Jewish jazz musicians

[Larry Kart]

Paul Desmond WAS Jewish - it came up in some Brubeck LP liner notes that I read. He was hassled about it on one of the tours.

That's not what Doug Ramsey's authoritative Desmond biography "Take Five" says. Desmond did for a while believe that was Jewish on his father's side of his family, but he was wrong. The Brubeck Quartet IIRC did have to play without Desmond on a tour that took them to Saudi Arabia because it was thought that Desmond was Jewish, but Desmond's father, Emil Breitenfeld was of German ancestry.

[Mike Gerber]

Harry James definitely wasn't Jewish, though loads of people think so. Ditto Paul Whiteman and Brubeck, though Brubeck recorded the album The Gates of Justice, Brubeck's musical attempt to forge a common bond between the American Jewish and black communities. A true mensch.

Two major jazz figures I interviewed for my book, Jazz Jews, Artie Shaw and Stanley Crouch, both swore to me that Bill Evans (the pianist, not the saxophonist) was Jewish. He wasn't. I recently set up a website linked to the book - http://jazzjews.com

[JSngry]

Bill Evans (...the saxophonist)

Which one?

[Larry Kart]

Bill Evans (...the saxophonist)

Which one?

Not the one whom we later know as Yusef Lateef.

[sonnymax]

...Two major jazz figures I interviewed for my book.......Stanley Crouch

[JSngry]

Bill Evans (...the saxophonist)

Which one?

Not the one whom we later know as Yusef Lateef.

Just making sure...life is strange after all...

[Mike Gerber]

That's Moses Asch, not Moses Ash. And I don't think Lennie Niehaus is a landsman.

Lennie is in fact a landsman, Larry. I interviewed him by phone while researching my book. It was Herb Geller - another jazz Jew - who suggested I include something about Niehaus

[Mike Gerber]

Paul Desmond WAS Jewish - it came up in some Brubeck LP liner notes that I read. He was hassled about it on one of the tours.

That's not what Doug Ramsey's authoritative Desmond biography "Take Five" says. Desmond did for a while believe that was Jewish on his father's side of his family, but he was wrong. The Brubeck Quartet IIRC did have to play without Desmond on a tour that took them to Saudi Arabia because it was thought that Desmond was Jewish, but Desmond's father, Emil Breitenfeld was of German ancestry.

Here's what a Washington Post article says about Desmond's ethnicity: "Desmond was born in San Francisco in 1924 and was known, until he changed his name at 21, as Paul Breitenfeld. He was often assumed to be Jewish, but neither Ramsey nor, apparently, Desmond himself could find a conclusive answer"

Whatever the truth about his lineage, if Desmond believed he was Jewish for most of his life, then In a sense, he was - because if you even mistakenly believe you are Jewish, it probably affects your sensibility and outlook on the world; for example, in terms of one's reflexive reaction to instances of antisemitism, or perhaps in feeling a member of an out-group.

[Larry Kart]

That's Moses Asch, not Moses Ash. And I don't think Lennie Niehaus is a landsman.

Lennie is in fact a landsman, Larry. I interviewed him by phone while researching my book.

Good to know that Mike -- thanks. But, funny, he doesn't sound Jewish.

[clifford_thornton]

Joe Maneri?

Maneri wasn't Jewish.

Another one: bassist Absalom Ben Shlomo.

Edited February 21, 2010 by clifford_thornton

[Larry Kart]

Joe Maneri?

Maneri wasn't Jewish.

Another one: bassist Absalom Ben Shlomo.

Abshalom Ben Shlomo is an alto saxophonist, no? Or is there an Abshalom and an Absalom?

[clifford_thornton]

My brain seems to have gotten rewired.

[Larry Kart]

I remember him when he was Virgil Pumphrey.

[clifford_thornton]

I was getting my wires crossed with Yosef Ben Israel.

[ValerieB]

don't think drummer Dick Berk has been mentioned here!

p.s. also trumpeter David Weiss.

Edited February 22, 2010 by ValerieB

[Greg Stein]

Hal Stein - sax

Harvey Leonard - piano

Steve Elson - sax

Harvey Wainapel - sax

Jennie Stein (Graciela Carriqui) - singer

Mel Martin - sax

Mark Levine - piano

Mark Soskin - piano

Al Plank - piano

Bob Newman - sax

Kitty Margolis - singer

Rob Schneiderman - sax

Rob Schneider - sax

Dave Berkman - piano

Louis Kahn - trombone

Peter Apfelbaum - sax

Jessica Fuchs (Jess Jones) - sax

Lee Bloom - piano

Myron Cohen - drums

Michael Brecker - sax

Randy Brecker - trumpet

Dave Berger - piano

Bobby Rosenstein - drums

Art Lande - piano

Edited February 28, 2010 by Greg Stein

[brownie]

Don't think Charles Delaunay was mentioned.

As the just released biography 'Charles Delaunay et le Jazz en France dans les années 30 et 40' by Anne Legrand - an excellent book - states, his mother, the famous painter Sonia Delaunay was born in 1885 in a jewish family in Odessa. She did her best to keep the information as private as possible which enabled her to survive through the nazi occupation of France without problems.

[Greg Stein]

can't think of any good jewish jazz musicians. there is one jewish rock musician that i like - lou reed. his 1978 shows ('take no prisoners' cd) are great.

You have no fucking idea what you're talking about.

[flat5]

He's just a troll.

[Michael Weiss]

p.s. also trumpeter David Weiss.

Are you sure about that?

[Teasing the Korean]

Bud Powell (Julius Epstein)

Richie Powell (Leonard Epstein).

[mjzee]

Bud Powell (Julius Epstein)

Richie Powell (Leonard Epstein).

LOL!!

[Teasing the Korean]

[AllenLowe]

I don't know if this is what was being referred to earlier, but virtually all the members of the Baja Marimba band (sort of a post-Tijuana Brass group put together by Alpert to cash in) - were Jewish.

It's a little like that exchange in The Sunshine Boys:

A: Herb Shapiro died.

B: Who was he?

A: Remember the old comedy team of Gonzales and Rodriguez?

B: Sure.

A: He was Rodriguez.

[flat5]

funny