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SAIGON

LONDON TIMES

Karla's Jewish education. She
didn't attend her first seder,
she says, until about age 25.
Still, a Jewish spark seems to
light many of her songs, espe-
cially on this important career
retrospective. Bonoff is not
only one of the best songwrit-
ers of the last 25 years, she's
one of the best singers, too.
This collection, which
includes songs recorded by
Sonia Dada founder Jay Pritzker, left, writes the Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna,
Linda Ronstadt and Aaron
songs, plays guitar and produces the albums.
Neville, will make you wonder
to realize that. The band delivers a
why her career as a performer hasn't
soulful, funk-filled, high-energy per-
flourished as theirs have.
formance. But as good as the new
Here's a chance to hear the
album is, it can't quite convey the
Grammy-winning "All My Life,"
unbridled enthusiasm flying off the
"Tell Me 'Why," "Home and
stage during a concert.
"Someone To Lay Down Beside Me"
While Pritzker writes the songs,
passionately sung by the woman who
plays guitar and produces the albums,
wrote them.
singing duties are shared by a trio of
But the sleeper here, the one that
black singers who can wail and har-
burns with the greatest Jewish flame,
monize.
is a soft, quiet tune called "Daddy's
Live is a raucous concert compila-
Little Girl," which Bonoff wrote
tion of songs from the group's first
shortly after her mother's death.
three albums as well as a new tune or
"I really am a little girl," the 48-
two. Pritzker added a horn section for
year-old Bonoff says. "My dad will be
the occasion. There are strains of
80 in May. When he's gone, I've got
gospel, soul, funk, doo-wop, reggae
to become an adult. It really freaks
and rock mixing and mingling here,
me out. I worry about not seeing him
which all add up to a magnet drawing
enough."
your body to bop, sway or dance.
Only a real mentsh could have
The band is well aware of the long
written this honest, personal tribute
musical tradition of Jewish songwrit-
to a father and the consequences of
ers and black singers working togeth-
coming to grips with his mortality.
er and are proud of it, Pritzker says,
"Yes I know when it's his time to
adding there's a Native American in
go/ That I'll have to grow up, too/ Oh,
the band, too.
can't I stay right here and be Daddy's
As for Jewish influences or content
little girl," she sings with a somber
in the songs, Pritzker says, "There's
grace accompanied only by a piano.
the notion of honoring one another
"I gave it to my Dad as a birthday
in all our work."
present before I put it on a record,"
says Bonoff. "He's not a real emo-
All My Life: The Best of Karla
tional guy. He's sad that he didn't
Bonoff (Columbia/Legacy Records)
support me earlier [in my career],"
Singer-songwriter
Karla Bonoff is one of
those performers who
often draws the "Gee, I
didn't know she was
Jewish" remark.
Her great-grandfa-
Karla Bone
ther David
Here's a chance
Borodanoff emigrated
to hear the
from Russia to
Grammy-win-
California in the late
ning All My
19th century and
Life," "Tell Me
Why," "Home"
started a furrier busi-
and "Someone
ness. Somewhere
To Lay Down
between his arrival
Beside Me"
and her father Karl's
passionately sung
shortening the name
by the woman
to Bonoff, assimila-
who wrote them.
tion took its toll on

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