A

^6,

• .•

<,.1,

BAR AND GRILL

30555 Grand River

Farmington Hills, MI

• Great Food
• Great Drinks
• Great Music

48336

248-888-9288

11sP2 i3 u

10% OFF TOTAL BILL

Ben Rudnick: "We'll be doing the lighthearted Chanukah songs, our own

tunes and selections that are real Americana."

Happy Tunes

Musician brings
feel-good songs
to Temple Israel.

Suzanne Chessler

Special to the Jewish News

B

en Rudnick studied comput-
ers in college, traded office
work for a showbiz career and
took up fabric art to add to his income.
He did not do this alone.
With a wife and daughter to serve
as inspiration and musician pals to
enhance original and standard songs,
he took to the road and recording stu-
dios with a band named Ben Rudnick
& Friends.
Some of the repertoire of only happy
songs — celebrating Chanukah and
family values — will be performed 1
p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at Temple Israel,
where he makes his Michigan debut.
The concert follows a Chanukah lunch.
"We'll be doing the lighthearted
Chanukah songs, our own tunes and
selections that are real Americana,"
says Rudnick, 45, on vocals and guitar.
"We want to have a good time and help
the audience have a good time.
"We spend 11 months of the year
playing songs that have become syn-
onymous with our band and are not
religious. That includes 'Route 66,
`Somewhere Over the Rainbow' and
`What a Wonderful World.' We update
these songs with reggae, bluegrass and
- swing styles."
Rudnick, who grew up in New York
and lives in Massachusetts, knew he
wanted to entertain as soon as he
heard the Beatles. He became a hob-
byist playing with friends and found a
band member, mandolin player John
Zevos, at a music store where he went
for guitar lessons:
"We had a lot in common and started

performing as a duo," says Rudnick,
whose Temple Israel concert will
include Zevos and bass guitarist Arnie
Ashford. "He got me on stage with a
rock band, and our work accelerated
from there. I played in a bluegrass band
and switched to another rock band.
"I started writing music for my
daughter's fourth birthday party, and
my wife suggested I play some songs.
From there, John and I found a studio
and recorded. Next thing we knew,
we won a John Lennon Songwriting
Honorable Mention and Parents'
Choice awards."
Rudnick, who has had his group
for some six years, has entertained at
New York's Lincoln Center, Boston's
Hynes Auditorium, New York's Jewish
Museum and at venues around the
country. The band is recording its
fourth CD.
"We pretty much open every show
with 'I Like Silver, I Like Gold' from our
first album because it loosens us up
and is a feel-good song," Rudnick says.
"It has to do with what people like and
dislike."
Rudnick's family attends temple
services close to home, where his now
11-year-old daughter is studying for
her bat mitzvah.
"I started making tie-dye T-shirts
this year to sell at the shows," the sing-
er-guitarist says. "I put on a calming
CD, mix colors and find I'm very proud
of the artistic results.
He's also become "a pretty avid
cyclist. I love going out and riding and
am able to do a lot of songwriting as
I'm exercising!' 1

L

*

* *

*

*

*

*

4(

A Little Bit of New York
Right Here In Bloomfield Hills

6646 Telegraph Rd. • At Maple (15 Mile)
Bloomfield Plaza • 148.93200800

* * *

* *

*

*

* * * *

Home of the
Eggstra Big Breakfast

Three eggs any style with
choice of sausage links, bacon
or ham with toast and jelly
Mon thru Fri
Only $2.99 5am-llam
only

• Dine-in or Carry-out

FAMILY RESTAURANT
26200 W. 12 Mile Rd. • Southfield • 248-353-3232

• Senior Citizen Discount 10%

No Senior Citizen Discount with any daily specials

ALWAYS 20% OFF

Great Selection of Handbags, Luggage,
Briefcases, Ladies' & Men's Wallets

*FREE GIFT WRAP*

Mon-Sat 10-5
29815 Northwestern HWY
Applegate Square

Ben Rudnick & Friends perform

in a free concert 1 p.m. Sunday,
Dec. 10, at Temple Israel, 5725
Walnut Lake Road, in West
Bloomfield. The noon luncheon,
free for children 12 and younger
and $10 for adults, requires res-
ervations. (248) 661-5700.

* *

248.357.1800

I Everything in store excluding Briggs & Riley and Tumi.
With coupon only. Expires 12-16-06.

4

1

1 ,„

t';',,,- ;'k
-'

r\t

A

December 7 2006

61

