Folk Notes The Official Newsletter of the Israel FolkStuff Society
Current issue and archives at: www.oocities.org/tzorafolk
Contents: Getting it right; What’s a listserve? Baby, it’s cold outside.
Getting It Right
Turn!Turn!Turn!
The 60’s Folk-Rock Revolution
by Richie Unterberger
Backbeat Books,
San Francisco
Copyright 2002
Richie Unterberger
While the author seems well aware that the event was of little significance to the subject, he devotes the first chapter to Rashomon- like conflicting accounts of Bob Dylan’s performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. According to most versions, Dylan was booed for performing with an electric band. To put the incident in perspective, the Byrds topped the charts a month before Newport with Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man and Dylan’s first electrified album Bringing It All Back Home came out a number of months before Newport and was extremely popular. The Newport Folk Festival had virtually no effect on the development of folk-rock, nor did Alan Lomax’s, Pete Seeger’s or Theo Bikel’s opinion of Dylan’s choice of instrumentation.
(From the author’s home page)
I wasn’t at the 1965 Newport festival. I booed Dylan at the 1964 festival but I was much alone in my inelegant expressions of displeasure. I was not at the time a Dylan fan, though I certainly listened to every- thing he did with interest. There were glimpses of genius but I felt that his hayseed Woody Guthrie pose rang false. He freely plagiarized melodies and lyrical formats; his use of irony was ham- handed. Most of all he was oh, oh so righteous. Then Bringing It All Back Home blew me away. He had seemed to me to have found his lyrical voice and it all seemed to come together: the humor, the irony no longer ham-handed and yes, the poetry. The instrumentation was of secondary importance. If I had been there, I presume that I wouldn’t have booed Dylan at the 1965 festival.
Mr. Unterberger then goes on to competently describe the pre-folk-rock folk scene. Throughout the book, one is aware that the author was born circa 1965 and, for better or for worse, did not live through these exciting times of musical innovation as a conscious critical adult or even adolescent. His description of the folk scene concentrates on New York’s Greenwich Village, ignoring or at least under- estimating other vital centers of folk music like Cambridge/ Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Minneapolis, Toronto, Berkeley-San Francisco and so forth.
Inevitably, the author’s pictures are colored by whom he interviewed. His interviews are extensive and the list of interviewees is impressive. The list of central figures that were not interviewed, presumably due to inacces- sibility or unwillingness, is even more impressive. He didn’t interview Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, David Crosby, Zal Yanovsky or Mick Jagger, to name a few. Ultimately my problem is with the amount of weight given or not given to certain musicians. For example, my perception was that Ian and Sylvia and Tom Rush were never of central importance to the folk or the folk-rock scenes. Yes, I was aware of them. While I have to take into account that my percep- tions may be mistaken, I didn’t think they were as important as Mr. Unterberger presents them.
By and large, the author gets it right. He devotes a chapter to the British Invasion and its influence on the inception of folk-rock. Many of the British musicians were graduates of skiffle bands that did American folk music and traditional jazz with acoustic and improvised instrumentation. He correctly writes about the Beatles’ enormous influence on folk musicians to become rockers. To my mind, he slights the impact and the influence of The Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds.
Perhaps the fact that he didn’t live through these times makes the author’s achievement more remarkable and perhaps my complaints are picayune. The book is enjoyable and comprehensive. Anyone interested in the history of popular music should read it. There remains a problem of definition. The book never really defines folk-rock and that’s all right with me. The fact that folk and pop and rock musicians started widening horizons is indeed a remarkable phenomenon, but the phenomenon goes way beyond the synthesis of folk and rock. There was widespread experimentation which took elements from classical music, traditional jazz, modern jazz, Indian and oriental music, country, Celtic music, Delta blues, Chicago electric blues and ragtime as well as traditional folk. There was a feeling in the mid- and late sixties that anything goes. That, ultimately, is what the sixties music revolution was all about.
He Has a Little List
The following is not a review of the Mikado by Gilbert & Sullivan. Nor is it exact to say that it is about a list, in the strict computer sense of the term. This is because the term list, according to Larry Rosenfeld, is a communication stemming from one person. Such things as Carol IFS Calendar come to mind. Whereas what we are talking about in the present instance is a List-serve, which is to say an open forum to which anyone is invited to contribute.
Introducing the Israel Folk Community List, another exciting product of the wild, wonderful and wacky brain of Larry Rosenfeld. There are, of course, many lists on the net dealing with every subject east of the sun and west of the moon. But this one is our very own, designed to serve as a forum, database and bulletin board for anyone interested in the Israel Folk Community. Anyone with access to a computer can participate.
“From the very beginning I wanted the forum to belong to the community and not to be ‘Larry's List,’” says Larry; “Except for members’ information, all of the forum’s features are open to the forum's 85 or so members. These features include posting messages, posting events on the calendar and sending out automatic reminders to the members, posting photo- graphs, taking polls, and using the database for whatever use you want.” And I didn’t even know about the database.
Larry is the “moderator” of the list, which means he is responsible for seeing to it that sent messages get through to where they are supposed to go, or not get through as the case may be. But not to worry. Some list-serves are moderated to extremes, where messages can be bounced if they’re not written in the proper font, let alone content. Some forums are totally not moderated. I must confess that I’ve never seen one of those, I don’t know if I’d want to. But Larry is an easy dude.
The Masked Moderator
He says that the only two rules are: “to stay on topic – anything related to acoustic music (Does this mean I can’t write about Tripod?) in Israel” and “respect the members on the list. This is not the forum to talk about politics, and no matter what your religious views are, they should stay with you. There is no need for profanity and if someone finds it necessary to say something negative, say it in a positive manner. There is no need to talk about anyone’s heritage or IQ.”
I asked Larry if people have been behaving them- selves. He said: “I am very pleased to say that no one in the community has ever had to be banned, or even moderated. The forum has not been abused and except for a few rare instances it hasn't been necessary to even say "nu nu nu."
How boring! What happened to good old controversy such as when Dave Rovics was here? I’m teasing of course, because if you want to stay abreast of what people in this community are thinking in honest to goodness real time, here is the place to do it. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should abandon this here rag of ours. On the contrary, in my view each complements the other. Both are two sides of the same coin.
If you want to join the Israel Folk Community list, you can do so by sending a blank message to the following address:
israelfolkcommunity-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Do so. I did, and I’m very glad I did so. All the power to you, Larry from all of us here at IFS.
-- Larry Gamliel
(Ed.note: Items posted on the listserve will not be posted in the FolkNotes, unless the poster specifically so requests. This is a copyright issue.)
Baby It’s Cold Outside
Actually, the temperature while I was waiting for a streetcar (tram to some of you) was about minus 27 degrees Celsius, but it was warm inside the Free Times Cafe in downtown Toronto, set in the backroom of a restaurant in downtown Toronto, with very nice and relatively inexpensive food.
Every third week, our old friend Noah Zacharin is host for the “Open Mike” evening. From seven pm on young and not-so-young artists come in to register to play for fifteen minutes (“or 2 songs and humorous patter to cover you while you tune”). Mostly original material but some covers.
Free Times Cafe (from their website)
Young people and new- comers to the folk music/open mike scene everywhere, all seem to have the same "innocence," anger, and sense of injustice (called "angst" by another observer).
There were some beautiful young people in their early twenties, all of whom seemed to know each other, and each other’s music. I felt right at home, and at the same time, very out of it - being older (by at least 30 years) and a stranger. Still, I really did enjoy it. There was some excellent guitar work, and even some very interesting music. However, as I said to Noah (when he asked), it was so serious. I really did miss Larry Gamliel’s irreverent humour. I can hardly remember when the next day’s exam was so important that even the beginning of the next world war paled in significance; I guess it is probably the age difference rather than just a totally difference outlook on life.
Almost all of the performers were past the stage where they think that strumming or picking loudly on the guitar is far more important than the words and music, a common problem with newbies to folk and to song writing. We in Israel generally do not mike our evenings, but I am glad to say that there was no squeaking and whining of the system under Noah’s careful hand (I hate guys who sit and fiddle all night with the knobs).
I tried to keep track of names and whom I liked and what they did, but there were too many good people. There wasn’t any one person who caught my attention with a special turn of phrase or a really nice riff, but then I’m spoiled by our folk clubs here (and the fact that when I used to go to folk clubs in Toronto, it was to hear up-and-coming barely known talent like Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, and Tom Rush).
It was a nice relaxing evening, and I hope to visit again and will aim for a folk night. I see by the schedules that there is really a lot going in the downtown Toronto area – I'm impressed. Gives me ta'am b'peh to try an open mike place – not a folk club, just a venue for young (and not-so-young) people to play and strut their stuff.
By the way, Noah has put out a couple of new discs since his tour to Israel. Info and sound samples can be obtained at his website
--CF
Happy Birthday to: David Baron, Barbara Hochman, Julian Newman, and Lisa Rogoff
Mazal Tov: to Esther Haynes on receiving two WAMMIE (Washington Area Music Award) nominations again
- Vocal Jazz and Duo/Group Jazz Traditional
to Helen Moses on the birth of a new granddaughter
NOT TRAD ADS - fee is NIS 10 (NIS 5 for members).
** Marc Miller's CD Bring It With You When You Come. Contact Marc at (051) 405-715 or e-mail him at mmiller@afik.org
or send a check for 50 NIS (including postage and handling) made out to
Kibbutz Afik and send to:
Fatman Productions
Kibbutz Afik
Doar Na Ramat HaGolan 12938
Larry Gamliel wrote "Get it, whatever you do."
Ray Scudero wrote "My only complaint is that he priced his work too low."
**Sandy Cash's new CD, EXACT CHANGE, is available for 60 NIS, plus 15 NIS shipping (per order). Send a check, along with your name and shipping information, to P.O. Box 1639, Bet Shemesh, 99522. For more information, call Sandy at (02) 991-9686 or contact her at: sandycash@bigfoot.com
**SHELLEY ELLEN - guitar
lessons, also available for performances (03) 674-5356.
**Jill Rogoff's ACROSS THE NARROW SEAS (ALC 129) is available on cassette and CD. Tel/Fax (02) 679-0410.
** Voice and/or flute lessons. Call Marcie Schreier: (053) 834-174.
**Computer Support. Free telephone support, and house calls. Very reasonable rates. Ben Hizak. (050) 280-644.
**The New Country Klezmers -- a foot-stompin' good time -- 2-5 musicians for your simchah. Call David Baron (054) 955-997 or Bruce Brill (051) 565-479.
**CAPA (Computer Assisted Production and Arranging) -- from your musical masterpiece to demo, playback, finished CD? Call
David Baron (054) 955-997.
Pete Morton returns: see Calendar
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 2002.
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FolkNotes Staff: Sherry Whetstone, Larry Gamliel, Carol Fuchs, and Cecile Panzer
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)
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March 2003
JERUSALEM AREA:
Jerusalem Harp Circle meets on the second Monday of every month at 11 a.m. (starting for sure by 11.30 am). Admission fee NS 10. For details, please contact Shoshanna (02) 624-3435. All harp players, all levels, welcome.
Israel Dulcimer Society meets Sunday nights barring unforeseen circumstances. First Sunday of the month is learning night, 2nd Sunday is reviews, 3rd Sunday welcomes other instruments compatible with dulcimers, and 4th Sunday is a free-for-all. For more info, call Judi (02) 679-8448 or
Dena (02) 561-8910.
Thursday, March 13th, 8:30 pm. JERUSALEM FOLK CLUB - Purim and St. Patrick -
the wearin' of the megilla. With Cyrelle Forman-Soffer, Sandy Cash, Lauren Ornstein and the Tontine vocal ensemble - 11 members, Tami Kleinhaus is the musical director. (Toby Atlas, John Atlas, Jeremy Berkovitz, Judy Cardozo, Ronnie Damboritz, Debby Gevir, Judy Goldstein, Judy Kahan, Tami Kleinhaus, Chuck Kleinhaus, Orrin Persky.). They will be singing a selection of folk song arrangements, maybe a madrigal or two or some pop music. At the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo Auditorium. Admission NIS 25/20. For information call Larry (053) 801-202 or Carol (053) 850-098. Artists contact: Marc Gittelson 053-962-600
.
Saturday, March 15th, 8:30 pm. AACI/IFS Sing Thing. Songs and Them Who Writes
Them - probing singer/songwriters (Part II). At the AACI, 6 Mane St. Admission NIS 30 (25 for members). For information call Larry (053) 801-202 or Carol (053) 850-098.
Thursday, March 27th, Pete Morton in concert in Jerusalem – home hoot – no details available. Contact Sandy Cash: 02-9919686 sandyc@bezeqint.net
TEL AVIV AREA:
Wednesday, March 5th 8:30 pm. TEL AVIV FOLK CLUB. Michael Greengard with Yehuda Sheeni; Paul Moore & Sunita Stanislow; Barry “the Pirate” Gilbert. Bikurei Ha'itim, 6 Heftman St. Admission NIS 25. For information call Ariela (03) 683-7441.
Wednesday, March 19th, 8:30 pm. TEL AVIV FOLK CLUB. St. Patrick’s Day with Pete Morton (all the way from the UK); Laurie Ornstein, Judi Ganchrow & Marc Gittelson and others. Bikurei Ha'itim, 6 Heftman St. Admission NIS 25. For information call Ariela (03) 683-7441.
KIBBUTZ TZORA and area
Monday, March 3rd, 8 pm. With TWO special guests: Jill Rogoff and Sunita Stanislow - at HaShushan 12B (in Nofei Aviv), Bet Shemesh. Further details: Roby (02) 999-2106.
Sunday, March 16th, 5 pm. Kibbutz Tzora Amphitheatre. Purim Spiel for kids and teenagers (age 4 +) with the Israel Stage Orchestra. HaMaca Esther. Roni Porat Conducts and Presents Special Purim Performance - Nonsense Theatre In your wildest dreams, you would not envisage this... A Farce to end all Farces
Family Plan – NS 110 (parent plus kids); Advance Bookings NS 30 Tickets at the door: NS 40
For more information and advance booking, please call: (053) 556-537 or (02) 991-6422
or email us: jonty@clubtzora.com or janet@clubtzora.com
Wednesday, March 26th, 9 pm. KIBBUTZ TZORA FOLK CLUB. With Pete Morton. For information call Judi & Lynn Lewis (02) 990-8382 or (051) 348-061 or email them at judilynn@tzora.co.il. Also see their website: www.oocities.org/tzorafolk
KARMIEL AND NORTH
Ada will be continuing the Saturday Morning Clil Concerts as usual, solo at times, with Diane at times, and with others. For information or reservations, call Ada (04) 996-9540 or (050) 601-774 or Diane (04) 980-0718.
Thursday, March 6th, 9 pm. KARMIEL FOLK KLUB at Beit HaNoar Karmiel. KFK will feature an evening of kibbutznikim. From the East, we have the Lotem Trio, acoustic music in English and Hebrew. From the North Country, Beit HaEmek, Galileo's harmonies are like fine wine, they get better with age. From South of the Petach Tikva Line, Kibbutz Tzora, Judy and Lynn Lewis will provide us with an evening of glamour and excitement with their gentile southern ways.
The price per person for the KFK is now only 25 NIS. There is a map with directions in the Photo section of the IFC home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/israelfolkcommunity. For further details, call Larry Rosenfeld (04) 990-2455.
March 8th at Makom B'Galil in Shorashim, put on the green, St. Paddy's coming and Irish Cream is bringing him in. Yes, Israel's hottest Irish band will have us up off our feet, reeling and jigging around the dining room. Call Marc or Nate for details, 04-9902-431.
March 22nd at Makom B’Galil - The Return of Peter Morton. This talented Brit didn't get enough of us last year so he is coming back for more. A singer/songwriter who has performed at the major folk festivals in Australia, the US and Britain, we are lucky that he doesn't read the papers. Opening for Pete is the talents of Hal Wrobel together with Bracha. Call Marc or Nate for details, 04-9902-431.
SOUTH
March 28th-29th. The spring Dulcimer Retreat will take place the weekend of March 28-29 at Laurie's Place at Midreshet Sde Boker. For details call (08) 653-2080 or (064) 464-377.
Email laurie@boker.org.il Home hospitality provided till I run out of beds and floor space. RSVP
Try to get your information to us for the Calendar, as early as possible, so we can meet publication deadlines (15th of each month). Contact Larry Gamliel at (053) 801-202, or by email carolf@savion.huji.ac.il To receive the (more or less) twice-weekly email updates, write Carol carolf@savion.huji.ac.il