Arts & Entertainment

A Tasty Bite of Culture

The JCC's new Stephen Gottlieb Festival of the Arts
previews a year of fun and educational events.

of Miracles."
p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12,
"'Extraordinary
and 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept.
entertainer' is a more
13, in West Bloomfield.
apt description for this
Center members: $45/
he Jewish Community Center
amazing talent, who is a
nonmembers: $55. A free
of Metropolitan Detroit is set to
product of the University
Selichot service, led by
host a smorgasbord of cultural
of Michigan's musical
Rabbi Norman Roman of
events that offer something for every taste.
theater
program
and
an
Temple
Kol Ami of West
Danny Gurwin
Dr. Robert
The first-ever Stephen Gottlieb Festival
accomplished Broadway
Bloomfield,
will be held
Watson
of the Arts, to be held Sept. 9-12 and pre-
performer.
following the Sept. 12
sented by the Arts, Culture and Education
"Danny, co-star Erin Dilly, a Tony-nomi- performance.
(ACE) Department (formerly Jewish Life
nated Broadway performer (who can be
The lecture 'The Nazi Use of Art as
and Learning), will showcase the talents of seen as Julia Child's book editor Judith
Propaganda," with Professor Wendy Evans
everyone from authors to Broadway stars.
Jones in the film Julie and Julia) and my
of Wayne State University, will be at 10
"This festival is an exciting way to start
son, David, the musical director, will take
a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the JCC in West
the Jewish new year:' said ACE Chair Carol
the audience on a journey through a rep-
Bloomfield. There is no charge.
Weintraub Fogel." We really have something ertoire of musical theater songs with a
Dr. Robert Watson, director of American
for everyone, and we love that the JCC is
Jewish theme."
Studies at Lynn University in Florida, will
able to introduce and invite so many to a
The program takes place 7:30 p.m.
discuss "Truth, Lies and Propaganda: The
sampling of the outstanding, nationally
Thursday, Sept. 10, at the JCC in West
Language of Politics" at 11:30 a.m. Sunday,
recognized programs that are a part of our
Bloomfield; tickets are $20-$40.
Sept. 13, in West Bloomfield. All seats are
community throughout the year."
Noodle, an Israeli film about an El Al
$18, which includes a lunch buffet.
Among the events is "Miracle of
stewardess and a Chinese boy, will be
The opening of "Where the Wild Things
Miracles: A Concert in Celebration of
screened Wednesday, Sept. 9, in West
Are: Maurice Sendak in His Own Words
Jewish Musical Theatre," featuring the tal-
Bloomfield. All seats are $10.
and Pictures" will be at Shalom Street in
ents of Southfield natives Danny Gurwin,
World ofiewtopia, an evening with
the JCC in West Bloomfield from 1-5 p.m.
Erin Dilly and David Sherline.
Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson, the stars
Sunday, Sept. 13. There is no charge.
"It is not enough to call Danny Gurwin
and creators of the smash Off-Broadway
"Views of Life" at the Janice Charach
a wonderful singer, which, of course, he is:' hit Jewtopia, offers an irreverent look at
Gallery in West Bloomfield features work
said Rick Sherline, co-sponsor of "Miracle
Jewish life with two performances, 9:15
by Steven Tapper and his daughter, Julia,

Elizabeth Applebaum
Special to the Jewish News

T

along with art by Joyce
Brodsky and her daugh-
ter, Lesley Serri, and
husband and wife Al Van
Mil and Annette Blady
Van Mil. Docent tours
will be from noon-4
p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 13. No
Alan Zweibel
charge.
Laura Numeroff, author of the If You Give
a Mouse a Cookie series, will speak 2 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 13, at the JCC in Oak Park.
This event is co-presented by the Book
Beat, and there is no charge.
The Henry & Delia Meyers Library, in
conjunction with its 50th anniversary, will
host Alan Zweibel, an original writer for
Saturday Night Live, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday,
Sept. 13. No charge.
Throughout the festival, the JCC in
West Bloomfield will host the free exhibit
"At Home in Michigan:' from the Jewish
Historical Society's "From Haven to Home:
350 Years of Jewish Life in America."
For tickets or information, please call
(248) 432-5692 or go to www.jccdet.org .

Elizabeth Applebaum is a marketing

specialist at the Jewish Community

Center of Metropolitan Detroit.

Goodman Tribute

Clarinetist takes the music of a pop culture icon and makes it his own.

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

E

ddie Daniels thinks of himself as
a Benny Goodman clarinet suc-
cessor, definitely not a clone.
Goodman's hit "Sing, Sing, Sing" has
been morphed into Gordon Goodwin's
"Sing, Sang, Sung" for Daniels, who will
include the jazz number when he per-
forms Monday afternoon, Sept. 7, as part
of the Detroit International Jazz Festival in
downtown Detroit.
The clarinetist, featured artist in the
concert "Let's Dance! Tribute to Benny
Goodman: Eddie Daniels with the Wayne
State University Big Band," will appear 4:15-
5:15 p.m. at the Carhartt Amphitheatre.
Other artists in the four-day event, Sept.
4-7 along the riverfront, include Hank Jones,
Dave Brubeck, John and Bucky Pizzarelli,
Chick Corea, Janis Siegel and Jesse Palter.
Daniels, who has performed with the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Max

40

Septe e r. 3 2009

M. Fisher Music Center and with jazz art-
Daniels' program, still being planned,
ists at Baker's Keyboard Lounge, rotates
is likely to include "Stompin' at the Savoy,"
his concerts and recordings between the
a Goodman theme song, and "Stride
classics and jazz.
Rite:' written by Daniels in memory
"I take the music of
of Goodman. Christopher
Benny Goodman (the cen-
Collins, director of Jazz
tennial of whose birth is
Studies at WSU, arranged the
being celebrated this year)
program.
in my own direction, which
"About two years ago, Chris
means the sound of the
asked me to work with his
clarinet is a little different':
big band and give a concert,"
says Daniels, 67, who met
Daniels recalls. "We did that
the big band icon once, after
and maintained a connection.
Goodman watched a Daniels
This summer, I gave some
club show. "I go toward a
classes for the jazz camp at
warmer, higher register.
the university and played at
"What I did take from
Baker's."
Benny Goodman is his love
Eddie Daniels
Daniels, who grew up
for classical music, and I
in New York City, knew he
play that. He was one of the first to play
wanted to be a clarinet player from ado-
classical music and jazz on the clarinet.
lescence and attended the High School
Although my energy on the clarinet comes for the Performing Arts. He earned his
from his energy, I was influenced more by
bachelor's degree at Brooklyn College and
bebop, contemporary players."
his master's at the Juilliard School.

"My lessons on the clarinet were classi-
cal or technical:' he says. "Jazz came from
friends and listening to Benny Goodman,
who inspired me to learn and improvise.
"During my first jazz gig at the Half
Note in New York, Thad Jones and Mel
Lewis happened to walk in while I was
playing. They were forming a band, and
they said they wanted to hire me. That's
beshert.
"I tell young people that the way to
make your career is to love the music, play
great and practice. You don't launch any-
thing when you're a young person [except
for] your practice.
"Somehow, if things are right, you'll end
up in a place where somebody will hear
you and say, 'Wow, I want that person."'
Daniels, who has toured internationally
and conducts master classes, lists A Duet of
One as his most recent recording. It features
"Getting Sentimental Over You" and "New
Orleans" among a collection of standards in
collaboration with Roger Kellaway.