– Sandy Cash CD review - Addiction to vinyl - IFS on Kol Yisrael– A Guid Song - Milestaines – Trad Ads, etc.

Everybody knows that I have a problem dealing with Sandy Cash. I have a very bad tendency to gush about her and her music until it's just plain sicken- ing. So this time I'll control myself and be totally objective. I'll list all the good things about Sandy's new CD and then all the bad ones.

What do I like about Sandy's new disc Exact Change?

1. I like the way Sandy sings. She doesn't sound like anyone else. She's expressive. She can sing seriously and she can be funny. She can be profound and totally silly, sometimes in the same song. Her voice is sweet and pleasant. She knows what she can and can't do with it and never pushes or strains.

2. I like the material. It is pleasingly varied. Much of it is very moving, such as the opening track, Nine Gold Medals. Some are hilarious like my old favorite, the Orange and Cocoa Cake song. There are children's songs and songs for adults, although some- times I'm not sure which is which, which is all very good. Most intriguing is the original material included, a new endeavor of Sandy's. My personal choice is the title tune, Exact Change, a song about human accounting so to speak. I venture to prophesy that this song betokens the dawn of a fine career as a singer/song- writer.

3. I like the production. When Sandy performs live she is the singer and the musician. Here on the CD she is backed by polished guitars, a bass, violins, bassoons, chimes and other artificially created sounds. Occasionally she lays down a double track vocal. But all this is kept in balance. Nothing is overstated or done purely for effect. In past issues we have printed various reviews of artist’s new discs that somehow provoke a feeling of displacement due to the inevitable comparison between their live perfor- mances and the harsh cold light of the recording studio. I didn't experience anything like that with Sandy's disc. For me, this is the Sandy Cash I know and love, and I felt right at home.

What are the bad things about Sandy's disc?

Um … Um … I'm thinking.

Um … I'm still thinking.

Oo, oo, I thought of something. In the Dentist Song about Roger Wingtip, she doesn't imitate a dentist drill. Rather, she uses a recording instead of a real drill. Sandy, shame on you. That totally ruined my appreciation of the disc.

Well now, How's that for a balanced view!

--Larry Gamliel

“Turns out that I did the American radio premiere of Sandy Cash’s album last weekend … and I played Pirate’s Bounty this Saturday. What a gorgeous, moving song! This [CD] is a fantastic reflection on motherhood, terror and treasure, as well as keeping afloat.” – Frank Gosar, KLCC, Eugene Oregon.

For those of you who can't recall or never saw my articles on being a vinyl junkie - that's what I am; addicted to vinyl. I am not implying that I scour junk- yards or construction sites for vinyl floor tiles or PVC scraps -- oh no, I am a record collector, the kind that can't help himself, therefore the junkie label. I am here to tell you about some of the evils of that demon vinyl, and how you might avoid some of the pitfalls that lead to this addiction.

Back to my own pitiful case: the recent acquisition of an LP (yes, they still exist, and are even manufactured in small quantities) I had been searching for since 1978.

Guitar Sounds From Lenny Breau was the first commercially released album (RCA, 1969) ever made by Lenny Breau, one of the most amazing Jazz guitarists of the past 50 years. The album has been out of print, and relatively unavailable since 1970. I received a poorly recorded cassette of the album in 1978, but have been looking from time to time to see if the real vinyl copy was available somewhere. So it was with much joy that I read the notice on a small web site dedicated to the memory of Lenny Breau (murdered on August 12, 1984, a week after his 43rd birthday) that a copy of this first album, in near mint condition, was up for grabs. I quickly started figuring out how to transfer the $50 fee to Pennsylvania, the home of the website owner (by Western Union from the Israel Post Office), and how to have them send the item to me (have it sent to the New Jersey office of the company I work for, and then trust someone flying to the Tel Aviv office to hand deliver it). As it happens, our whole company vacationed on the island of Crete a few weeks later, and that is where I first laid hands on my prize, though I had to wait to get back home before I could lay it on the platter and enjoy the Guitar Sounds From L.B. first hand. From the moment I paid for the LP I was in heaven knowing it would finally be mine. Tracing the journey of the package became an important part of the experience as well.

Two weeks after playing the Breau album for the first time, I was in a used record store in Tel Aviv and nearly fainted as I found a newly reprinted LP copy of the very first album of David Wiffen, the deep-voiced Canadian folksinger/ song- writer from the 1970's. How it got to Tel Aviv where no one could possibly know about Wiffen but an old Canuck like me, andwhy it was ordered from Italy, I'll never know, perhaps it was a mistake. But another little item on the never-ending checklist of a vinyl addict wfinally checked off…

See ya 'round - 33 1/3 RPM that is!!!

--Eli Marcus

Haim Tsur, the host, started by introducing the Chevra Folklore Israelit, and the first group to perform: Ray Scudero, instrument maker and song writer; Marc Gittelson, from Kibbutz Yotvata and nurse at Hadassah hospital; and Rahel Jaskow, ex-radio announcer from Roch- ester, New York. They performed Horizon Dawn, Lullaby in C - Rahel doing a wonderful Hebrew version, Heart of Winter and Northern Wind.

At this stage Haim reminded listeners that they were listening to the Israel Society of Folk/Chevra Israelit Lefolklor (how many names did we go through in one evening?)

Next Gideon Katzen, a blue- grass musician, spoke about the Fanfare Festival in Nashville during the third week of June.

He was followed by a Dutch trio: Riki and Miriam on guitar and Martin on harmonica, who did a Dutch song from the 70s about melting snow, and then a song in Hebrew about Jerusalem written by Dr. Shlomo Ganor.

And now the Chevra Yisraelit Lefolklore continued with Judy & Lynn Lewis, originally from London, now of Kibbutz Tzora, performing their country and country style sixties music: Tried so Hard and Snowbird, then a quick plug for Tzora's Folk Club on the last Wednesday of every month. Haim finally got his teeth around Israel FolkStuff Society and the Lewises continued with Blue Days Black Night and they ended with Lynn's version of secular gospel: Sunny Side of Life.

Shelley Ellen, from the hills of Long Island, performed several of her own songs: On the Green, The Suit- case, How Can I Trust You Blues and Nature's Soul.

We were now being called "Israel Society of Folk" as Ada Dahan and Diane Kaplan were introduced, with their plethora of instruments as a two- woman band. They performed an a capella My Johnny, then a Spanish song, and a French song.

And we're still left trying to decide what we should be called in Hebrew: Chavura Israelit LeZemer, Pizmon Veshir? Chavura Israelit Leshirei Am? (the crux is that 'folkstuff' includes so much more than 'song' and 'folklore') I really can't decide what I like for ‘folkstuff'. If we use 'dvarim' for 'stuff' we end up with 'divrei amim' which sounds like a history text. [and we need 'amim' because 'am' is used for Israeli (like 'rikudei am' as distinct from 'rikudei amim').] If it were Latin we could use Res Populorum – except for in the case of the Taverners when Res Vulgae might be more apt.

--Janet Lerner

The next program will be recorded shortly after the end of the holiday season.

Look for it. Also look for a CD of the first program in its entirety. Watch these pages for details.

At a recent Folk Evening at Kibbutz Tzora, Ray Scudero sang an old song of his, written for a girl in summer camp by whom he was smitten. When asked if it did the trick, he wryly answered "no". At this point, Marc Gittelson made a splendid comment, which is the basis of the following ballad.

For some reason, it insisted on being written in a Scottish dialect, in a form often used by the immortal Robert Burns, echoes of whom are evident. If anyone out there should find or write an appropriate tune for it, I'd love to hear it.

I saw a lass sae trim, sae fair,

she smiled at me sae sweetly,

her eyes, her mooth, her blush, her hair,

I lost ma hert completely.

I boldly asked her tae be mine,

she said she'd be delighted.

she held me with a touch divine

and so oor troth was plighted.

Till on a day of wind and snaw

she took ma hand sae gently,

she loo'ed, she said, a gallant braw,

but not me, evidently.

Aye, love's a sang of joy and woe

"ae kiss and then we sever".

And girls may come and girls may go,

but a guid sang is forever.

A guid sang is for aye, ma dears

a guid sang is forever,

and girls may come and girls may go

but a guid sang is forever.

A guid sang is for aye, ma dears,

but answer me this riddle,

how can ye sing with chokit tears

And a hert brak thru the middle?

Weel, if the sang should write itsel'

in honest words an' ringin'

then in the sang oor herts sall dwell

and the sang sall dae the singin'.

The sang sall sing itsel', ma dears,

till aw sall fade away

And it sall echo doon the years

For ever and a day.

For ever and a day, ma dears

For ever and a day,

and it sall echo doon the years

For ever and a day.

-- Amiel Schotz

5^th AACI/IFS English Song Festival finals will be held at the Gerard Behar Center, Jerusalem, Thursday, January 18, 2001.

Applications are now available and entries being accepted – deadline is November 1, 2000.

For full details and registration information:

AACI Jerusalem (02) 561-7151 or Larry Gamliel 053-801-202 or Roby Shmerling (07) 610-2533.

Belated condolences to Bracha Komet on the loss of her father and stepbrother.

Happy Birthday to: Sandy Cash, Larry Gamliel, Uzi and Gilead Gamliel, Judi Ganchrow, Eliot Goldstein, Joanna Katzen, Susan Noy, Jill Rogoff, Vernon Whetstone, Natan Shor, Batya Walker, Roni Weiss,

Refuah shlema to Marc Miller.

NOT TRAD ADS - fee is NIS 10 (NIS 5 for members).

**SHELLEY ELLEN guitarlessons, available for performances (03) 674-5356. **Jill Rogoff's "THE CELTIC CRADLE" and ACROSS THE NARROW SEAS (ALC 129) are available on cassette (NIS 40) or CD (NIS 60). Tel/Fax (02) 679-0410.

**SUZALEH'S SILK ART - Glassed and Framed, modestly sized and modestly priced, door signs, mazal tovs, etc. Handmade by Sue Tourkin-Komet (02) 676-3346.

DISCLAIMER: FolkNotes is the official publication of the Israel FolkStuff Society. Views are those of the writers, not necessarily those of IFS.

FolkNotes and all of the articles, photographs and material contained therein are, unless otherwise noted, copyrighted by IFS 2000.

Advertisement tariffs for FolkNotes are available on request

Thursdays, 8:30-11 pm. Balkan Dancing at Moadon Hasport, 30 Hatsfira, Moshava

Germanit, call Cyrelle (02) 566-2682.

Saturday, Oct. 7, 8 pm. Scottish Folk Dancing at St. Andrew's Scottish Hospice, David Remez 1 (near Rakevet). Please call to verify time, etc. (02) 673-2401.

Saturday, October 28th at 17:00 (5 PM) Jill Rogoff - house concert in Jerusalem at the home of Sue Bubis. She can be contacted about reservations Sun.-Thurs. 9-13 at (02) 655-7410 or else people can reserve places through me in the evenings 679-0410. Tickets: NIS 40.

JERUSALEM FOLK CLUB - because of Sukkot, the next Folk Club will be in November.

Wednesday, Oct. 4. 8:30 pm. TEL AVIV FOLK CLUB with Yoav Biran, LOrnstein Zaarur, and Ofir Golan. Bikurei Ha'itim 6 Heftman St. For more details, call Ariela: (03) 683-7441. New price NIS 20.

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 8:30pm. TEL AVIV FOLK CLUB, with Ada Dahan and others. Another birthday party – Larry G. Bikurei Ha'itim 6 Heftman St. For more details, call Ariela: (03) 683-7441. New price NIS 20.

KIBBUTZ TZORA:

Wednesday, Oct. 25, 9 pm. KIBBUTZ TZORA FOLK CLUB - with the usual great line-up. Call: Judi & Lynn Lewis: (02) 990-8382 or (051) 348-061 or judilynn@tzora.co.il

Thursday, Oct. 5, 9 pm. KARMIEL FOLK KLUB. Matnas Megadim, with Lee Cohen, The Harold Jacobs, David Ayal, and Karmiel’s first ever JAM. Would all those southerners from TA and Jerusalem who make the TAFC and JFC and Tzora so successful, please come up north and join us. Contact: Larry Rosenfeld (04) 990-2455.

Also beginning in late November Dave Rovics on Tour. Fuller details next month.

Try to get your information to the appropriate persons for the Calendar, as early as possible, so we can meet publication deadlines (15th of each month). Contact Sue Tourkin-Komet (02) 676-3346 for Jerusalem activities; all areas: Larry Gamliel at (02) 641-1043 or (053) 801-202, or by fax to Carol at: (02) 675-8376.

ISRAEL FOLKSTUFF SOCIETY Membership (clip and MAIL today) Oh, yes! I'd like to become a member of/renew my membership in IFS. Includes a subscription to FolkNotes, discounts on IFS-sponsored concerts and Home Hoots, etc. (Send to IFS, P.O.B. 12188 Jerusalem 91120 Israel)

Single: NIS 50 Family: NIS 65 Outside Israel: NIS 75

Name: __________________________________ Birth month: _____________

Address: _________________________________________________________

City: ________________ ZIP _______email: ____________________________

Phones: Home: _____________ Work: ___________ Cellular: ______________

YES!!! I want to be active - write - organize - do something ________________