RANDOM RECOMMENDATIONS & RADIO UPDATES

Many more people seem to read the Playlist Page but I do hope you will take a peek at this---or as might  be said in Yiddish Theater---gib a kik ahier.   You have only a few days left to see THE GOLDEN LAND at The Baruch Ctr For The Performing Arts (25th St./Lexington Avenue).  Go to www.folksbiene.org  for ticket information.  The show ends its limited run on 12/2 I believe. One can only hope it once again gets revived.   The history of this particular Folksbiene project dates back to the 1930 when it started as a concert piece and finally evolved into a full fledged musical stage production.  This version has been updated to reflect the current time and still give the history of Jewish immigration through a great cast of 6 performers who make you thing that there are 18 people on the stage---or as Zalman Mlotek, the creator said to me on SUNDAY SIMCHA--"...they are all triple threat---singing, acting, and dancing...".   You will love the music and there is one particular piece that jumped out at me for which I offer this trivia query---who wrote the piece "BREAD AND ROSES".   No Googling---and the question is a bit tricky.  Let me just say the Playbill is partially correct in its credits.  Partially.   The first person to comment here with the true story gets a CAPITOL STEPS CD.  Now, take a peek at the trailer for this production---you know---gib a kik ahier---







Now for a few radio updates.    TRADITIONS on Nov. 25 has some wonderful new material to offer you as well as slightly belated Thanksgiving theme---though I do believe the best way to start a Thanksgiving program is with Loudon Wainwright and his take on that subject---I too am a cynic. BUT, after that opening you will find your old favorites, the features, and some Thanksgiving material and at the very end a story song with a story about it from the "its a small world department".   As to the wonderful new material that flew in over the always open transom---Kim& Reggie Harris (brilliant) , Anne Hills (ditto), Debra Cowan, and a few more surprises for you.  You can always catch the program on www.wfdu.fm if you cannot receive us over that free thing called air.   Which means that the fellow who is on after SUNDAY SIMCHA now---Ghosty--has it right.  As he says---catch him on your listening device.  Don't fret, I am stealing the phrase for future use but I have to admit that he is the best thing to come down the WFDU trail in a long time.

Since mention was made of Anne Hills and her album of Tom Paxton music and of Kim and Reggie Harris---in English now---take a look---








A few samples that are not truly representative of the new albums but only about the brilliance of the artists.

A few comments now about Kim and Reggie Harris and some other artists.  Kim & Reggie were part of a wonderful Phil Ochs Song Night---and, yes, the name Dylan does not come up at these events for good reason.   The music of Phil Ochs, taken from us too soon (as so many) is eternal and Kim & Reggie Harris did it great justice as did Greg Greenway, John Flynn, Magpie, Pat Wictor, and Magpie---and the audience at the Acoustic Cafe that evening---Nov. 17, 2012.  Sonny Ochs was a wonderful interlocutor.

The weekend was a delight because the day after---Sunday---Priscilla Herdman and her angelic voice performed at the Borderline Folk Music Club in New City NY with a wonderful opening set by Loretta Hagen, Roger Hagen, and Mara Levine (who will be on Traditions in January).  My honor was to introduce them all.  Frankly,  I never understand that.   They need no introduction.  They grab an audience just by their stellar presence.

The final thoughts after that last paragraph are short and to the point---why do people not realize that the best venues are not overpriced arenas but small venues with artists that will meet with you at reasonable prices.   Have I been in my cave too long to know what is real and what is popular?

On a positive note---Thanksgiving is upon us and may I will you all a happy and memorable one.  Some folks do not have a hell of a lot to be thankful for this year after that storm---some surely do.  Either way---have a joyous one and take look at two thoughts on it----Loudon Wainwright after The Berrymans




There you have it.   That is Loudon Wainwright III in the second clip and  The Berryman's doing their own composition which I have played many a time as done by Herdman, Hills, and Mangsen.   My favorite version.   May you have a joyous holiday celebration and do please avoid confrontation and do keep your food down.   Tomorrow is another day.

THURSDAY---Another Edition of NOBODY ASKED ME BUT....

A flip of the fedora as always to JIMMY CANNON\

NOBODY ASKED ME BUT.......

1)                You really have to go to see THE GOLDEN LAND now playing at The Baruch Ctr. For The Performing Arts under the auspices of The National Yiddish Theater.  You do not have to know Yiddish to truly enjoy this wonderful celebration with 6 performers playing myriad parts with wonderful music to boot.  It ends in December.  Best to catch it now.

2)                How great is it that Costco and other  retailers are now offering financial arrangements---mortgages, loans, etc; and do not have government oversight as the banking industry does (for all that good that has ever done)?    I suppose a Costco mortgage would require you to own at least 6 properties ===just like the cordless phones or toilet paper rolls the purvey.

3)                Hurricane Sandy is done but the damage remains.  We, who have power and amenities, should count our blessings and empathize with those unfortunate ones who are now without homes, heat, and shelter.   Do contribute to legitimate places that offer help to those in need.  We, who are not in need, should count our blessings and not curse a few days of, basically, inconvenience.

4)                A tip of the hat and a great thank you to the MTA.  I disagree, totally, with their insane fare and toll hikes but I commend them for restoring the services as quickly as they did.  Kudos!!

5)                The expenses in certain areas are truly out of line----this will take a moment—   I attended a local Town Board meeting on this subject as a Library Board Member (ex Pres.) yesterday

               a)The gist of many complaints was that why are not municipal employees contributing to their pension funs, their medical insurance, etc;  Why are they not taking pay cuts like so many?  I offer no opinion on that. I do offer the presentation of it.

6)  My interest and appearance there was for local Library purposes ( I am on the local board).   The Library has been cut 10% in its fund request for 2013.   Without going into lengthy detail let me just say, and the Town knows this, that it will not add even ONE CENT to the town budget since the Libraries of this town have naught to do with the Town Budget---they are a contractual agency separate from the Town.

7) But going back to The GOLDEN LAND---There was a scene wherein I thought that I bet they do not know the old joke about Sean Ferguson (that is the punchline) ---they did..   A whole segment about Ellis Island and, finally, the immigrant says (when asked his name) Shoyn Fergesen---hence, Sean Ferguson---I heard it years back about a golf game. 

8)  Do join me on SUNDAY  SIMCHA  next week when you will hear some more wonderful music for the upcoming holidays from the Idelsohn Society.  Some real surprises there--- do join me on TRADITIONS on Thanksgiving weekend for a special treat and also on Dec 9 and Dec 16 when we do some pre-holiday magic and some most memorable recordings of the year .

9)  May you all have a season of joy and not make it one of dashed expectations.  Take it the way it comes---like LIFE.

                               

Thursday and Nobody Asked Me But...

As always the flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon for this column---

NOBODY ASKED ME BUT.......

1)            We will forego  the commentary this week due to all that bad weather and I am sure  we, in the telephone booth we share, will not be too upset about that.   We are a small group for sure.  A larger group if you are inclined to tell your friends and relatives.  But, if you are inclined you are slanted and that is of no help at all.

2)            One item that does need mentioning is the election.   

3)            You can decide what that last line should be.

4)            A few concert and misc. updates—

           Nov. 17   Acoustic Cafe     Park Ridge NJ www.cafeacoustic.org Phil Ochs Song Night w/ an all star cast

          Nov. 18    Borderline Folk Music Club in New City NY (2 PM)  www.borderlinefolkmusicclub.org  I will  be MCing that and am delighted to once agian meet and greet the wonderful Priscilla Herdman.

5) Playlists will be once again-weather permitting---- posted next week. 

                            

                            

SOME UPDATES

Having been remiss due to various weather events---and one is occurring right now---let me just make mention of 3 events that I do believe will be of great interest.  The price for each event is a fraction of what a show in NYC would cost but the enjoyment is not only on a par but will exceed you expectations--

PHIL OCHS SONG NIGHT---Acoustic Cafe  in Park Ridge, NJ   www.cafeacoustic.org  11/17 8PM
PRISCILLA HERDMAN----Borderline Folk Music Club, New City, NY  www.borderlinefolkmusicclub.org  

I will be MCing the Borderline program.  Hope to see you at both. 

My hopes that all are well and recovered from the storms that have decimated many of us and that we, who are with power and amenities now once again appreciate what we have here and also feel and help those who have been devastated.  

Politically;  I am not only delighted that my candidate won but also that the other person was gracious and that our system surely beats any other when it comes to the passage of power ---to use the Caro book title.

Tomorrow it Thursday but given the weather events another Nobody Asked Me But...will have to wait.

An Interim Message

As you can see there have been no Playlists published nor any other things   All due to the storm conditions and I will say I count my blessings in having certain difficulties but none of the magnitude of some other sad and unfortunate souls.

By next week the radio programs will be on track (hopefully) and all our lives will be the same (hopefully).   I hope you will be tuned in on 11/11 for both programs as we recall and some sad major events and also let you know of some wonderful concerts to relieve you of today's myriad problems.

Let me just tell you of the events here, briefly:

PHIL OCHS SONG NIGHT---Acoustic Cafe in Park Ridge NJ.  Nov. 17.  8 PM   www.cafeacoustic.org
PRISCILLA HERDMAN----Borderline Folk Music Club, New City NY Nov. 18  2PM  www.borderlinefolkmusiclub.org

I hope to see you at both events---or at least one.  Let's say hello and, perhaps, chat a bit.

Another Thursday and another Nobody Asked Me...

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon

NOBODY ASKED ME BUT.......

1)              What a wonderful time of year autumn is.  Just too short for all the wonderful colors, farms with Mazes (like the play on Corn Maze (Maize).

2)              It was obvious that both candidates were staring at teleprompters for their closing statements.   Check their eyes as opposed to how the looked during the earlier segments.

3)              What is so rare as a day in June?  Probably most days in October in the Northeast and all those great but short lived colors.

4)              Obama Care---now that he has decided it he likes the term(good for him) may well be a great thing.   I just made an appointment with a doctor and the first question on the phone was about my insurance.  Without insurance you are screwed.   With it you just get your appointment.   We need a setup equal to Medicare.

5)              LBJ may well be a most under-rated Pres. given the sad events of Viet Nam.  Today we speak of national (local) issues and he was a leader in them all---Civil Rights and Medicare—to mention two.

6)              How the world changes always amazes me and it shouldn’t.   Be it our relations with China, Viet Nam, Germany, etc; Still I was intrigued by the article about the two combatants during the Cuban Missile Crisis that now live nearby=the U S person on L I and the Russian (Soviet) who moved to ---where else—Brooklyn.   Whole new world.

7)              In the “whole new world” department you have to wonder why Metro Cards expire.   Tokens never expired and neither did coins.  Sure they could melt if the heat was intense enough but that would mean Armagedon so who cares.

8)              Perhaps the MTA (in the NY area) should think of issuing passports for a fee since their tolls are making it impossible to traverse the area in an affordable way.  Passports are the way to go---divide and conquer by fees. 

9)              A delight to see the opening of the Roosevelt Island Park to honor FDR.  When last did we see a regal and commanding President?

10)       I do believe that you will find this Sunday’s broadcasts of both SUNDAY SIMCHA & TRADITIONS interesting since on SS we have, not only a conversation with Zalmen Mlotek about his revival of The Golden Land and a, hopefully, enjoyable Comedy Corner for this pre-Halloween weekend and on Traditions we have some wonderful new material along with the features and a special Halloween treat.  Trust me---a rare treat by one of my old---very old---favorites.