FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2010
Media Contacts: Katie Klapper, (323) 874-9667, katie@katieklapper.com
Karen Ahn, (310) 440-4544, communications@skirball.org
Self-Guided Press Preview: Tuesday, May 11, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Press attendees may attend the curators’ talk at 8:00 p.m. (details on p. 3)
RSVP required: (323) 874-9667, katie@katieklapper.com, communications@skirball.org
Skirball Cultural Center presents exhibition bringing
American Jewish pop history to life in sound and images
JEWS ON VINYL
May 12–September 5, 2010
Multimedia curators’ talk by Roger Bennett and Josh Kun on May 11
Left:
Shalom
, The Barry Sisters (Roulette, 1962). Right:
Bagels and Bongos
, Irving Fields Trio (Decca, 1959).
Courtesy of Josh Kun and Roger Bennett.
LOS ANGELES— What do
Bagels and Bongos
,
Israeli Disco Fever
, and
When You Are in Love, The
Whole World Is Jewish
have in common? These are just a few of the vintage record albums featured in
the exhibition
Jews on Vinyl
, on view at the Skirball Cultural Center from May 12 through September 5,
2010. Spanning the history of Jewish recorded music from the 1940s to the 1980s, the exhibition
illuminates twentieth-century American Jewish life by unearthing the long-playing (LP) 33 rpm records
most of us have long abandoned.
Visitors to
Jews on Vinyl
will lounge in a 1950s suburban living room environment while examining
abundant examples of album cover art and tuning into tracks from such LPs as
Batman and Rubin
,
Chubby Checker’s
Hava Nagilah Twist
, and The Barry Sisters’ fantasy of Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid speaking Yiddish.
Organized by the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco,
Jews on Vinyl
was developed by
guest curators Roger Bennett and Josh Kun, who are co-founders, with David Katznelson and Courtney Holt, of the Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation. Widely published writers, cultural critics, and
music aficionados, Bennett and Kun had collaborated on the book that inspired the exhibition, And
You Shall Know Us by the Trail of Our Vinyl
(Crown Publishers, 2008). What started out as a mutual
affinity for kitschy Jewish album covers—think Neil Diamond baring his chest hair on the cover of
Hot
August Night
or Barbra Streisand in hot pants on the cover of
Streisand Superman
—soon became a
quest for identity, history, and culture between the grooves of vinyl. Rummaging through record
stores, thrift shops, and garage sales yielded a wealth of unexpected curiosities. “Pieced together,
these scratched, once loved, and now forgotten audio gems tell the story of Jews in America,” explain
Bennett and Kun. “Finding this music felt like discovering a forgotten kingdom of sound.”
“This exhibition is a natural for us,” remarks Skirball Museum Director Robert Kirschner. “The story of
twentieth-century American Jews touches on themes of immigrant assimilation and the open exchange
of ideas between communities. In
Jews on Vinyl
, we see—and hear—the influence of Jewish tradition
on pop culture and the many ways in which American culture has touched the Jewish people. It is sure
to entertain and educate.”
In their nationwide hunt to rescue vinyl LPs from oblivion, Bennett and Kun expected to find the music
they were raised with—Jewish pop stars, traditional songs, happy Hebrew folk tunes. They were
surprised, however, at the variety of material they uncovered. From the inception of the LP format in
1948 through the 1980s, every aspect of Jewish culture was expressed in audio. They found recordings
by famous Jewish entertainers, comedians, and Catskills bands. Tradition and history were evident in
recordings by cantors, music for weddings and holidays, and lectures by Golda Meir and David Ben
Gurion. They discovered that records were a logical tool in the movement to preserve and teach
Yiddish.
But what to make of the music of El Avram, an Israeli-paratrooper-turned-Manhattan-nightclub-
promoter, or that of salsa pianist Larry Harlow, a.k.a. El Judio Maravilloso? And what does it mean
when Johnny Mathis records the Yom Kippur melody “Kol Nidre,” the Temptations do a
Fiddler on the
Roof
medley, or surf guitar master Dick Dale adapts “Hava Nagila”? As they investigated the stories
behind these record albums, Bennett and Kun realized they were performing “identity archaeology,” a
“grassroots people’s history of American Jewish life.”
To commemorate the opening of
Jews on Vinyl
at the Skirball, Bennett and Kun will give a candid
curators’ talk on Tuesday, May 11, at 8:00 p.m. Their multimedia presentation, which will feature a
slideshow of their favorite LP finds and rare audio clips, will include insider perspectives on developing
the exhibition. Lecture attendees will be able to view the exhibition before the program.
In addition, the Skirball will offer two listening parties during the summer—
Go Down, Moses
,
focusing on the complex relationship between the music of Jews and African Americans, and
Mazel
Tov, Mis Amigos
, which will revisit the Latin-Jewish craze. For details on these programs, see below.
Jews on Vinyl
made its debut last year at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, where it
drew enthusiastic crowds throughout its run.
About the Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation
Both the exhibition
Jews on Vinyl
and the book
And You Shall Know Us by the Trail of Our Vinyl
emerged from the work of the Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation, an all volunteer-run
organization run by a core team from the music industry and academia—helmed by Courtney Holt
—more—
Page 3
Skirball Cultural Center
Page 3 of 4
and David Katznelson, along with Kun and Bennett—who passionately believe Jewish history is best
told by the music we have loved and lost. The Idelsohn Society—based in New York, Los Angeles, and
San Francisco—works in a number of ways: by re-releasing lost Jewish classic albums and the stories
behind them; by building a digitally-based archive of the music and the artists who created it in order
to preserve their legacy for future generations; by curating museum exhibitions that showcase the
stories behind the music; and by creating concert showcases that bring eighty- and ninety-year old
performers back on stage to be re-appreciated by the young audiences they deserve. All of this work is
driven by the passion and energies of volunteer supporters and donors across the country who share
the belief that music creates conversations otherwise impossible in daily life.
About the Curators
Roger Bennett is co-founder of the Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation
(www.idelsohnsociety.com) and of Reboot. He has spent the last decade working on a slew of projects
immersed in generational changes in identity, community, and meaning. He has written articles on
music, culture, and sports for
The New Republic
, ESPN.com, among many others. He is the co-author
of
Bar Mitzvah Disco
and
Camp Camp: Where Fantasy Island Meets Lord of the Flies
.
Josh Kun is an associate professor at the Annenberg School for Communication and the department
of American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California. He is the author of
Audiotopia: Music, Race, and America
and a regular contributor to
The New York Times
and the
Los
Angeles Times
.
Bennett and Kun’s archive of LPs is now part of the Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation.
Related Programs at the Skirball
•
CURATORS’ TALK
In this candid curators’ talk featuring a slideshow of LP covers and rare musical clips, Roger Bennett
and Josh Kun will discuss their hunt for vintage record albums relating to American Jewish pop history.
The exhibition will be open for viewing prior to the program. (Tuesday, May 11, 8:00 p.m.)
•
MUSIC/LISTENING PARTY:
Go Down, Moses
At this outdoor listening and dance party highlighting the complex musical relationship between Jews
and African Americans, the focus will be on African American artists singing Jewish songs, including
Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin, and Lena Horne. The exhibition will be open for viewing until 9:30
p.m. (Thursday, June 3, 7:30 p.m.)
•
MUSIC:
Mazel Tov, Mis Amigos
Participants at this outdoor listening and dance party will hear and gain insight into Latin-Jewish
songs, including Yiddish mambos,
Fiddler on the Roof charangas
, and salsa and jazz arrangements of
“Hava Nagila.” The exhibition will be open for viewing until 9:30 p.m. (Thursday, July 8, 7:30 p.m.)
JEWS ON VINYL HAS BEEN ORGANIZED BY THE CONTEMPORARY JEWISH MUSEUM WITH GUEST
CURATORS ROGER BENNETT AND JOSH KUN. THE EXHIBITION HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE
GENEROUS SUPPORT OF KENNETH AND ANNA ZANKEL. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT HAS BEEN PROVIDED
BY HOWARD RICE NEMEROVSKI CANADY FALK & RABKIN, A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION.
JEWS ON VINYL AND RELATED PROGRAMS AT THE SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER ARE MADE POSSIBLE IN
PART BY SUPPORT FROM LOS ANGELES MODERN AUCTIONS (LAMA).
—more—
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Skirball Cultural Center
Page 4 of 4
About the Skirball
The Skirball Cultural Center is dedicated to exploring the connections between 4,000 years of Jewish heritage and
the vitality of American democratic ideals. It welcomes and seeks to inspire people of every ethnic and cultural
identity. Guided by our respective memories and experiences, together we aspire to build a society in which all of
us can feel at home. The Skirball Cultural Center achieves its mission through educational programs that explore
literary, visual, and performing arts from around the world; through the display and interpretation of its
permanent collections and changing exhibitions; through an interactive family destination inspired by the Noah’s
Ark story; and through outreach to the community.
Visiting the Skirball
The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 (exit 405 Freeway at
Skirball Ctr Dr). Parking is free. The Skirball is also accessible by Metro Rapid Bus 761. Museum hours: Tuesday–
Friday 12:00–5:00 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed Mondays and holidays, including May 19
and July 4. Admission to all other exhibitions: $10 General; $7 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12;
$5 Children 2–12. Exhibitions are always free to Skirball Members and Children under 2. Exhibitions are free to all
visitors on Thursdays. For general information, the public may call (310) 440-4500 or visit www.skirball.org. The
Skirball is also home to Zeidler’s Café, which serves innovative California cuisine in an elegant setting, and
Audrey’s Museum Store, which sells books, contemporary art, music, jewelry, and more.
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