Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Annual Hanukkah show Next Tuesday December 27th!!!

Hey y'all!

Oy-Dog here. Today, December 20th and next Tuesday December 27th are both "Muzikal Jewz" holiday shows. Today is the "Chrismukkah" show. We'll be spinnin' some great hanukkah tunes (since tonight is the first night of hanukkah!!!) as well as some Jewish Christmas tunes (you'll just have to listen to understand this), and there are some fun surprises in store for a few loyal, lucky listeners. Next Tuesday is the 4th annual Hanukkah show. Some of my favorite hanukkah tunes will be played, and there are even more surprises in store!

Traditionally, these have been some of the most popular and fun "Muzikal Jewz" shows of the year, so you don't want to miss them. If you're not in the holiday spirit yet, they'll surely get you there!

Shalom,


Oy-Dog.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Elizabeth Torres and Scott Stobbe Live on "Muzikal Jewz," December 13th

Hey, Y'all!

Oy-Dog here.

Anyhow, I'd like to announce that Elizabeth Torres and Scott Stobbe will be doing a live in-studio performance on the "Muzikal Jewz" show on Tuesday, December 13th. They will also be playing LIVE tonight at the Backstage Lounge in Santa Cruz 11/30, from 7:30-9:30 pm. Tickets are VERY affordable. Check out the description below:


Elizabeth Torres & Scott Stobbe
Weaving Balkan and klezmer tunes with gypsy jazz and swing, Elizabeth Torres and Scott Stobbe’s eclectic musical offering will cast a spell over the Backstage Lounge come Wednesday (tonight!). Through his work with local avant-rock outfit Zdrastvootie, and gypsy jazz troupe The Underscore Orkestra, Stobbe has developed a refined command over the guitar, which he carefully plucks alongside Torres’ soaring soprano sax to create dream-like soundscapes. INFO: 7:30-9:30 p.m., November 30th, at the Backstage Lounge, 1209 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 469-9900.

They will also be performing live on ‘muzikal jewz’ in two weeks on December 13th as well.

Tikva Records Store in Downtown SF in December!

Hey, y'all, Oy-Dog here.

There is a cool record store/exhibit happening in the Mission district of SF for the entire month of December. The shop celebrates Jewish music released on Tikva records, a very prominent Jewish American record label in the 20th Century. See below for further exciting info!

Tikva records store is located in downtown san francisco on the corner of mission and bernal. More like a ‘jewish record shop exhibit,’ it will be in town for the entire month of December. Vintage Jewish records line the walls and it is reminiscent of the ‘jews on vinyl’ exhibit by Josh Kuhn that was featured at the SF Jewish Museum and other places last year. Records such as johnny Mathis’ “Kol Nidre” and Fred Katz’s trippy ‘Folk Songs for far out folks” line the walls. One record in particular has been recently released by the idehlson society for Jewish music preservation, and will be featured there as well. It is called ‘songs for the Jewish American jet set” and features various tracks from tikva records, a Jewish American record label the was in business from 1950-73, and was known as the “Jewish Motown.” Anyhow, there are several events taking place at this jewish record store/art exhibit, which I’ll tell you about briefly.

on December 1st: Official opening party for the store.

December 2nd: Los Lobos band member, and only Jewish member, Steve Berlin will original-score an silent Russian film.

December 7th: Indie Jewish rock band Fool’s Gold will do a live in-store performance to celebrate the release of their latest album, “Leave No Trace.”

December 8th: The Burton Sisters, a jewish duo, will do a live performance for the second time in the last five decades.

December 10th: Members of Dengue Fever will perform in-store.

Jeremiah Lockwood of the Sway Machinery will play at some point as well.

There are plenty more events planned as well as channukah approaches, so stay tuned for that.

for more information, check out the idehlson society’s website, http://idelsohnsociety.com/.

Also, now showing at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in Downtown SF-- Black Sabbath: The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations, a musical journey through a unique slice of recording history–the Black-Jewish musical encounter from the 1930s to the 1960s. On exhibit currently until february 28th, 2012 at the contemporary jewish museum in downtown san francisco on 736 mission street. For further information, you can check out http://thecjm.org or call 415-655-7800

That's it for now!

Shalom.

Oy-Dog.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Pledge Drive Next Week at kzsc and 'muzikal jewz'!

Hey all,

Just a quick reminder that 'muzikal jewz' has moved to a new time slot, Tuesdays from 2-4pm. Please make a not of it! On another note, kzsc's fall pledge drive is this coming week, and I will be offering up special 'muzikal jewz-themed' items to give away with generous pledges from listeners like you! It will mean very much to me to get a generous pledge from you, as it will tell the 'powers that be' at kzsc that you value this show and you want to keep it on the air just a little bit longer...

That's about it for now!

Shalom,

oy-dog.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Remembering Amy Winehouse

I have been a huge fan of Amy Winehouse since I first became aware of her in 2006. I remember being taken by her interesting contralto, which sounded a bit like a mystical fusion of Lauryn Hill, Billie Holiday and Bob Dylan. Once I started 'Muzikal Jewz,' I played Amy from time-to-time on the show.
I was shocked and saddened to learn of her death. I always had a feeling somewhere in my heart that she would break free from the oppressive chains of addiction and end up being this great soul diva who would continue to give us fresh, original songs about the pains of life and love well into her senior years.
I think that Amy follows in a long tradition of Jewish performers who have broken the mold and created a superstardom that was unlike anything ever witnessed before. Like Streisand, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Al Jolson and Bob Dylan, she was completely original. They all had their own unique personal style and charisma with enough unbridled talent for a dozen people, as well as incomparable singing voices that may have borrowed a bit from African American culture, but somehow maintained a unique Jewish identity as well. And Winehouse, like Dylan, was an extremely talented and fascinatingly original songwriter who was able to articulate the collective voice of her generation.
I know that Amy will not be forgotten. Her voice will live on forever, and her spirit is now free from the demons that haunted her in her lifetime.


Luv U Amy.

Shalom,

Oy-Dog.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Goodbye JDUB records...Jewish music will never be the same :(

I can't believe it, but JDUB records has announced that they have decided to call it quits. For nearly a decade, JDUB has been the place to go to discover some of the most interesting and eclectic new Jewish music around. They are responsible for getting Matisyahu's career off the ground, and while they may be best known for that, to me they are so much more. I started doing "Musical Jews" three years ago, and at the time I really didn't know exactly what my show was going to sound like. I wanted it to represent Jewish identity through music over the past century. I wanted it to sound Jewish, so that when somebody tuned in at any time during the broadcast, they would know exactly what show they were listening to and that it represented a distinct ethnic identity and heritage through music. JDUB's family of musicians have been instrumental over the years in helping me to achieve that sound. Artists such as Socalled, Golem!, Deleon, The Sway Machinery, the Macaroons, Balkan Beat Box and yes, even Matisyahu, brought a depth and excitement to my show that has made it what it is today (which is something that I'm proud of). Basically, I think that it is safe to say that I wouldn't have a show if I hadn't discovered the musicians on the JDUB store website. I am eternally in their debt. JDUB records created an identity for their young Jewish followers through their blog, merchandise, concerts/events and most of all, the musical artists on their label. They made many feel as if they were a part of something special. They helped make "Jewish" a cool and good thing today. They fostered pride and hipness within the community. The founders and contributors of JDUB should not hang their heads today; they should feel forever proud for the indelible mark that they have left on the Jewish community and the musical community at large. I am at a loss...I can say to you honestly that as long as I continue to do my show, it will not be the same without JDUB there to keep releasing great Jewish music for me to play. And while my show may suffer from this loss, it inspires me to continue playing all the best, fun eclectic new Jewish music and Jewish artists across time and borders that I can find. Goodbye for now, JDUB. Perhaps someday you will return, perhaps in a new form, to keep promoting Jewish visibility through music in your own amazing way. Until then, shalom and thanks for doing so many amazing things in the past nine years. Oy-Dog.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Blind Willies to perform live on "Musical Jews", 5/12

Mazel Tov, Mis Amigos!

Oy-Dog here letting you know that we will be having a special live performance on "Musical Jews" on Thursday, May 12th! The Blind Willies, a sort of gypsy Rock band will be performing live and talking about some of their influences, both Jewish and non-Jewish. They will be playing some cuts off of their brand spankin' new album "Needle, feather and a Rope," and hopefully I will talk them in to playing and singing along with me during my "Musical Jews" fun ID! There may even be an exciting giveaway for one lucky, loyal listener, so stay tuned! Thanks again for listening to the show and the "great 88," kzsc!

Shalom,

Oy-Dog.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

"Musical Jews" 3 year anniversary special

Shalom Y'all!

Hard to believe it, but "Musical Jews" will be celebrating its 3 year anniversary this coming Thursday. For my very first show of the new KZSC spring schedule, I will be spinning 3 of everything on the show, whether it be 3 Barbra Streisand songs or 3 songs about Jewish cowboys. It should be a fun event. I want to thank everyone who has shown their love and support for the show over the years, and even those who have shown their anger and dislike toward it. All of your responses have helped me to make this show what it is today, and I am pretty proud of it. Hopefully, there will be a "Musical Jews" show on kzsc for another 3 years! If anyone even reads this thing anymore (not sure), feel free to respond before Thursday with some "3" themes to add to my anniversary playlist for the April 14th show. And don't forget, the "Musical Jews" show for April 21st will be the annual Passover extravaganza!

Peace and Shalom!

Oy-Dog.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Upcoming show specials--Mitch Levitsky & Holocaust remembrance show

Hey Y'all, Shalom!

Oy-Dog here. I know that I hardly ever write in this thing, but my life is extremely complicated, as I'm sure most of yours are, so you know how it iz!!!! Anyhow, Happy new year, and stay tuned for a coupe of upcoming show specials over the next few weeks. Also, kzsc's new winter programming schedule starts next week, Jan. 17th (MLK day!) "Musical Jews" will still be on Thursdays from 8:30-10:30, so not to worry, kids! Anyhow here are two special shows coming up in January!

January 20th: "Musical Jews" celebrates famous Jewish/Yiddish radio personality MITCH LEVITSKY!!!!
Levitsky was a legend in the Jewish radio business. He was featured on NPR's "Yiddish radio project" and was an advertising legend on WEVD radio. One of his most famous accounts was for Joe & Paul's clothiers on New York's Lower East Side! I am very pleased to report that his son, Burt Levitsky, a Santa Cruz resident and local painter/artist, will be my featured guest for this show! We will be discussing his father and the amazing fact that the Barry Sisters performed at his Bar Mitzvah! Amazing! We will also be playing music from the era and songs featured from a radio special that Levitsky did back in the day!

January 27th: I will be doing a Holocaust remembrance show, featuring songs inspired by the tragic events of the Holocaust. January 27th is the official Holocaust memorial day, as it is believed to be the day that the prisoners were freed from the camps by Russian and/or American soldiers following WW II.

Also of interest: There is an exhibit at the Jewish museum in San Francisco right now featuring art that was owned by Jews that was looted by the Nazis during the Holocaust. The featured art has been recovered and returned ti its rightful owners, and is just an amazing fraction of the invaluable works that were taken by the Nazis during WW II. Word has it that admission to the museum is free on MLK day (Jan. 17th!)

That's it for now...

stay tuned for updates on cool upcoming special shows, exciting new releases and local events!

Shalomey Homeys!



Oy-Dog.