Program Notes and Reminders

We start with TRADITIONS: A picture that was taken in 1981 at the Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater) by your never so humble correspondent.



My one and only time that I had the pleasure of meeting this compleat artist.

All this is to say that on June 24 the interview with Clay Eals, author of a most brilliant and readable biography of Steve Goodman will be aired. That will be Part One. Given the size and the detail of this work along with re-hearing much of Steve Goodman's music (and that of his friends who covered his work) it had to be broken into two parts. Part 2 will air on July 1. Hopefully you will be there for that one as well and that you will want to get this book. Long but ever so readable. As Clay Eals says in the interview---"...people have told me to write a book you cannot put down and you wrote one you cannot pick up (it is 5 lbs)." Yet, you cannot put it down.

The wonderful thing about this interview is this---should you miss it or cannot get it on air---within 24 hours it will be archived and you can hear it on CLAYEALS.COM

Moving on to SUNDAY SIMCHA: The next few weeks we return to some traditional music and the good old "shtick" of comedy. While on June 24 we, once again, hear some great Klezmer from the Klezmatics and the Maxwell St. Klezmer Band. In addition a few comments about the "gala" for Folksbiene, which I attended. Suffice it so say our guests---Fyvus Finkel and Zalmen Mlotek (artistic director for Folksbiene) made---0r stole--the show. Aside from the most well deserved awards they were the ones that "captured" the audience with their wit and music.

On a personal note, I have to say that Mr. Finkel is on stage what he was with me in, our conversation on SUNDAY SIMCHA---a "mensch".

For a critique of the gala suffice it to say that it served a very worthy cause and one would hope that performers that can no longer do their "act" should either opt out or the producers should have the sense not to put them in such embarrassing--though welcome to them---positions. Positions that has the audience walking out of the hall.

Let me also salute another wonder of the Folksbiene. That would be Zalmen Mlotek. Artistic director, pianist extraordinaire, and I am proud to say he was a guest on the program as well. Which, is far from his greatest achievements. Those are his talents and direction of Folksbiene.

On another note please do visit that dear old Rooster for a bit of nostalgia and wonder about the passing of time and technology.

MEMORABLE MOVING MOMENTS UPDATES

Steve Goodman will always be with us but the marquee has changed to now feature one of his best friends---John Prine. In the book you will be hearing much more about on TRADITIONS in the last week of June (6.24)and July (7.1) many tales will be told of their relationship--Steve's magnanimity, Prine's creativity, and much more.

If you viewed some of the Steve Goodman pieces this last week you surely saw his dynamism as a stage performer. What you did not see is his interaction with people. He seemed to know everyone in the music "business" (though David Buskin says--."...never use those two words together". Steve knew him as well). Now view the creative writing talents of John Prine for a time.

If you click over to the Playlists you will find some things relevant to Sunday Simcha. Molly Picon is always a favorite====try the trailer at the bottom of the frames.

On THE ALMOST DAILY ROOSTER you will find, for a brief period, Amos N' Andy. Was there ever more of a Kingfish than Tim Moore? He was the embodiment of George "Kingfish" Stevens. Brilliant acting by brilliant artists that is, sadly, banned from the air-waves for the most inane reasoning. More insights and fun than the nonsense that purports to have meaning today---reality programs of fools making even bigger fools of themselves. And let us never forget the inanity and bad taste that was The Jeffersons and Sanford and Son.