Re: Drawing the line

[sarakass <sarakass...>]

Why not keep it ALL Jewish.... Use your creativity! Like, say,...
Klezmer-Grunge? or...Klezmer-Punk? I've heard some REALLY GREAT Yiddish
Reggae by King Django who was at KlezKamp this past Dec. Why not
Grunge/Pop/Punk/etc? If Klezmer music doesn't continue to grow, and
attract new listeners, few musicians will be able to make a living off
this wonderful stuff in the future. 

(I realize this sounds like a humorous response to the entire discussion,
but I'm really serious.)

SAK

On Mon, 14 Jan 2002 12:56:59 -0500 "Bob Wiener" <wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com>
writes:
> 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> ---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org 
> ---------------------+
>