I \ Restaurant \ Fresh Mid-Eastern Cuisine/ Out Faigoub 13onfem Ckicizta .Ctutelt Specido Mott* at $4.95 complete with your choice of fries, hommous or rice & pop, coffee or tea CCM* & r Fttee Defiuetg Buy One I Lunch or Dinner Get the Second Special to the Jewish News for I I 'OFF LI= 1 coupon per person exp. 8/19/02 im mei im .11 Open 7 'Dap a Week! 6096 W. Maple Road W. Bloomfield 248-539-0505 :Teuly A 634340 ..tvtic Xt Thai Food • Open 7 for Lunch. & Folk performer David Roth sets real stories to music. SUZANNE CHESSLER I , Troubadour Of Truth Days Diviner • Spacictiiiites Such "Ns: .N.odts AppitAScilad, light VegiefoL avid Roth's folks got him into folk music, but that definitely was not their intention. Although both parents surrounded him with enter- tainers during his growing-up years, they wanted a more stable future for their son. Roth's dad, Irving, a Russian- Jewish immigrant, owned Chicago's Chez Paris, once the hottest night spot in the city, and introduced his son to the talents of some of the top club stars of the times — from Danny Kaye to Danny Thomas. Roth's mom, big- band singer Gee Palmer (with a stage name taken from Chicago's famed Palmer House), invited traveling col- leagues into their home. Roth detoured a bit before deciding that the singer-songwriter spotlight was for him, but once focused, he stayed with his choice. The results soon can be experienced at the Ark in Ann Arbor, where the guitarist- singer will showcase his music Sunday evening, July 21. Later in the week, July 25-27, Roth will do short- David Roth: "All the music I heard while I was growing up just rubbed off" An Ark Reunion Old pro headlines concerts. SUZANNE CHESSLER Special to the Jewish News www.detroitjewishnews.com 7/19 2002 80 Find out before your mother! avid Bromberg, popular on the club circuit of the lir 1970s as he toured with Bob Dylan and Jerry Jeff Walker, makes one of his rare appearances when he headlines a reunion of entertainers at the Ark in Ann Arbor. The reunion, which celebrates nearly 40 years of the club's opera- tion, runs July 25-27, with concerts beginning at 8 p.m. each evening. Bromberg, who mixes folk blues with bluegrass, rock and narratives, is credited with saving the Ark by playing many benefit concerts in the early days when the club was located on Hill Street in Ann Arbor. "David Bromberg, Bob White and Michael Cooney helped us End our direction, stay alive and maintain our musical integrity. at the same time," says David Siglin, Ark artistic director since 1967. "Without them, the Ark would not exist today." Bromberg, who essentially has given up the stage and devotes his rime to making violins, is known in Jewish circles for taking on a reporter who challenged his credi- bility as a folk performer because of er — but frequent — stints during a performers' reunion at the venerable Ann Arbor folk club„ "My songs range from serious to poignant to funny," says Roth, 49, who appears at the Ark about once a year. "I've been writing and perform- ing full time for 15 years, and I like to have an eclectic blend. I want my music to be all-inclusive." Telling Stories Roth's particular blend of music fea- tures lots of true stories that he reads or hears about and sets to music because they resonate with him. On the serious side, "Rosa and the Three K's" recalls legendary Detroiter Rosa Parks. The lyrics tell about an actual confrontation in Missouri, where Ku Klux Klan mem- bers tried to get a section of highway named for the organization by keep- ing the roadway clean. To prevent having to put up that dreaded sign- post, the state legislature quickly designated the section as the Rosa Parks Freeway. On the poignant side, "Dragon to Butterfly" tells another Klan story. This is about a Nebraska rabbi who made friends with a Ku Klux Klan David Bromberg: Coming home to Nthe Ark. his ethnic background. Bromberg, after naming a diversity of perform- - ers and their diverse sounds, explained that American music is based on sharing. Bromberg headlines Friday and Saturday, July 26-27, while Cooney