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    Our physical "Yiddish Silver Screen" CD comes in a beautiful six-panel illustrated gate-fold case, with cover art by Anya Ulinich and disc design by Lisa M. Kelsey. The eminently legible twenty-page booklet fits smoothly into notched tube insert, complete with detailed descriptions as well as full lyrics for all vocal tracks including original Yiddish plus both transliteration and complete English translations. Booklet and artwork layouts by Yiddish publications expert Yankl Salant, graphic designer for "Yiddish Silver Screen" (aka "zilberner kino" / זילבערנער קינאָ ). Illustrations include band photos as well as archival frame stills from numerous Yiddish cinematic works.

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about

Our arrangement is adapted from an originally untitled song performed in director Edgar Ulmer’s 1940 Yiddish screwball comedy "Americaner Schadchen" (American Matchmaker), where these lyrics were tailored for the film’s allrightnik title character Nat Silver of Central Park West—a dapper, mysteriously unmarriageable New Yorker and much-hinted closet case. Under his Bronx alias, Nat “Gold” opens a community shadkhn agency free of charge. When one of his clients becomes smitten with the matchmaker himself, Nat lets this song express why he cannot return her affections. As he finishes the tune, she exclaims, “Ir zent muzikalish!” (You’re musical!) “Yes,” he replies in Yiddish, “It’s something I inherited from my Uncle Shya”—another lifelong bachelor/matchmaker central to the film’s subtext, and closely connected to the filmmaker’s real-life “Uncle Gus” (Gustav Heimo, Ulmer’s openly gay cousin from Vienna to whom the movie’s “Original Story” is credited). Terms such as “musical” and “artistic” were often used as euphemistic code dur- ing this era, in various languages, to describe people who were “that way.” The tango’s text was written by Yiddish actor/humorist Wolf Mercur—recurring Ulmer cast member and assistant director who here appears onscreen as a manic publicist for Mr. Gold’s thor- oughly-modern Grand Concourse office. This melody, apparently credited to composer/ conductor Sam Morgenstern, closely resembles the Yiddish hit ”Vu ahin zol ikh geyn.” As sung by actor Leo Fuchs, the movie lyrics form a still-encoded coming out song.

Recorded live onstage in Eureka CA, July 2018.

lyrics

Kh’bin oyf dir nisht in kas
Far dem troyerikn shpas.
Ot azoy iz bashert:
Ikh hob dikh nisht dervert.
Mankhes mol ven ikh kler
Falt a narisher trer.

S’vet aribergeyn. / Vest aleyn dos zen.
Kh’bin oyf dir nisht in kas.
Itst-a ze ikh shoyn, / Itst farshtey ikh shoyn:
S’iz a troyeriker shpas.

TRANSLATION:
I’m not angry at you
For this sad joke.
It was destined this way:
I wasn’t worthy of you.
Many a time when I think of it,
A foolish tear runs down my cheek.

It’ll pass. / You’ll see for yourself.
I’m not angry at you. Now I understand, / Now I see:
It’s a sad joke.

credits

from Yiddish Silver Screen, released December 8, 2023
music by Sam Morgenstern, lyrics by William “Wolf” Mercur, arranged by Eve Sicular

Melissa Fogarty, vocals
Debra Kreisberg, alto saxophone
Pam Fleming, trumpet
Shoko Nagai, piano
Eve Sicular, drums

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Isle of Klezbos New York, New York

NYC-based ISLE of KLEZBOS approaches tradition with irreverence and respect. The soulful, fun-loving powerhouse all-women’s klezmer sextet has toured from Vienna to Vancouver since 1998. Repertoire ranges from rambunctious to entrancing: neo-traditional folk dance, mystical melodies,Yiddish swing & retro tango, late Soviet-era Jewish drinking song, re-grooved standards, & genre-defying originals. ... more

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