'Jealous'
'Live In The
Fiddler's House'
John Lee Hooker; Virgin Records
H
ow old is John Lee Hooker,
anyway? Amazing that this
old codger still manages to
make the blues sound low-
down and edgy, despite help from
a rocking, Chicago Blues-style
backup band.
Jealous, a Pointblank Clas-
sic/Virgin Records reissue of
Hooker's 1986 recording of the
same name, showcases Hooker's
talent as a singer — his voice
seems to emanate
more from his
heart than his
vocal chords —
but his ability as a
guitarist gets lost in the lush
arrangements on this recording.
This reviewer prefers the blues
to be stripped down, but Hook-
er's delivery brings a gravity to
the music that would otherwise
be lost in a thicket of instrumen-
tation.
The title track is the most un-
remarkable of the 10 songs on
Jealous. A heavy bass line that
propels the song along seems dis-
connected from Hooker's rant-
ings, leaving the impression of
Julie Edgar is senior writer at
The Jewish News. She loves
music that speaks from the
mind and the heart.
Itzhak Perlman; Angel Records
N
ow there are two "Fiddlers"
that have brought yid-
dishkeit and Jewish culture
to the broad public. The first,
of course, was Fiddler on the Roof
that Broadway musical which has
been heard around the world.
Now, Itzhak Perlman brings a CD
called Live in the Fiddler's House
to the ears of the public.
Klezmer music, once thought
to be moving into extinction, is
iTZHAK PeRLMAN
UNE IN THE FIDDLER'S HOUSE
a runaway train. The other songs
are classic electrified blues tinged
with Hooker's Delta-style melan-
choly.
The best of the tracks, "Nine-
ty Days" — of which there are
two versions on this recording —
speaks of longing for a lover and,
in the best blues tradition, lets
repetition and rhythm weave a
spell around the listener. While
Jealous holds no surprises, it is
solid blues fare from an old-timer
who hasn't lost a bit of his earthy
pungency.
.0*
—Julie Edgar
'The Family Markowitz'
Allegra Goodman ($22, Farrar,
Straus and Giroux)
e Family Markowitz by Al-
1.111
legra Goodman observes with
simplicity and grace the lives
of Rose Markowitz, her two
sons, Ed and Henry, and their
wives and children. The novel be-
gins with the death of Rose's sec-
ond husband, Maury, and
explores her new life in California
2 with her effete son Henry, a frus-
;' trated art dealer who hates the
r- West Coast, and her move back
f c
., east to her son Ed's house. Ms.
Goodman's characterizations are
both apt and affectionate,
L L and despite the death that sets up
!•- the novel and the often discon-
F certing interactions between her
subjects, she never becomes sen-
timental. Her tone is contem-
plative rather than analytical.
Julie Edgar, senior writer, is an
avid reader, and like most of
us, wishes she had more time to
pursue that avocation.
servatory Band and the Andy
Statman Klezmer Orchestra. Perl-
man and these bands spent last
summer touring the country, per-
forming this music to sold-out
houses in such venues as Wash-
ington's Wolf Trap, Chicago's
Ravinia and Radio City. Perlman
made a television special as well,
"Live in the Fiddler's House,"
which is a "must see" for all.
Itzhak Perlman, one of the
world's best classically trained vi-
olinists, departs from his usual
The Family Markowitz,
The novel culminates in the Or-
though, never quite rises above thodox wedding of Ed's daughter
its subject — a contemporary and the musings of his
Jewish family struggling with re- teacher/writer wife, Sarah, by far
ligion, intermarriage and aging. the most sympathetic character
We learn most about
in The Family Markowitz.
Rose, but we don't learn
It is not the most satisfy-
BOOKS
from her. Ms. Goodman
ing conclusion because
includes an interest-
Ms. Goodman does
ing interlude in which THE FAMILY MARKOWITZ not bother to wrest
A
I4
a non-Jewish gradu-
any profundity from
ate student, Alma, in-
the scene. - Even with
terviews Rose about
her keen eye for the
her life. Alma is un-
pettiness of the fami-
nerved by Rose's ten-
ly quarrels, the illogic
dency to ramble and
of an aging Jewish
chastened by her
grandmother and the
boyfriend's insistence
intractability of the
that she not bring her
characters, the novel
own preconceptions
is, oddly, missing a
into the interview. The
sense of humor. Ms.
chapter juxtaposes the
Goodman's treatment
stubbornness of the
is deadly serious, even
student and Rose, and while it when her characters are not.
could be read as a brief tract on
the lives of women, it amounts to
qt. 1 r 2
nothing more than a charming vi-
gnette.
—Julie Edgar
R VE LIT, WORLD V ANDY STATMAN
THE KLEZMATICS
THE RLEZMER CONSERVATORY I N
now spreading beyond Jewish
communities and into the souls
and hearts of people everywhere.
There are more klezmer groups
popping up every day.
"Klezmer" is the He-
brew acronym for "in-
struments of song." It comes
from "klei," which means "instru-
ments," and "zemer," meaning
"song." Before World War II,
klezmer music could be heard in
shtetls and cities throughout Cen-
tral and Eastern Europe. World
War II came along, and the Third
Reich almost silenced this musi-
cal form.
This CD was recorded live at
a performance at Radio City Mu-
sic Hall in New York City on July
2, 1996. Perlman combines his tal-
ent with some of today's leading
klezmer artists and groups. Fea-
tured here are Brave Old World,
The Klezmatics, the Klezmer Con-
.
Stephen Dubov is cantor of
Temple Beth El.
repertoire to join in this klezmer
medium. He draws on his natur-
al sense and yiddishkeit to fit right
in with these kleziiier ensembles.
Occasionally, however,
some of the improvisa-
tional qualities of true
klezmer are absent. It
doesn't distract in any way except
in the area of spontaneity.
As the CD starts to play, it is
very difficult not to stop what
you're doing and begin dancing
around the room.
The CD comes with printed pro-
gram notes which help the novice
and expert alike with histories of
each piece and translations of the
Yiddish texts.
This recording is a must for
every home library. Its historical,
cultural and educational value
can't be bought. I give this CD the
highest rating possible.
.10 ck.) cit)
— Cantor Stephen Dubov