Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of Jewish music, including klezmer and other traditions.
Music
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The Schmooze Avner Dorman’s Unusual ‘Nigunim’
“They told me to go do my thing,” said Avner Dorman about a 2011 commission by pianist Orli Shaham, violinist Gil Shaham and the 92nd Street Y to write a composition for their Hebrew Melodies project. “They wanted something related to their project, but they didn’t want to impose any specific idea on me.” The…
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The Schmooze Leonard Cohen Wins Two Junos
Music legend Leonard Cohen was a double winner at this past weekend’s JUNO Awards held in Regina, Saskatchewan. The JUNOs, presented by The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, are the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys. Cohen was named Artist of the Year, and he also received the JUNO Award for Songwriter of the…
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The Schmooze Blue Öyster Cult Explains the Umlaut
Long Island bands Soft White Underbelly and Travesty didn’t make much of an impact. But when they reformed as Blue Öyster Cult in 1971, the group grew into a global juggernaut, with earworm hits like “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” “Burning for You” and “Godzilla.” The band was also immortalized in an endlessly viral Saturday Night…
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The Schmooze Allen Sherman Sings About Lox
Next month, Brandeis University Press will release “Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman” by Forward contributor Mark Cohen. (You can read Cohen’s 2010 piece on Sherman for us here.) But there’s no need to wait for May to start immersing yourself in Shermanania (or is that just Shermania?). For the past few…
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The Schmooze Documentary Profiles Mamas Who Rock
Jackie Weissman’s documentary film, “Rock N Roll Mamas” premiered the same week that Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” was published. It was interesting timing. While Sandberg’s book sparked debate across the nation about working mothers in white-collar settings, Weissman’s film highlighted the very different challenges of struggling female indie…
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Culture How Don Byron Brought Klezmer Music And Mickey Katz Back To Life
A pre-eminent contemporary multi-instrumentalist and composer rooted in jazz, Don Byron has engaged with a wild variety of musical styles — from rap to neo-classical, funk to heavy metal — and is currently touring with the New Gospel Quintet, exploring the heritage of African-American spirituals It was his encounter with klezmer, however, and his tribute…
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The Schmooze Happy Birthday, Stephen Sondheim!
Stephen Sondheim turns 83 today — a birthday always worth noting, though this time it will pass without an entire year of galas and concerts, as was the case on the composer’s 80th. Even considering the Jewish contributors to modern American musical theater — Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz…
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The Schmooze The Man Who Made the Soundtrack to Our Lives
It’s hard to pick up a newspaper or turn on the television lately without running into Clive Davis. He is promoting his memoir, “The Soundtrack of My Life” a book that might just as easily be called “The Soundtrack of Your Life.” Yes, you. Davis, 80, is a recording industry executive who helped start or…
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