[Fwd: Re: DBK @ Tonic 107]

[jordan hirsch <trombaedu...>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: DBK @ Tonic 107
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2004 10:33:05 -0800
From: jordan hirsch <trombaedu (at) optonline(dot)net>
To: ro (at) panix(dot)com
References: <200403080206(dot)i2826p305083 (at) panix2(dot)panix(dot)com>



Roger,
I know for a fact that you were not insulting me, and that you are fully 
aware of  the issues surrounding being a commercial simcha band. I just 
thought your comments were a good springboard for the question of 'what 
ends up being Jewish, and who gets to decide'?

JH

r l reid wrote:

>The ironic thing is I was listening to "Neshoma Orchestra Plays
>a Heimishe Wedding" when I read this.  Damn, when will I learn not
>to make points by drawing possibly negative comparisions?
>
>I think you point in the below paragraph makes perfect sense.  I'm not
>one to say what's not Jewish music just because of a fondness for 
>some modern romantized notion of "TSOOEE" (The Sound Of Old East Europe).
>I'm one of the people in "our" crowd (the right wing of the revivalists,
>who did not grow up with Jewish music, because if the revivalists had
>grown up with Jewish music it wouldn't be revival, it would just be
>"music") who digs the modern simcha bands a great deal of the time.
>
>But then, I'm the wierdo who doesn't like the Klezmatics. 
>
>At the same time, truely I did listen to a Negina Orch record today
>"Favorite Chupa Songs" that was frankly pretty awful.  But if you're
>playing for a simcha (I'm telling YOU?) your job is to play what
>they want - and if that means some guy has to play some treacly tune
>in Kenny G style, that's what should be done.  All very well and
>good for Budowitz to play for Chusana On a Kallah, the Kallah's Tate
>isn't paying for it.
>
>Lesse, who else have I insulted now?  The point I made badly is that it
>is fun to hear the simcha songs done from a stage by people doing
>"performance" instead of playing for the chupa and simcha, when you 
>can give all attention to the music and the musicians can do things
>that Tate might not dig.  I was pretty surprised Dobe did so, (of course
>she does play simchas so she knows the rep) and I enjoyed hearing it
>out of context.
>
>Roger, a john
>
>
>
>jordan hirsch wrote:
>  
>
>>As a bandleader for Neshoma Orchestra, I can assure you that we are 
>>capable of playing the "Od Yishama" dance material in a wide variety of 
>>styles, from the kind you hate to the kind you like. Naturally, it's 
>>best if I am the Bandleader for the affair in question, but that's only 
>>because I feel compelled to engage in a bit of shameless self promotion.
>>My tastes run similar to yours, but I think there is a question that can 
>>legitimately be asked: At what point does a band that performs at 400 
>>Jewish events a year get to say what Jewish Music is? Why are some 
>>parasitic developments in Jewish Music, like Gypsy scales or the 
>>addition of the clarinet, acceptable to the arbiters of what Jewish 
>>Music is, and some, like the world of Chassidisco, not?
>>
>>Jordan Hirsch, Prostitute         
>>
>>r l reid wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Last weekend was sort of an unplanned yiddish msuic festival in New York.
>>>Lots going on and I sure couldn't do it all.  Svigals and Ruschevsky
>>>made their second performance in NYC in as many weeks - missed it.
>>>Andy Statman and band played at Boyaner - missed it.  I think Yugntruf 
>>>had a Yiddish-Tog - missed it. No, I threw my lot in with Di Bostoner 
>>>Klezmer,
>>>and I'm glad I did.
>>>
>>>Especially with the competition for the same time and demographic, it
>>>was a typical Tonic 107 audience - small but high quality.  A few folks
>>>      
>>>
>>>from the neighborhood, Jewish musicians local and from out of town, friends,
>>    
>>
>>>family, local Yiddishists.   I know I've whined about small audiences
>>>at Tonic, but it does create a heimish intimacy that I do enjoy.
>>>
>>>Now, I'm usually a "Jews Without Horns" kind of guy.  I'm partial
>>>to bowed strings, flutes, tsimbls and other quiet instruments.  And
>>>DBK's current lineup is a clarinet (Dobe Ressler), trombone (Brian Bender), 
>>>and accordian (Terry Traub, who I first met playing Scottish music at
>>>the Canadian American Club in Boston, but that's a whole other story).
>>>But they made me love thier instrumentation.
>>>
>>>It's clear these folks are used to playing together.  They are tight, they
>>>are good, they play with soul.  They are not hip or edgy, but play
>>>with a sweet intensity.  Each is an amazing musician in their own right
>>>and they come together well.
>>>
>>>I was glad to hear, in addition to a lot of the old time tunes, a modern
>>>simcha set - Od Yishomo etc.  They did it well and I would have danced
>>>if my ankle did not hurt (once again, the dancers were only folks over
>>>the age of 80).  I personally wish we could hear more of this music played
>>>by "our" klezmer bands, giving it a different take from the Neshama Orchestra
>>>or the one man bands that are now an epidemic.
>>>
>>>Brian Bender - who also put down his trombone for his medodica at one 
>>>point - led a couple of his own compositions which I enjoyed very much.
>>>
>>>I was hoping to hear Terry play yiddish fiddle, beyond the secund he
>>>played for one tune, but it wasn't to be.
>>>
>>>The only down side is - well - can't the trombone makers come up with a
>>>way to not let the horn dribble spit all the time - YECH!  Man, don't
>>>sit in the first row!
>>>
>>>It was a lovely afternoon and I look forward to hearing them again and
>>>again, and hopefully some more of Brian's compositions as well.  Thanks
>>>for trekking down here, guys!
>>>
>>>roger reid
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>  
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