's "Zohar/Keter" album
is a profound religious statement. Andy Statman, the father of the klezmer
revival has made several recordings that include Chassidic sacred songs and
veer much closer to jazz than klezmer and his work as a whole serves at some
point as a touchstone to all Jewish musicians who have come of age in the
past twenty years.  And where were the cutting edge Jewish women in this
article?  Basya Schechter's Pharaoh's Daughter, for one, is an essential and
important addition to this list.  Was I pleased to see some of my favorite
Klezmer artists in Mandel's piece? Absolutely.  But not at the expense of
denying the religion.  But then again, the title of this issue of JazzTimes
was Race Matters, not religion.

Sincerely,
David Chevan

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