Re: Drawing the line

[allen watsky <awatsky...>]

Bob, You let Andy off easy. I would love to see him doing a rousing version
of Smooth on his Mandolin.It could be cool. Its in a minor key. It would be
a good thing.AW
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Wiener" <wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: Drawing the line


> For our wedding, we hired a klezmer band and played some recordings of
other
> stuff that I had made when they took a break.  In other words, I was the
DJ.
> I think that it worked out fine.  And I never dreamed of asking Andy
Statman
> to do anything he wouldn't be comfortable with (although he may have done
a
> mandolin "Goodnight Irene" for my wife to dance to with her father.)
>
> Bob
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "allen watsky" <awatsky (at) nj(dot)rr(dot)com>
> To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 12:52 PM
> Subject: Re: Drawing the line
>
>
> > Alan, Often what is done is to hire a person who can play most of the
pop
> > requests and sing them and lead the band through that set or sets, who
can
> > also double as a traditional musician for the traditional eastern
european
> > music( why, a guy just like me!). So you have to have a rhythm section
> that
> > can cross over and a specialist that can "cover" the pop requests. You
can
> > also elect to have the client hire a DJ( feh!) . The DJ option allows
you
> to
> > avoid playing stuff you dislike or can not deliver, but it gives the
> client
> > the impression that you are in some way unprepared to play the party.
( I
> > have been on both sides of this) At times you can play a polite little
gig
> > with the acoustic E.Euro Yiddish vibe and some American song book stuff
> and
> > basically do a "society gig" with the bulgars on top. At times you have
to
> > just about hire a whole 'nother band to do the stuff you don"t know. If
> the
> > client has the dollars they can have it all. Just add enough pieces to
get
> > the job done and when you play your featured ethnic stuff let the
ringers
> > take a break.That's what is done. If the budget is limited you have to
be
> > very clear with the client about  what is and what "is not" possible. If
I
> > may leave you with this phrase that I have found invaluable, and was
first
> > taught to me by my friend the bassist the" genius" Brian Glassman,here
it
> is
> > (pay attention),"IT'LL BE TERRIFIC !" Say this to the client over and
over
> > again.(and to yourself as well) The checks in the mail.. AW
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <ALANEFALK (at) aol(dot)com>
> > To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> > Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 12:00 PM
> > Subject: Drawing the line
> >
> >
> > > After receiving a request recently to play "Chopin's Etude #3' for a
> > wedding hat
> > > service, and YMCA and the Twist at the reception - I thought this
might
> be
> > an
> > > interesting topic for discussion (although it probably has been
> discussed
> > in
> > > the past (I have only been on this listing for a year or so)). So here
> > goes:
> > >     As our band's local reputation has grown, and we receive more
> requests
> > to
> > > play Simchas, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs etc, we seem to be faced with
> > ever
> > > increasing dilemma, one which I am sure has been faced by most of you.
> > Trying
> > > to maintain a balance between 'aesthetic' goals and standards of
> > integrity,
> > > yet at the same time trying to attract as wide an audience and play as
> > often
> > > as possible, seems to lead inevitably to Simcha bookings. And this, in
> our
> > > case, leads to the 'dilemma'.
> > >     That is, where to draw the line when it comes to requests for
> certain
> > > popular musical 'standards' which have become part of the 'party'
> > landscape.
> > > I'm referring to such standard 'fodder' as 'YMCA', Electric Slide,
etc,
> > etc.
> > > I understand that Jewish bands have since the 'dawn of klezmer' found
it
> > > necessary to play the popular music of their day alongside the
freylechs
> > and
> > > bulgars, but it seems to be such a musical 'chasm' nowadays between
the
> > two -
> > > Mayim to "Shout" is quite a leap! Let alone Hip Hop and Techno thuds!
> > >     Alongside our Jewish repertoire of Klezmer, Yiddish, Israeli song
> and
> > > dance music etc, we offer classical, Big Band/Jazz era, latin and
'soft'
> > > (slow Dance) rock, but, "Who Let the Dog's Out?".
> > >     I'm interested in finding out what other bands have experienced
and
> > how
> > > they deal with this situation - a general consensus perhaps? - where
and
> > when
> > > to draw the line.
> > > Alan Falk
> > > Nefesh Klezmer Band
> > > Connecticut, USA
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>

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