Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Pro udlyjignnounces
MONTREUX
,571 Special Musical Variety Show
from page 87
Selichot Night
Saturday, September 4 at 9:30 pm
flit
"
" AZZ
JA ZZ
in Adler Hall
Congregation Shaarey Zedek Southfield
oicard NANO&
In "Future Jazz," award-winning music journalist Howard Mandel
introduces us to jazz musicians with the joy and elegance of a perfect
host. By examining the world of modern jazz through detailed portraits
and in-depth interviews, he invites us to leave our reverence at the door,
and enter in — or at least listen closely — to the conversation.
Mandel, who has been writing about jazz for more than 25 years,
brings the reader into contact with the musicians, composers, experi-
menters, industry professionals and club owners who have inhabited the
contemporary jazz scene from the 1970s to the present. He writes about
jazz as an insider; aiming to demystify jazz music and jazz musicians.
Marcus Belgrave," the renowned Detroit
horn player.
In an interview with Mandel, Allen
explains Detroit's early influence on
'her music: "I came up learning under
an organization called the Jazz
Development Workshop. At that time
I was just crawling and trying to learn.
... It was community-based and work-
shop-oriented."
Allen explains the continued
importance of Detroit to her playing:
"I learned a lot being around the peo-
ple who were supportive of me,
including their concepts on composi-
tion. ... I'm trying to bring together all
of that with my background from
Detroit, a very strong bebop city."
Not only is Detroit important to
many musicians, the musicians are
important to Detroit. This year's festival
will offer an unprecedented gathering of
ome of Detroit's greatest "jazz alumni"
— homegrown performers who have
become significant international jazz
stars. Additionally, the festival's pro-
gramming includes top local showcases
and provides the most definitive taste of
Detroit jazz available.
In part, it was the desire to get close
to the musicians that forged author
Mandel's career as a jazz journalist.
When I started working professionally
I could have been more of a rock
writer. But I wasn't really touched by
rock. I didn't find that I had that
much to say about it," Mandel
explains. Personal taste wasn't the only
deciding factor. "It was also damn hard
to connect with rock people for inter-
views."
Mandel noticed an important con-
trast: "If you went to jazz [people],
you could reach them very directly.
And if you were at the level to engage
them, they would often be interested
in engaging. That's what they do on
stage.
Mandel, who is Jewish, grew up on
the south side of Chicago in a time and
place reminiscent of Detroit. It was a
period marked by significant racial ten-
sion between blacks and whites. "Jazz
was a way of learning about these racial
questions and bridging the gap," he says.
"I did not understand what the gap was
exactly. I was very interested in the other
culture. I felt like my culture was not
giving me everything I needed, I guess."
Becoming a jazz writer also was dri-
ven by Mandel's longstanding love of
cultural events. "I was 13 years old in
1963 — the Beatles, John Kennedy
being assassinated, the Cuban missile
crisis, Marilyn Monroe dying — I was
very aware of what was going on. And
I was very precociously snotty and
snobby about my culture. I wanted to
be really up on everything and jazz was
part of that."
Raised by liberal parents, he attend-
ed religious school and even had a bar
mitzva, but he describes his Jewish edu-
cation as "Reform," and recalls going
bowling with his family on the High
Holidays.
Still, Mandel credits his Jewish her-
itage for sparking his wide-ranging
love of culture that continues today.
"It sounds sort of vain, I suppose, but
Come and meet our
new Cantor and hear
him perform a
unique blend of
Hebrew, English and
humorous musical
selections on this
evening preceding
the Selichot Service
SELICHOT SERVICE will
begin at 11 p.m. in the
main sanctuary. It will be
conducted by Rabbi lrvvin
Groner, Rabbi Stephen
Weiss, Rabbi Leonardo
Bitran and Rabbi Joseph
Kralcoff and chanted by
Cantor Chaim Najman and
the Synagogue Choir.
Directed by Eugene Zweig
Light refreshments will be served
•
Unique gifts, accessories and
340 East Maple Road
furniture. Extensive selection of
Birmingham, Michigan 48009
books on design, architecture,
p: 248.593.9085
art glass and studio pottery.
f: 248.593.9087
We also offer bridal & gift registry.
w: http://www.unicahome.com
8/27
1999
Detroit Jewish News
91