Jewish Revival of Vinyl
Thursday, December 11, 2008
It started out as an affinity for kitschy Jewish album covers. It turned into an obsession. Record collectors Roger Bennett and Josh Kun scoured the country to unearth obscure vinyl LPs like “Bagels and Bongos” and “Mazel Tov, Mis Amigos.” They join us to explain what the hundreds of album covers in their book, “And You Shall Know Us By the Trail of Our Vinyl,” can tell us about Jewish Americana.
View more album covers here
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on Jewish music and "kitsch"
View more album covers here
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on Jewish music and "kitsch"
Comments [9]
Bagels & Bongos was one of the few records I took from my grandmother's rather small collection after she died. Obviously, the cover, title and concept tickled my funnybone but I was very surprised at the high quality of the music. Irving Fields has a brilliant technique and a light touch that makes the piano sparkle. And since it is a trio, the overall sound is pretty stripped down. Overall, the LP holds its own with the best cha cha and rhumba stuff from the same era and hey, you can't beat those melodies!
For the record (no pun intended), the other album I remember getting from grandma was Kenyon Hopkins "Sound Tour of Spain" - it's actually not a good record but quite a find for the Hopkins completist like me!
Theres a fine line between finding someones culture kitschy as an outsider and being condescending. Theres a faint stink of antisemitism in the air. Derision begins with mockery. These events that you mention should not be full of puns with the word "Jew" in them. How would you feel about Christapalooza? Or mocking the fact that Christians substitute their leader with a big Bunny and/or Santa? Now that's funny.
I also e-mailed the show re how to pronounce PARVAR(EE)M -- *and* re, if they're talking about the group I know, it's absolutely incorrect, if I understood John's guest correctly, that they *only* recorded Simon & Garfunkel covers in Hebrew. (Maybe I *did* misunderstand him?) They made, so far as I know, many other records -- and I have one of them, of Ladino songs. Speaking of which, there are, or were, plenty of Sephardic LPs; though I'm not specifically a Sephardic-music maven, I'm fortunate to have quite a number of them.
the Israeli group is pronounced PAR-VAH-REEM with emphasis on the last syllable.
WOW! Who knew he was even ALIVE, God Bless Him! I'm going to try and see him.
I am a Cuban Jew and I've been listening to Mr. Fields for about 40 years when I discovered that my in-laws had this vinyl when I was courting my then girlfriend - now wife.
May I draw your attention too to the great young Brooklyn tresero Benjamin Lapidus and his album 'Herencia Judia...' great stuff and first class players.
the israeli group is pronounced PAR-VA-RIM
thank you
this is a pretty thin thread these collector fellahs are working with.....but let me add two words...TERRY GIBBS. or septeto rodriguez. OR MICKEY KATZ!!!
IRVING FIELDS PLAYS NIGHTLY AT NINO'S TUSCANY, NEW YORK CITY
Nino Selimaj, owner of five Italian restaurants in Manhattan, features Irving and his piano at his newest restaurant, Nino's Tuscany, located at 117 W 58th St. (between 6th and 7th Avenues), New York City, Tuesday through Sunday nights from 7pm until 10pm.
Reservations are suggested: (212) 757-8630
www.NinosTuscany.com
I have this book. It does not come with CDs. How do I get the music you are sampling on your show? Is there a CD that goes with the book?
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.