RE: Klezmer Xylophonists & Mallet Instruments

[farfl (at) idirect(dot)ca <farfl...>]

You guys are probably referring to some of the Kandel recordings, "Gasn
Nign" in particular.  The xylophone is played by Jacob Hoffman, who also
was the percussionist in the Philadelphia Orchestra at that time.  Elaine
Hoffman-Watts (his daughter) still teaches percussion at the various
KlezKamps.  The xylophone was used because it's a beautiful instrument, and
one that Hoffman played, and not because it was in homage to anything or
happened to be lying around a studio.
When I was researching Hoffman for my website (Xylotopia) I received the
following information from Hankus Netsky;
"Jakey Hoffman (1898? - 1972) played on all (ninety-three) of Kandel's
recordings - when he didn't play xylophone he played drum set. His father,
Joseph Hoffman, was a klezmer from Kriovozer in Ukraine (not far from Uman)
who played violin and trumpet at weddings in Philly. Jakey was a great
classical xylophonist who travelled with the Ballet Russes, toured on the
Keith vaudeville circuit, and played as extra percussionist with the
Philadelphia orchestra. His brother Morris (also a musician) is still
alive, and his daughter, Elaine Hoffman Watts (the first female
percussionist to graduate Curtis institute) keeps her father's legacy
alive." 

- from e-mail correspondence with Hankus Netsky
(Leader, Klezmer Conservatory Band) 

Vlad, I don't think the straufidl was comprised of bottles wrapped in
straw.  I think it was still the idea of tuned blocks of wood, but resting
on a bed of straw instead of on the more modern xylophone stand.  You'd
have to ask the expert on Gusikow - Alex Jacobowitz.
http://www.xylophone.tv/  He sometimes participates on this list.

By the way, do yourself a favour and listen to Lou Singer play xylophone on
the Mickey Katz recording of "Bar Mitzvah Special"...a definite reason to
encourage the use of the xylophone in the present if I ever heard one.

Best Regards,
Steven Lederman



Message-ID: <006a01c3d9bd$16b1e730$d472c118 (at) DFRPFC11>
From: "allen watsky" <awatsky (at) nj(dot)rr(dot)com>
To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Subject: Re: Vibraphone/xylophone/marimba in Klezmer music
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 05:07:44 -0500

 My belated reply, using the "dumb guy" approach. I think they may have been
used for the simple reason that they were in the studio at the time the
recording was made. There are quite a few stories about drummers being asked
to try the xylophone or vibes at a session out of simple curiosity. It was
common for any recording studio you went into to have an organ, set of vibes
a trap set and even a celesta, up till the seventies. In the 20s mallet
percussion was high tech. I would suppose that any big city studio would
have had one set up and ready to go.  Still, that's no reason to encourage
the use of these instruments in the present. :')  If it were possible it
would be interesting to see if the folks playing the mallet instruments on
the recordings were former tsimblists, if they were, your hypothesis might
be correct.AW
----- Original Message -----
From: <mashke (at) comcast(dot)net>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 11:47 AM
Subject: Vibraphone/xylophone/marimba in Klezmer music


> I've noticed that, especially when I listen to vintage Klezmer recordings,
that there is a malleted instrument that is a Vibraphone/xylophone/marimba,
probably a marimba.
>
> I don't recall a discussion of the use of the marimba in Klezmer band
around the turn of the last century. The sound makes it seems like it is an
attempt to recreate the sound of the tsimbl with contemporary instruments.
>
> Thoughts on this hypothesis?
>
> Dick Rosenberg
>
>
>

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