Blog entries

My Summer Music Seen

joey — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:10:31 +0100

Before September comes and I get totally wrapped up in fundraising and planning the 2011 festival, I wanted to share some of the music that has excited me this summer.

Lets start with Rob Rudin's Half Jewish Project. I met Rob at his niece's Bat Mitzvah where he told me about a musical suite he was working on in tribute to Joey Cornblit, one of the world's greatest jai alai players and family friend. Joey's life is the stuff of legend..with roots in Quebec, time spent in Miami, Basque SRead More...

Jewish Music Is Undergoing a real renaissance

Jim Ball — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:40:07 +0100

Jewish music is undergoing a real renaissance. It wasn’t that long ago that, if you wanted to listen to Jewish music, you were limited to scratchy recordings of chazzans, Mickey Katz parodies, Israeli folk songs or The Barry Sisters. But in the last few decades, the world of Jewish music has opened to encompass new vistas of sound and style. You can hear hip-hop, electronic chazzanut, Jewish jazz, pop, klezmer, classical and everythinRead More...

A QUICK FESTIVAL RECAP

joey — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:36:32 +0100

While we are busy planning the SECOND annual Boston Jewish Music Festival for March 6-20, 2011, I'd like to share some of the incredible successes we accomplished this past year. And all of it was made possible by everyone who attended events, by the artist who performed, by the volunteers, the donors both large and small, the custodians, the sound technicians, the printers. So many people had so much to do with this incredible success.

Over 5000 participants 17 Concerts and Workshops Read More...

Electro Morocco was Amazing!!

Lisa Courtney — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:50:52 +0100

Joey was right...surfing music meets middle eastern belly dancing sound. With a hint of the B52s.

What a fabulous night! Please invite the band next year. They were great!

Kudos to Jim and Joey for pulling this Festival off in such a short time. Congrats, my friends.

Are You Ready?

Jim Ball — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:04:28 +0100

We are. Tickets selling, programs printed. Some of the musicians are already in town--others on their way. We're so grateful to those who have believed and supported, volunteered and helped us make this all happen.

Great two-page spread in today's Boston Globe G section (see the online version here:

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2010/03/05/jewish_artists_see_boston_music_festival_as_a_different_way_to_explore_their_culture/

Also, last week's Boston Phoenix: Read More...

48 Hours and Counting

joey — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:09:25 +0100

It seems so unreal.The festival begins in less than 48 hours. There is so much running around to do tomorrow! It is so exciting. There will be a wonderful article in the Boston Globe on Friday. And the Jewish Advocate did some great coverage this week too. And the BJMF Program Book is just amazing. So hurry up and get your tickets. I'm off to the airport to pick up Yehuda Katz who will be playing in Sharon Sunday afternoon. There are so many great events. Enjoy.

Check out a great article on the Festival in the Phoenix

Jim Ball — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:20:41 +0100

The Boston Phoenix has published a terrific article on the Music Festival. A big shout out to Jon Garelick for his fine work that captured so much of the spirit. Nice picture of Ruth Dolores Weiss, too! Hope you have your tickets--they are going fast!

You can read the article here: http://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/97500-jew-note/

Jim

Tell Your Friends

joey — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:08:25 +0100

Brochures are being delivered. Advertising is falling into place (Watch for ads in the Boston Phoenix in Febuary...Thank you, Phoenix). Tickets for ALL events are now on sale. But we still need your help.

1. Please tell your friends about the Festival and send them to this website or our FaceBook page.

2. If you would like to volunteer at an event, end us an email. We will be needing people to hand out programs (WAIT TIL YOU SEE IT! IT IS AMAZING!!!), sell tickets (unless we sellRead More...

What an amazing concert!

Jim Ball — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:41:12 +0100

What a concert! Last night (Sunday), nearly 400 folks of all ages heard the fabulous Israeli trio HABANOT NECHAMA, one of Israel's most popular groups. It was the pre-concert of the BJMF, co-sponsored by Temple Aliyah and Temple Beth Shalom of Needham and the Israeli Consulate.

An outstanding show! These three women have amazing voices with terrific range and harmonies, singing erverything from gentle love songs to reggae to silly, fun show stoppers. A strong contingent of Read More...

The Word Is Out

Administrator — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:39:16 +0100

There was a very nice article about the Festival in the Jewish Advocate this week. It's unbelievably exciting. The Festival direct mail brochure goes to the printer today and should be delivered within 2 weeks. And Sunday night, we kick things off with Habanot Nechama. This Festival is no longer a dream, Its real. And it is going to be spectacular.

Scholarship Program Provides Access to Living Culture

Becky — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 07:36:22 +0100

KlezKanada was founded in 1996 to teach, nurture, and present to a broad public the best of Jewish traditional arts and Yiddish/Jewish culture (from the KlezKanada mission statement).

Each August, KlezKanada hosts a week-long festival in beautiful Lantier, Québec, about one hour north of Montreal. By day, participants refine their ears, learn idiomatic klezmer ornaments, dance freylekhs and shers, and attend lectures by reputedRead More...

The Story of Ochos Kandelikas

Administrator — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:15:50 +0100

Here's a great interview with Flory Jagoda, Ladino cultural treasure, who will be coming to the Festival on Tuesday, March 9. This woman is INCREDIBLE and not to be missed.

http://www.tabletmag.com/podcasts/3184/ocho-kandelikas/?utm_source=Tablet+Magazine+List&utm_campaign=3d12efed52-12_15_2009&utm_medium=email

Smile. The Music Festival is Coming

Administrator — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:54:19 +0100

Well look at that. Some very nice media coverage in the Newton Tab. Yes, that's my jukebox in the background. I think we it was playing Patsy Cline (not Kline or Klein) singing WillieNelson's Crazy. Which must be what Jim and I are to be doing this. http://www.wickedlocal.com/newton/news/x1145288106/Newton-resident-coRead More...

Hold On, We're Coming

joey — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:31:13 +0100

Just a quick note. The major marketting push for the Festival will kick off in January. But our program line-up is just about to be officially confirmed. So be sure to have all your friends register their email list with us.

Also, as the year comes to an end, here's a subtle reminder that ANY DONATIONS MADE TO BJMF ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. Subtle, eh? You can give on line, just by clicking on http://bjmfestival.org/index.php/you-can-help.

And as you get ready ChanukahRead More...

Music's Power To Connect

joey — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:59:11 +0100

I attended the Union for Reform Judaism's Biennial a week ago (full disclosure: I'm a member of their North American Board and on several commissions for the Reform movement). Held in Toronto, more than 3,000 Reform Jews gathered for five days of learning, meetings, worship, workshops, being together...and some pretty amazing music. Kudos to Josh Nelson, in particular, who was music director for the entire week. (Josh, as you may know, grew up in the Boston area and attended BU--now he's liviRead More...

Looking For Some Chanukah Ideas

joey — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:03:33 +0100

Lats night, I went to the New Center for Arts and Culture program with Roger Bennett on the history of Jewish albums. In emailing Roger, I discovered these great Chanukah cards that are supporting his research. Here's the link to them. http://www.idelsohnsociety.com/products.html

And speaking of Chanukah, don't forget that Rick Recht, will be performing a special Community Chanukah Concert on Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 7PM Congregation Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard Street, BroRead More...

Michelle Obama Explains Why We Need This

joey — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:44:20 +0100

It is through our music, our literature, our art, drama and dance that we tell the story of our past and we express our hopes for the future. Our artists challenge our assumptions in ways that many cannot and do not. They expand our understandings, and push us to view our world in new and very unexpected ways…..

"It's through this constant exchange -- this process of taking and giving, this process of borrowing and creating -- that we learn from each other and we inspire eRead More...

LET'S DANCE

joey — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

I'm one of the lucky ones. I got to grow up in Mattapan, Boston's last urban shtetl. My dad is the youngest of nine so I had an aunt, uncle or cousin on almost every street in a ten block radius. We left in 1969 so my 13 years young brother, Les, grew up in Brookline. His was a different world. Mine was all Jewish. His was eclectic, international. Mine was part of an extended family. For him, the family was already geographically over-extended. Growing up in my wRead More...

"THE POWER OF ART.."

Jim Ball — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

“The power of art is that it can connect us to one another, and to larger truths about what it means to be alive and what it means to be human.”

- Daniel J. Levitin, This Is Your Brain On Music

I’ve been hearing, feeling, playing and loving music all my life. A trumpet player and singer, I majored in music in college for 3 and 1/2 years, until I realized I didn’t want tRead More...

YES WE'RE CRAZY, CARE TO HELP?

joey — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

From casual friends to community leaders, the response to the Boston Jewish Music Festival is unanimous. "That would be an incredible program IF only you can get it funded." Well, they're right. It will be an incredible event. But there can be no IFs. Boston is the only city with such a large Jewish population that DOES NOT have a Jewish music festival. This is far too important an opportunity to hinge on an IF.

Yes, the economy is horribly difficult for many of us. BRead More...