•

Gettin In Tune

There's a cornucopia of music
to choose from.

JULIE YOLLES ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

You must remember this,
A bris is still a bris
A chai is still a chai.
Tradition cannot be denied
"Alevai."

these great musicians," says
Lieberman, whose wife, a classi-
cally trained soprano, son and
nephew sing back-up vocals on
the album.
"The market for Chanukah
On the eighth day of Chanukah, tapes is primarily the same stuff
my neighbor gave to me, eight lus- — the traditional Chanukah
cious lathes, seven silver Slinkys, songs that people complain about
six Super Slurpees, five Books of when they have to sing along
Moses, four fuzzy frogs, three Dr. with the songs," he adds. "There's
Seuss books, two darling dreidels nothing wrong with that, but I
and a Teen-age Mutant Ninja wanted to do something that was
turtle figure.
really different from the norm.
— Allan Lieberman Other than Adam Sandler's
first, there was Chicago- `Chanukah Song,' I don't think
born singer/comic Allan there's really any other [comical
Sherman, who gained Chanukah music] like it.
Both of Lieberman's previous
overnight fame in 1962
when he released My Son, the albums, Deli Tunes and Thank
Folksinger. His best-remembered God I'm a Jewish Boy!, are filled
Jewish satires include "Seventy- with parodies of his favorite sub-
six Sol Cohens in the Country ject — food.
Club," from Meredith Wilison's
"Thank God I'm a Jewish Boy," sings
"Seventy-six Trombones"; "Sarah Allan Lieberman, who's made an art
Jackman," from "Frere Jacques"; out of singing Jewish parodies.
"Harvey and Sheila," from "Hava
Nagila"; and, Sherman's biggest
hit, "Hello, Muddah; Hello, Fad-
duh."
Jewish musical parodists
named Allan must run rampant
in Illinois. Because Allan Lieber-
man of Evanston, the man who
brought us Thank God I'm a
Jewish Boy and Deli Tunes, has
recorded a special holiday album
that will keep you laughing for
eight days, at least.
Lieberman has taken 14 pop-
c.) ular '60s songs, put a comical
Jewish twist to them and come
LU
= up with Ha! Ha! Hanukkah!.
= What used to be Neil Sedaka's hit
`) "Oh Carol" is now "Oh Dreidel."
L. , Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent
•-• Man" is customized to "Hanuk-
t: kah Man." And Petula Clark's
°
, 'Downtown" is now "Lathes," pro-
LT; nounced "lot-keys" for the ulti-
cD mate song effect. Lieberman's
=
LU personal favorite, "Leader of the
I– Macs," is a takeoff of "Leader of
the Pack."
On "The way I look at parody is
UU that I've collaborated with all

F

"Part of being Jewish, at least
what I relate to, are the holidays
and Jewish cooking," says
Lieberman, who teaches music
to children at Jewish day schools
and centers throughout the
Chicago area. "Jewish men don't
hang around bars, they hang
around delis. Jews love to eat. A
friend of mine dared me to have
no reference whatsoever to food
in my songs. But I was only able
to get through the first two vers-
es without mentioning it," jokes
Lieberman, whose hands-down
sustenance of choice is gefilte
fish.
"Every Friday night we get it
from Good Morgan's Fish Mar-
ket on Devon Avenue in Chica-
go," says Lieberman. "It's as
good as any homemade
gefilte fish that I've
had."

T

here are just six more days to get in tune with Chanukah,
Here are some newer releases for the holiday, which you
can find at Borenstein's, Spitzer's, Hat iuony House or
others:

• A Little Holiday Spark — subtitled "Songs of the Season from
Detroit's Leading Lights." Produced locally by Yessian Music
and featuring the musical talents of "Detroit's Leading
Lights," the CD's proceeds will benefit United Cerebral Palsy
of Metropolitan Detroit. A compilation of Christmas and
Chanukah songs, the CD features "Ma'Oz Tate by David
Syme and " 'Twas the Night Before the Seventh Day of
Chanukah" by Ron Coden.
• Festival of Light — the first pop-contemporary Chanukah al-
bum spotlights artists such as David Broza, Peter Himmel-
man, the Klezmatics, Marc Cohn and Don Byron.
• A Miraculous Menorah — Shmuel Kunda's first Chanukah-
themed tape in his children's series.

• The Jewish Experience — sung by the Western Wind and

narrated by Theodore Bikei.

• Miracles: Chanukah and Passover Songs for Kids — by Jill

Moskowitz.

• The Real Complete Happy Hanukkah Party — 30 sing-alongs

performed by David and the High Spirits.

• Chanukah with Rabbe
Alter — children's

tape.

• A Chanukah
Miracle: The
Blessing of a
Tzaddik.
• The Golden
Menorah ❑