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Mort Malavsky, one of the last surviving members of the Malavsky Family Choir, passed away Nov. 24, 2010. He is survived by his wife Rhoda of 50 years, children Andy, Jeffrey and Jodi, daughter-in-laws Ellen and Kelli, son-in-law Lonnie, his sisters Ruthie and Minnie, and his six grandchildren Samuel, Matthew, Jake, Max, Melanie and Eric.
You can enjoy the music of Cantor Samuel Malavsky and his Malavasky Family Choir by visiting the JSA website.
Chanukah celebrations are joyous occasions, with lots of holiday gifts, decorations and parties.
The eight-day festival of Chanukah retells a story that teaches about hope, the importance of maintaining Jewish traditions, and the symbolic power of light.
Of course, at the Judaica Sound Archives we celebrate Chanukah with music!
This year we have put together a wonderful collection of songs that will entertain and delight the entire family. From the Children’s Village Choir singing Hanukkah is Here to Moshe Oysher singing Maoz Tzur with his sister Fraydele and his niece Marilyn Michaels, the songs in this collection express the essence of the holiday. Joyous songs, children’s songs that teach about the holiday, traditional songs, and a new twist on an old favorite have been included.
Please accept this gift of music for you and your family from the Judaica Sound Archives along with our best wishes for a Happy Chanukah!
This special collection is for your listening pleasure only.
Due to US Copyright laws these songs may not be copied, reproduced or sold.
Click to hear all 18 songs or listen to your your favorites.
Selections from the following albums were used to create JSA Chanukah Music Mix 2010. Choose any title to hear the entire album.
(3) Happy Chanukah! by Fran Avni
(4) The Chanukah Collection by Safam
(5) The Oysher Heritage by Moshe Oysher, Fraydele Oysher, Marilyn Michaels
(6) Gerer Holiday Songs by Cantor David Werdyger
(7) Isaac Goodfriend Sings Hanukka Songs by Cantor Isaac Goodfriend
(8) Chanukah Songs for Children by Shimon & Ilana Gewirtz
(9) Make a Chanukah Miracle by Cantor Benjamin Maissner
(10) Songs for Hanukkah by Jewish Education Commission of NY
(11) Holidays in the Sephardic Heritage by Chaim Parchi
(12) Just in time for Chanukah by Rosenthal & Safyan
(13) Latkes & Hamentashen by Fran Avni
(14) Celebrate with Cindy by Cindy Paley
(15) The Three Jewish Tenors Live! by Mizrachi, Finkelstein, Propis
(16) Chanukah is Freylekh by Lori Cahan-Simon Ensemble
“The Jazz Singer,” released in 1927, was the first commercially successful “talking motion picture.” One of the most iconic moments in movie history occurs in this film when Al Jolson on stage, turns to his enthusiastic audience and says, “Wait a minute! You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!” This promise of even more exciting entertainment to come is fulfilled as he sings “Toot-toot-tootsie” using moves that could have made Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson jealous. The effect is electrifying.
Known as “The World’s Greatest Entertainer” during his lifetime, Al Jolson’s life story (on which the movie was based) tells of a young Jewish boy who is driven to become a Pop singer despite the fact that his Orthodox father wants him to be a Cantor.
Who would think that a Jewish child born in anti-Semitic Tsarist Russia could become an American entertainment icon whose fame would continue to flourish more than 50 years after his death?
When Asa Yoelson was only four years old his father became a rabbi and left his family and the old country to find a better life. After four years the Rabbi found a position in Washington D.C. and his family joined him. Tragically Asa’s mother died in 1895 only a short time after her arrival in the USA.
Embracing their “American” identities, young Asa soon became known as Al and his older brother Hirsh became Harry. The boys were obsessed with show business and by 1901 they were getting bookings in burlesque and vaudeville.
In 1904 Al, now known as Al Jolson, was called upon to fill-in for a performer in a blackface vaudeville comedy show. Blackface, an important performance tradition in the American theater beginning around 1830 can now be seen as racist and offensive. But to young Al Jolson it was a blessing. Hidden behind the make-up, he found that he could give a freer, more energetic performance. When this chance opportunity was well-received by the audience and critics, he soon decided to continue using blackface. The spontaneity and freedom he felt when in blackface elevated his performance and his fame.
In 1911 Jolson had his Broadway debut. His rendition of George M. Cohan’s Haunting Melody in the show “Vera Violetta “made him a Broadway star.
This was followed by other Broadway musicals and other hits for Jolson including You Made Me Love You in 1913 where he sang the final chorus pleading on one knee, a pose he would assume many times over in his career; Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody (1918); and George Gershwins’s Swanee (1918).
To hear all 55 songs in the JSA’s collection, click here. This collection of songs originally recorded by Al Jolson on 78 rpm discs between 1911 and 1919 was digitized and compiled by The Judaica Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University Libraries. These albums are not available for sale or reproduction.
Events & General Interest, Judaic Collection, On-line music collections, Online Access, Performer Biographies, Performers, Popular entertainment, Recordings Pre-1950
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Al Jolson, Haunting Melody, Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody, Swanee, The Jazz Singer, vintage phonograph recordings, You Made Me Love You
Several of the Vogue Picture records in the Recorded Sound Archives at FAU Libraries capitalize on America’s love affair with Latin rhythms during the 1930s , 40s and 50s.
During the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), Havana, Cuba was a popular tourist destination for Americans seeking fun and excitement. One of the pleasures they discovered there was the rhumba. Popularized by performers such as Spanish-Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat and Desi Arnaz, Latin ballroom dances and rhythms became a common staple of American entertainment for decades.
Riding this wave of popularity Sav-way produced several Latin-themed recordings and a series of recorded rhumba ballroom dance lessons. By today’s standards the music seems somewhat watered down and mild. Nevertheless, these recordings give us a true representation of Americanized Latin music as it actually was during the mid-20th century.
During the High Holy Days Jews around the world congregate to experience a sense of spiritual community. It is a time of family gatherings and happy times juxtaposed with introspection and solemn prayer.
In choosing the music for this year’s JSA High Holy Days Music Mix we wanted to highlight the voices of cantors who have devoted themselves to perfecting their art. The High Holy Days has inspired some of the most beautiful and compelling Jewish sacred music ever recorded. On this album we feature such legendary cantors as Leib Glantz, Leibele Waldman, Gershon Sirota and Moishe Oysher. We also highlight the interpretations of some of today’s finest cantors.
In addition, we also wanted to share the more upbeat, happy tunes that appeal to children learning about Jewish traditions and the meaning of the holidays. Some of my fondest memories are of helping my mother prepare for the big holiday dinner and learning about the special foods that meant a “happy new year!’
This special mix of songs has been excerpted from albums which can be heard any time on our website. The mix includes light-hearted, yet meaningful, songs for children. It also includes some of the most beautiful cantorial music ever written. Enjoy!
These songs are for your listening pleasure only. They may not be copied, reproduced or sold.
Excerpts of selections from these albums were used to create the JSA High Holidays Music Mix 5771.
Click on any title to hear the entire album.
(1) Ye Shall Rejoice On Your Festivals by Shimon & Ilana Gewirtz
(2) Simeni Ka Hotam by Cantor Ehud Spielman
(3) Misha Alexandrovich by Cantor Misha Alexandrovich
(4) Concerts & Recitals #3 by Cantor Zvee Aroni
(5) Our Prayers in Song by Cantor Henry Butensky
(6) Prayers of My People by Cantor Louis Danto
(7) Chants Folkloriques Israeliens by Cantor Michel Heymann
(8) Hallel & Three Festivals by Cantor Leib Glantz
(9) High Holy Days in a Conservative Synagogue by Cantor Moshe Schwimmer
(10) Holidays around the Year by Chaim Parchi
(11) Kinder Songs – Holiday Songs for the Entire Family by Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray
(12) S’iz Yontev Kinder! Lomir Zingen by Cindy Paley
(13) Teshuva: Liturgical Explorations for the Days of Awe by Ramon Tasat
(14) Chassidic Melodies by Cantor Leibele Waldman
(15) Cantorial Chants & Jewish Songs by Cantor Seymour Schwartzman
(16) European Recordings (1906-1907) Vol. 2 by Cantor Gershon Sirota
(17) The Power, The Glory, The Soul of Moishe Oysher by Moishe Oysher
The Recorded Sound Archives at FAU Libraries has been sorting, organizing, washing and digitizing tens of thousands of vintage 78 rpm recordings since we received a large donation of the discs from the estate of Cleveland collector, Jack Saul.
Hundreds of boxes containing vintage 78 rpm recordings remain stacked in the hallways while others are being opened by volunteers. The black shellac discs are piled high on work tables for volunteers to sort.
Opening the first box containing Vogue Picture Records caused a commotion that I could hear all the way in my office down the hall. Volunteers had discovered over 20 recordings that were stunningly beautiful. This was the first time any of us had ever seen such lovely artwork embedded within an entire record. “It’s like finding an unexpected treasure,” one of our volunteers told me.
The Recorded Sound Archives has now inventoried 62 different pictures on 32 two-sided 78 rpm discs. The pictures, together with the songs embedded within them, provide a glimpse into the post WWII American pop scene. The recordings feature the big band sounds popular at the time, swing sounds for teenagers, hillbilly/country songs, children’s songs and stories, and reflecting a growing interest in South American culture, Rhumba dance lessons and music with a Latin beat.
Despite Sav-Way’s inability to attract big-name recording talent, these beautiful discs are appealing to collectors who value them as standouts among the drab black shellac records of their day and because the limited number of different titles (74) make them more valuable as a complete set.
Discover this collection of Vogue Records.
Who said Yiddish Musical Comedy is dead?Now you can revisit the glory days of the Lower East Side and hear the songs as they were actually sung.
The recordings in this special JSA collection were produced on 78 rpm recordings between 1901 and 1922, at the height of Yiddish Theater’s popularity.
Four stars of Yiddish Musical Comedy are highlighted: Gus Goldstein, Clara Gold, Anna Hoffman and Jacob Jacobs.
Gus Goldstein, an American Yiddish actor of the early 20th century made many recordings for Columbia Records. This JSA collection features 37 of his solo songs.
He also made recordings with Clara Gold that focused on immigrant issues and Yiddish humor, and featuring Litvak, Galitzianer and Italian dialects. Clara Gold played character roles in the Yiddish Theater and was known for her comedic performances. She partnered with Gus Goldstein from 1916 to 1926. Forty-four of the songs they recorded together are in this collection.
Gus Goldstein also partnered with Anna Hoffman, a well-known comedic singer of her day. This collection includes 7 of their songs. It also features 25 songs that she recorded solo.
Jacob Jacobs was known for adding timely dialogue to his Yiddish comedy acts and translating English songs into Yiddish. This collection includes 12 of his songs recorded between 1909 and 1922. An interesting historical note is that in 1932 he collaborated with composer Sholom Secunda on a Yiddish musical comedy, “I Would If I Could.” Although the show was not a great success it did produce a song that would later become the #1 hit, Bei Mir Bist du Shon.
If you understand Yiddish, remember Yiddish Theater, or just want a nostalgic journey, you won’t be disappointed. Click here to listen to any of the 14 digitized albums in the collection.
Or select one of these favorites tunes: America, Ich Lieb Dich; Ich bin a boarder by mein vieb; Yente Telebende.
Listen for yourself. Click to hear Rocky Zweig singing “Boris” from his Legacy album (Aderet Music Corp.)
Hear it. The first five seconds. A keyboard…drums…it sounds like rock. These are the familiar sounds of a song that is going to tell a story. It sounds like the introduction to the Bon Jovi song, “Livin on a Prayer.” Then Rocky Zweig begins to sing.
His story is about a boy named Boris. Boris is upset because he is persecuted for being Jewish. The story ends with Boris dying. In “Livin on a Prayer,” the pseudo couple, Tommy and Gina, live on little money and try to make their relationship work.
In the lyrics of “Boris,” it says “…you must strive now, to keep your religion alive within your heart…” This part is not just about religion. It goes deeper. It also means fighting for respect and staying true to oneself is vital. Just because other people don’t like you, you should not let them break you. In life, there will always be people who try to bring you down. Instead of allowing it, become empowered to rise above it.
As the story of “Boris” progresses, it becomes clear that he is viewed as an outcast. The persecution was so much that he planned on killing himself and others on a plane. Instead, Boris was killed and his life became a mere memory.
In “Livin on a Prayer,” the words work so well together. Tommy has been laid off and Gina gives all of her earnings to him. Of the little money they do have, they must have faith that times will get better.
In the lyrics of “Livin on a Prayer,” it says “…we’ve got to hold on to what we’ve got. Cause it doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not…” What I get from this is no matter what hardship we face, it is possible to break the cycle. As long as someone believes in you, anything can happen. In this song, Tommy and Gina have each other and they push through the odds.
Although these are two different stories, they have similar musicality and both songs use rock instrumentation. Both songs are stories of hardship. I think the reason I find stories of hardship so fascinating is because people are fascinating. Every person is different and unique. Songs like these that explore hardship are real.
While “Boris” is technically Jewish music, I think it would appeal to anyone. It sounds current and isn’t just for Jewish people to enjoy. On the album, “Legacy,” Rocky Zweig sings 10 songs, all of which sound like popular rock music and ballads of today. His voice has a tone that works well for rock. This album makes singing about religion cool and it makes Jewish music more relevant for today’s world.
It might seem unusual that there is such similarity between the songs “Boris” and “Livin on a Prayer.” Hardship, however, is a theme found at the heart of many songs and is fuel for creativity. A hard life lived with passion is more valuable than an easy life lived with indifference.
Submitted by Jackie Rosansky
RSA Guest Blogger, Jackie Rosansky is a summer volunteer intern at the Judaica Sound Archives. This blog contains her original thoughts and opinions about the musicians and music she is researching. She is 24 years old, and is majoring in journalism with a minor in photography at FAU.
Historic sound snapshot from our past.
Visually stunning picture records, historic radio transcriptions such as President Roosevelt’s speech to the U.S. Congress following Pearl Harbor, and hundreds of original recordings by Italian tenor Enrico Caruso are among the treasures being inventoried at the new Recorded Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University Libraries.
These relics of the recording industry are among an estimated 50,000 vintage records that were recently donated to FAU Libraries and used to create its “Vintage 78s Collection.” The records, along with extensive holdings of Jazz recordings and Judaic music, inspired FAU libraries to recently establish the Recorded Sound Archives with more than 150,000 phonograph records and other sound recordings.
“This makes us one of the top 20 libraries in the nation for sound recordings,” said Dr. William Miller, dean of Libraries at FAU. “People know….that we are a library interested in rare and historic recordings.”
Unpacking the recent donation of tens of thousands of recordings from the estate of Cleveland collector Jack Saul has been daunting, but with the help of staff and volunteers, the materials are being digitized and eventually will be available on FAU Libraries’ website.
The Recorded Sound Archives has three major collections:
(1) Vintage 78s Collection: Early disc recordings were dubbed 78s, referring to their playing speed of 78 revolutions per minute, and were produced between 1901 and the mid-1950s. Music, speeches, radio transcriptions and even movie soundtracks were produced on 78 rpm records.
(2) Jazz Collection: The Recorded Sound Archives is creating an inventory of the more than 20,000 jazz recordings donated by Dr. Henry Ivey in 2006 and later transferred to the library from FAU’s Department of Music. Volunteers are currently entering information about the recordings into a database so that musicians and others will be able to easily search for what they want.
(3) Judaica Sound Archives: The Judaica Sound Archives (JSA), created in 2005, established FAU Libraries as an international leader in the collection and digitization of early phonograph recordings. It now boasts a collection of more than 15,000 non-duplicated recordings. Its website offers listeners over 11,000 songs in English, Hebrew and Yiddish.
On this night we celebrate the gift of freedom with special foods, stories and song. On this we night we have a seder!
To help make your Passover even more festive, the JSA has compiled this special mix of holiday songs. This year’s Passover Music Mix includes familiar traditional songs and also many children’s tunes that educate as well as entertain.
These songs were selected from albums on the JSA website. They are for your listening pleasure only. They may not be copied, reproduced or sold.
All of the songs in this music mix can be heard on the JSA website all year long. Selections from the following albums were used to create this 2010 Passover Music Mix.
Around the Table – A User-friendly Haggadah by Gadi Elon
Chag Sameach/Happy Holiday by Judy Caplan Ginsburgh.
Celebrate with Cindy by Cindy Paley.
Haggadah Songs by Chaim Parchi.
Menorah’s Little Seder by Gladys Gewirtz.
Mostly Matzah by Fran Avni.
Mother Goose Rhymes for Passover can be found in the KTAV record label collection.
The Passover Collection by Safam.
Passover Seder Service by Cantor Samuel Malavsky and the Family Choir.
Passover Sing-a-long can be found in the Children’s Village record label collection.
A Singing Seder by Cindy Paley.
Seder by Cantor Moshe Koussevitzky.
Canciones de Pesah/Passover Songs by Gaston Bogomolni can be found in the JSA participating performers collection.
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