Re: Middle Eastern Roots of Klezmer?

[Mattflight <Mattflight...>]

    As on of the drummers and percussionist on the list the answer would be 
talk about modern drums come out of the Ottoman Empire.  The best way to do 
research on any percussion related topic is start by going through the 
archives of the Percussion Arts Society. (www.pas.org) You do have to be a 
member to get into the online archives of their publications, but one can get 
a free three month online ePAS membership. All of their publications dating 
back to the 1963 when the started are online, you may also be able to find a 
local library that has the CD of them from 1963 to 1987.
    I typed in Turkish, and came up with a number of good articles talking 
about how the modern drumset traces its history back to the Ottoman Empire. 
Once you have looked at the articles the PAS also has a very good web board 
for asking questions. (You also get to hear wonderful stories like Neil 
Grover (he plays with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra) telling about 
being on tour with the Boston Pops and John Williams, when a Bass Db chime 
was sent instead of a Bass D, and Neil retuned the chime with a hacksaw and 
explained to John Williams that it is ok, I'm Jewish, it is just like a 
briss).

    I need to add, that for four years I played in Lori's Junior Klezmer 
band, and it was a great experience. For part of that time I studied with one 
of the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band's former drummers Steve Hawk, and he was 
the one that turned me on the PAS. It is important that as teachers (and we 
all teach just by doing) it is important that we give the tools to learn to 
our students, because are students might happen to be able to teach us 
something.

Matt Temkin

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+