"Dus gezang fin geto Lodzh/Song of the Lodz Ghetto"

The new Brave Old World CD has been released: "Dus gezang fin geto Lodzh/Song of the Lodz Ghetto," on the Winter & Winter label. The CD is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and should be in the stores across North America. The program has been evolving since 1990, and it reflects BOW's own experiences over 15 years of performing Jewish music. This album represents a step over into new form of Jewish music--a 'yiddish song suite' and is not only of high musical performance quality, but may set precedents for future art forms in Jewish music. I'm calling this new Jewish art form, a 'bernian suite' in honor of Alan Bern. For more information read on: Alan Bern writes: "The core material consists of songs collected from Lodz survivors by Dr. Gila Flam back in 1985 and presented in her book "Singing for Survival" (U. of Illinois Press). These songs are already amazing in themselves, incredible evidence of people's ability to resist spiritually when every other form of resistance was impossible. Especially the songs of Yankele Herszkowicz are filled with learned and biting double-entendre, black humor, and stubborn resistance. But our CD is not a "historical" CD, instead we weave our own music in and out of the Lodz repertoire to create a kind of collage/montage like an audio film. The music as a whole makes a kind of suite which moves back and forth between pre-War Poland, the present, the Lodz Ghetto, and so on, like a dream-filled night when you're obsessed with something and keep coming back to it over and over again. It's why the CD is called "Song" and not "Songs" of the Lodz ghetto - ultimately it is Brave Old World's song of and to the Lodz ghetto. The recording itself is typical of Winter & Winter's famous high sound quality and the cover design is beautiful and chilling. I believe that this CD captures Michael Alpert's singing better than any other I know of, and the rest of us play pretty well on it, too, if I may say so myself (even though I had just come down with whooping cough the day of the recording!) All in all, this is our most ambitious CD yet, and, as I already said, I'm extremely proud of it. I hope that many of you will check it out and help spread the word. We've updated the BOW website and you can download 30-45 seconds of all the titles, although that will give you only a glimpse of what happens on the CD. Thanks to all of you for reading my long message about this! Best wishes to all, Alan Bern

Fanny Brice website

Rex Strother of Salt Lake City, Utah, has created a wonderful website devoted to the career of Fanny Brice. It has a nice gallery of images. (including video clips from 1930 "Be Yourself") at: www.saxonyrecordcompany.com/v-web/gallery/fanny-brice

VESSELS OF SONG FESTIVAL

July 5-6 and July 8-10
at the
Cornelia Street Cafe
29 Cornelia Street
Greenwich Village, NY 10014
Tel: 212-989-9319
Fax: 212-243-4207
Web: corneliastreetcafe.com

between West 4th and Bleecker Sts, Greenwich Village
1,9 Subway to Sheridan Square; A, C, E, B, D, F to West 4th St.
"a culinary as well as a cultural landmark"
Mayoral Proclamation, City of New York 1987
...more...

The last few years there's been a surge of interest in the traditional music of Eastern Europe. Cornelia St. Cafe is celebrating all the different ways in which Klezmer and Gypsy traditions have worked themselves into the contemporary NYC music scene. The week-long festival includes Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys, showing that the blend of Shtetl Klezmer and Down Home Bluegrass is smoother than you would imagine; Jeff Perelman with members of Romashka, Village Klezmer and Max & Minka, drawing upon their own travels throughout the former Soviet bloc to bring you infectious Eastern European Klezmer music, Gypsy (Rom) music, Balkan music and more; Jay Vilnai's Vampire Suit, exploring the interconnections of Balkan music, Middle-Eastern grooves and improvisation; and Susan Watts, the youngest generation of an exciting klezmer dynasty that reaches back to the Jewish Ukraine of the 19th century, bringing a rich repertoire of many original songs written for weddings, family members and joyous occasions.
All shows are $10, get a 3 shows discount card: $25
Tuesday July 5, 8:30PM
Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys

(Margot Leverett, clarinet; Marty Confurius, bass; Joe Selly, guitar; Kenny Kosek, fiddle) Klezmer clarinetist Margot Leverett joins forces with today¹s stars of klezmer and bluegrass to explore the shared musical spirit of two genres literally worlds apart. Appalachian and southern fiddle tunes by Bill Monroe meet klezmer melodies from pre-war Russia and Eastern Europe, some newly discovered, and the resulting medleys and improvisations are at once raw, funny, melancholic and footstomping. Their CD "Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys" was released to glowing reviews on Traditional Crossroads in September 2003 and has been used by the Paul Taylor Dance Company in their new piece "Klezmerbluegrass". Margot Leverett, clarinet, is one of the foremost clarinetists in the klezmer revival. A founding member of the Klezmatics in 1986, Margot went on to start a solo career with her pioneering CD ³The Art of Klezmer Clarinetâ² on Traditional Crossroads. Critically acclaimed for her work on both clarinet and alto saxophone, Margot has performed and taught klezmer music at festivals and workshops around the world. Marty Confurius, bass, has appeared with virtually all the top people in both bluegrass and klezmer music. His credits include work with Vassar Clements, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Andy Statman, and klezmer legend Dave Tarras. Joe Selly, guitar has appeared with Phoebe Snow, Vassar Clements, Barbara Eden, Melissa Manchester,Tex Logan and the Lombardo Orchestra. He is featured on countless recordings and is in demand as both performer and instructor in bluegrass, jazz and swing. Kenny Kosek, fiddle has appeared with Jerry Garcia, John Denver, James Taylor, David Byrne, and his own Angelwood bluegrass band. He appears on numerous recordings, and has published dozens of instructional books. He is the bluegrass instructor for Homespun videos and is well known in Bluegrass, Irish, country western, rock and roll violin. "Gorgeous, inspired playing" - Sing Out "Klezmer and Bluegrass sound as if they were meant to be combined. Leverett & the Klezmer Mountain Boys have given us a wonderful gift." - Dirty Linen www.KlezmerMountainBoys.com

Wednesday July 6, 8:30pm
Gypsy (Roma) & Jewish Music Jamboree
featuring members of Romashka Village Klezmer Max & Minka

(Jeff Perlman, clarinet & saxophone; Jake Shulman-Ment, violin; Jeanette Lewicki, accordion; Ron Caswell, tuba; Timothy Quigley, drums & percussion; plus special guests) These musicians have been bringing their infectious Eastern European grooves to weddings, cafes and dance clubs around NYC. Drawing upon their own travels throughout the former Soviet bloc, their performance will feature Klezmer music, Gypsy (Rom) music, Balkan music and an exploration of the common ground in between. www.romanska.net

Friday July 8, 8:30pm
RIBS & BRISKET Revue
(Paul Shapiro, saxophone, vocals; Babi Floyd, vocals; Cilla Owens, vocals; Tony Lewis, drums; Booker King, bass; Brian Mitchelll, piano) Back in the 30¹s and 40¹s bluesy, comedic, swing musicians like Louie Jordan and Cab Calloway made some great music that still sounds fresh today. Yiddish was a pretty active street language in New York City at that time, and it was woven into the music. You had Slim Gaillard singing "Matzo Balls", Mildred Bailey recording "A Bee Gezindt", and Calloway¹s hysterical yiddish/gibberish cantillation intro to "Ot Azoy" (That's the Way). Paul Shapiro celebrates this interplay of 40¹s hipster swing with some Yiddish thrown in at the Cornelia Street Café. Calling it the Ribs and Brisket Revue*, the saxophonist/composer features Babi Floyd, (of Keith Richard's Expensive Winos et al) and Cilla Owens (one of New York¹s best kept secrets). They will be backed by musicians from Paul¹s CD ²Midnight Minyan², on Tzadik Records, which was released last year. *Paul was visited in a dream state by the ghost of Fats Waller who convinced him that R&B originally stood for Ribs & Brisket

Friday july 8, 10:30pm
VAMPIRE SUIT:
(Jay Vilnai, guitar; Jeremy Powell, reeds; Skye Steel, violin; Mike Savino, bass; Kevin Garcia, percussion) Vampire Suit draws on Jay Vilnai's unique musical heritage as a Russian-Romanian-Polish descendant raised in Jerusalem around a mix of contemporary and traditional Jewish and Arab music, with a soul for rock n'roll and a BFA in jazz. Couple that with a passion for Bartok and Stravinsky and you end up with all original music that draws on all those influences to create something akin to traditional music for a generation that has so many traditions it calls his. Balkan and Middle-Eastern rhythms are prominent, backed by 20th century composing concepts and jazz improvising. ŒThe music has enduring beauty that touches on the heart of the Middle East's musical culture while exhibiting western flair. Open improvisations and the spirit of the belly dance coexist, encouraging the traditional undulated hip movements as a supplement to the solid instrumentation....¹ -Frank Rubolino Cadence Magazine The result is a highly personal musical texture that takes you from the tribal dances of North Africa to the marshes of the Balkans. A musical journey that is at once personal and global, music that is at the same time unmistakably modern, yet feels old and familiar, a new tradition for a generation that hails from so many traditions. 'Vilnai and his vampires get high marks for their utter unpredictability from track to track, their sheer joy they get from and give to the music and the various textures and sounds that emerge.' - Budd Kopman, All About Jazz To help create that sound Vampire Suit draws on the talents of young New York musicians that have had experience in different musical settings and cultures. The musical vision is realized with the help of players that have played jazz, rock, Arab music, Balkan music, African music and more. With a deep understanding and respect to all this music they are able to tap into something new that arises from all of these influences. 'If Bram Stoker's imaginary Transylvania had a jazz scene, the music might sound something like this.' -Jazz Review www.vilnaismusic.com

Saturday July 9, 9:00pm & 10:30pm
LUMINESCENT ORCHESTRII
-music to make you dance, kiss and scream
(Sarah Alden, violin; Rima Fand, violin; Kaia Wong, violin; Sxip Shirey, resophonic guitar, melodica, bullhorn harmonica; Aaron Goldsmith, Guitarron) An explosive mash of Romanian Gypsy melodies, punk frenzy, salty tangos, hard rocking klezmer, haunting Balkan harmony, hip-hop beats and Appalachian fiddle played on three violins, resophonic gitar, bullhorn harmonica and mariachi bass. The members of the Orchestii come from different backgrounds and scenes in New York City but share a love of the music that people all over the world listen to while drinking, dancing and weeping. Sxip Shirey is an international circus composer, Sarah Alden is an old time Appalachian fiddle player, Rima Fand is an experimental theater composer, Kaia Wong plays MOOG in an electronic band and Aaron Goldsmith has played in goth, funk and old-world music ensembles. ³A punky five-piece string band, The Luminescent Orchestrii plays renditions of Appalachian and Gypsy tunes that run from lively and infectious to deeply melancholy. Its original compositions and varied interpretations of traditional melodies are like tiny, richly arranged musical adventures.² ­Time Out NY (NYC, NY) www.lumi.org

Sunday July 10, 8:30pm
SUSAN WATTS GROUP
(lineup to follow)
Trumpeter and vocalist Susan Watts represents the youngest generation of an exciting klezmer dynasty that reaches back to the Jewish Ukraine of the 19th century, beginning with her great grandfather, bandleader and composer, Joseph Hoffman. A fourth generation musician, Susan is the sole living purveyor of a klezmer style trumpet and sound which electrified Jewish American audiences for decades. Her engaging voice and one of a kind vocal style will carry you through a full gamut of emotions, will inspire you and ³send chills up your spine². Audiences around the world are dazzled and delighted by Susan¹s unique virtuosity. Daughter of the great Klezmer drummer, Elaine Hoffman Watts and granddaughter of the renowned xylophonist and percussionist Jacob Hoffman, Susan is continuing her family¹s legacy. Her repertoire is comprised of tunes that were handed down to her by her great grandfather, grandfather and mother. This rich repertoire includes many original songs written for weddings, family members and joyous occasions. In addition to performing with a variety of noted Klezmer musicians from around the world, Susan has shared the stage with Dudu Fischer, Theodore Bikel, Claire Barry, Boban Markovic, DJ So-Called, Alicia Svigals, Margot Leverett, Henkus Netsky, among others. Susan is a member of Frank London¹s Klezmer Brass All-Stars, Mikveh, and The Klez Dispensers. Recently, she scored and recorded the soundtrack for the award winning film, Breath and recorded the soundtrack for a documentary on Philadelphia klezmer, A Joyful Noise. Susan teaches at klezmer festivals, is an ambassador for women¹s rights around the world and loves good coffee, fine vodka, singing and playing her trumpet.
www.susanwattsonline.com

KlezMORE Festival in Vienna

The KlezMORE Festival is about to happen July 3-10, 2005. They have quite a lineup from Klezmer Connection and David Krakauer, Frank London, Cantor Jacob Mendelson, Brave Old World, Lenka Licktenberg, Brian Katz, and more. For complete information, view: http://www.klezmore-vienna.at/

Divahn in San Francisco

Thursday, July 14
Cafe Du Nord
7:30 pm (doors open)
2170 Market Street (at 15th)
Cash bar and dinner menu all night
Purchase tickets: $12 in advance at www.cafedunord.com or $15 at the door.
For dinner reservations call (415) 861-5016
Amy Tobin (creator of The Esther Show and Lilith, the Musical) plays a short solo set at 8:30, followed by a full Divahn concert.