I was asked to perform at a brand new retirement facility that happens to be all Jewish, with a resident age range of 55-94. When I mentioned to a friend (who is German) that I was contemplating what additional songs I should put into that performance, she said that I probably should not play any polkas. I asked why? She said because polkas are German and many Jewish people don't like Germans (or German music).

Had I not brought up the subject, I probably would plan on going in with my first time set performance, which, of course, has a few polkas. If anyone thinks this sounds silly, I couldn't agree more, but I have to admit, it's got me thinking.

Anybody have any experience, input, or suggestions on this?

I've heard that many time before too, and since I am not Jewish - I'm taking it at face value. I can't play Wagner at Weddings either.
Do Hava Nagila with a polka beat - compromise !

Glenn, there are many Jewish songs that have a polka feel, why not play them instead of the polka's. Playing what you want to play is not always a great idea. Part of being successful is flavoring your music to fit the crowd. When you play a German affair, no need to play Hora's.

Hope this helps, John C.

Glann,

Play anything from Fiddler On The Roof and you can't go wrong. However, keep in mind that your normal routine will work out just fine--anything from the 40s, 50s and 60s will keep the dancefloor packed as long as the tempo is slow to moderate.

Good Luck,

Gary

Glenn-

Deja Vu, my friend...

I've been down this exact road with a handful of Jewish accounts I have...Here's how I've handled it...

Retirement Community programs are usually 45-60 minutes in length. not that long to program without any German Music...I do NOT play any Polkas whatsoever...My song list is big enough, (as yours probably is, too) to easily avoid the style entirely...

I do pull a few extra Gershwin tunes out for these type gigs...they ALWAYS go over great as very few of my peers in the Dayton area have any idea who he was or how in the world to play his stuff. The audience seems to feel the brothers Gershwin are the creme de le creme of songwriters...

If you're looking for that kind of festive, party type feel...do a good hoedown type country piece...



I will also say that often the "vibe" I feel in my Jewish accounts seems unique. Not better, certainly not worse...just consistently different from any other places I perform. I may be way off base, but my gut tells me this type of client and their audience holds much of the classic American Songbook content in higher regard than many of my other accounts.

I could theorize perhaps, that in the typical Jewish home that my audience grew up in, an environment existed that held the work of Gershwin, Porter, Kern and yes, even Berlin in a different light-almost a reverent one-For many, maybe these composers' "hits of the day" were the first exposure first-hand to Amercian Songwriters...with many immagrants...perhaps their work struck a special chord or resonated with them above others...

I could only wish that ALL my accounts had the knowledge of American Popular Song that my Jewish clients posess...


Good luck-

Bill in Dayton

Glen, You got mail...

Hi Glenn, here's the fakebook (212 songs) I highly recommend for any Jewish gig:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0933676697/ref%3Dnosim/theharrynilsso/102-0330572-2742535

This topic is also covered on the following thread:
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/008838.html[/URL]

I agree with Bill in Dayton that songs from the classic American Songbook (Cole Porter, Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, Kern) seem to be especially appreciated by the older Jewish audience, but then again, these are my favs too. Scott

Well said, Bill !

Thanks, guys!

Hi Glen,

Sorry I couldn't answer sooner - Thursday to Saturday is a Jewish holiday and I don't use my computer during that time.

A significant (or maybe THE significant) portion of traditional Jewish music is Polka style. I would not recommend at all to play German songs or polkas at a Jewish old age home. Some of these people may have been in German concentration camps and watched their loved ones march to their death to these tunes. Wagner is out of the question -- he was a great supporter of Hitler and wrote many of the third reich anthems and theme songs.

But many of the Jewish songs you'll find in the fake book will work very well with polka styles. In fact tomorrow night I'm doing a Jewish performance and will lean heavily on polka.

Chony

Not to dispute the sentiment of this thread, but if you're referring to Richard Wagner, he passed away in 1883.

acctjm

Sorry acctjm - you're right -- what I should have said is that Hitler was a great admirer of Wagner and that his compositions were used heavily in the thrid reich.

Wagner himself was a great antisemite and there is debate within Jews on whether or not to separate him from his music (ie: to enjoy his music even though he was a Jew hater.) But amongst the holocaust generation there is no debate.

"If anyone doubts the extent of his anti-Semitism, a few quotes from his infamous tract, "The Jews in Music," should be sufficient. On Jews' response to German culture he writes:

"Our whole European art and civilization, however, have remained to the Jew a foreign tongue; for, just as he has taken no part in the evolution of the one, so has he taken none in that of the other; but at most the homeless wight has been a cold, nay more, a hostile looker-on. In this speech, this art, the Jew can only after-speak and after-patch, not truly make a poem of his words, an artwork of his doings."

On Jewish culture itself he is, if possible, even more vicious. "Who has not had occasion to convince himself of the travesty of a divine service of song, presented in a real folk synagogue? Who has not been seized with a feeling of the greatest revulsion, of horror mingled with the absurd, at hearing that sense-and-sound-confounding gurgle, yodel, and cackle ("zischend, schrillend, summsend, mucksend"), which no intentional caricature can make more repugnant than as offered here in full, in naive seriousness?"

Wagner's Jew is a creature without passion, incapable of artistic or cultural production, whose "attempts at making art must necessarily bear the attributes of coldness and indifference." In other places Wagner claimed that the Jew's outstanding and exclusive genius lay in his ability to make money, a conviction that allowed him to blame the Jewish bourgeoisie first for the rise, then for the evils of capitalism. In some of his remarks to Cosima, which she noted in her diary, he referred to the Jews as: "Rats and parasites living off the bodies of other people." He compared them to cockroaches and nasty flies.

Chony, I tried emailing you privately but it bounced.

I'm confused. Are you suggesting that only German polkas would be ill-advised, but polkas never-the-less are recommended? Are there Jewish polkas? To me, all polkas sound the same... and like German music.

Sorry my email address is cmilecki@yahoo.com. The one listed by my name is no longer in existence.

Basically yes. Much of traditional Jewish music polka based. For example Hava Nagilah, Hevenu Shalom Alechem, Oseh Shalom, all work very well as polkas.

Chony

I think ( no I know ) the style your looking for is KLEZMER ":P

Other then that just spew some horrid kiss songs back at them "

Hmm, ...it sounds like you don't like Kiss
but love Wagner ...

[This message has been edited by Alex K (edited 10-10-2004).]

Had the gig tonight... played my usual stuff, including a few polkas (they love 'em), a few 'Fiddler' numbers and it went well. This place is 2 months old and as nice as any country club I've seen. Fun place to be.

Chony, just curious but what kinda stuff do you play at your Jewish gigs? Same question to anyone else that's playing jewish gigs.

...Also, Scotyee, your link doesnt work. Did you mean a different thread? If so please sepcify. thanx alll


-a yid

Grubba,

the proper link is http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/008838.html

Best regards,
Alex