Re: [Fwd: Re: DBK @ Tonic 107]

[Ron Caswell <ron...>]

Jordan,
What's a commercial simcha band?  I saw a Hassidic rapper the other day.  Is 
that considered Jewish music?  Seriously, I'm not Jewish and I'd like to know 
where that line is?  Do you remember the band Two Live Jews?  A take-off of Two 
Live Crew.  Is that just considered a bad parody or would you consider that 
music Jewish?  If I'm off the subject a bit let me know.
Ron

jordan hirsch <trombaedu (at) optonline(dot)net> wrote:


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: DBK @ Tonic 107
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2004 10:33:05 -0800
From: jordan hirsch 
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
>>> 
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>> 
>>
>
>
> 
>







 ___             ___                    _ _ | _ \___ _ _    / __|__ _ ____ __ 
_____| | ||   / _ \ ' \  | (__/ _` (_-< V  V / -_) | ||_|_\___/_||_|  
\___\__,_/__/\_/\_/\___|_|_|

http://roncaswell.com

ron (at) roncaswell(dot)com

212.865.9622 (H)

646.321.5888 (C)