The Old Time String Band

Directed by David Bragger

 

Program

1.  Coon Dog A Virginia tune that shares similarities with classic tunes like Angeline the Baker and Sugar Hill. Our ensemble director David Bragger first picked this tune up at an old-time jam in Paris, France. 

2. Shady Grove  This traditional piece is known both as a song and an instrumental fiddle tune. It has been performed and recorded for many decades by old-time, bluegrass, folk, and rock musicians. Tonight’s version comes from a variety of sources including Sidna & Fulton Myers (VA) and Norman Edmonds (VA).

3. Hawkin’s Rag This tune was learned from a 1930’s recording by Georgia string band Gid Tanner & the Skillet Lickers, featuring the driving mandolin player Ted Hawkins.

4. Last Chance This solo banjo piece was recorded by the legendary Hobart Smith (VA). This hypnotic modal banjo tune is performed in one of the more rare and unusual banjo tunings often called “Last Chance” tuning. 

5. Grey Owl Métis fiddler John Arcand composed this tune. It has become extremely popular from the playing of other Métis fiddlers like Jamie Fox, as well as old-time fiddlers like Bruce Molsky. It’s now an accepted part of the old-time canon by many.

6. Fall on My Knees Members of the Gluck Old-Time Ensemble perform this classic Round Peak, NC tune with an exciting modern flare!

7. Fly Around aka Susananna Gal This is another old-time staple based on the playing of North Carolina legends Tommy Jarrell and Fred Cockerham.

8. Mace Bell’s Civil War March Texas fiddler Peter Tumlinson Bell (born 1867) learned this old fife tune from his father, Mace Bell, who learned it during the Civil War. The tune is related to the “Bonaparte’s March” family of tunes. We learned it from the Texas fiddler Howard Rains during a master class visit with our ensemble several years ago.

9. Chewing Gum A classic playful song from the legendary early country trio, the Carter Family.

10. Little Billy Wilson This popular 3-part version has been played heavily throughout the country for decades. Our version comes from the playing of Bruce Molsky and countless jam sessions over the years.

11. Down the Road A song inspired by the playing of North Carolina’s Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton.

12. Sleep Baby Sleep  One of the most famous yodeling country songs by one of the early pioneers of old-time country music, Jimmie Rodgers.

13. Cluck Old Hen This exciting and ubiquitous modal fiddle piece comes from Tommy Jarrell. This tune was performed by our ensemble seventeen years ago with guest fiddler/folklorist Tom Sauber. Tom is David Bragger’s old-time fiddle mentor.

David Bragger is a performer and teacher of old-time music on a variety of early American stringed instruments. He is a world-renowned fiddle and banjo instructor who teaches workshops and private lessons around the globe. David is the artistic director of the Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention which is now in its 52nd year. David is also the founder of the record label Tiki Parlour Recordings where he documents many of finest living musicians in traditional American music. David is also an experimental musician obsessed with modular synthesis.

 

ENSEMBLE MEMBERS:

Rise Barkan

April Baum

Anna “Cosmo” Bernstein

Courtney Blue

Kayne Doughty

Ronan Ereneta

Connor Gilbert

Aidan Gottdiener-Tan

Max Jenkins

Siofra Linden

Marc Lubman

Learsi Martinez-Caunan

Iman Mozaffarian

Isabelle Olson

Miles Quale

Christian Rodriguez

Remy Sher

 

Special Thanks:

Vocal and harmony fiddle coach Susan Platz

Kathleen Hood

Donna Armstrong

 

 

UCLA Klezmer Music Ensemble

Directed by Janice Mautner Markham

 

Program

Freylekh #5 – traditional

Rebbe Elimelekh – by Moyshe Nadir

Sheyn vi di Levone – by Joseph Rumshinsky/Cahim Tauber

Klezmer Merry-go-Round of Life – by Mickey Hashim

*a UCLA student composition premiere

Bublichki – by Yakov Yadov

Vitebsk – by Janice Mautner Markham

 

Arrangements by UCLA Klezmer Ensemble

 

Musicians:

Cooper Burdick, vocals, percussion 

Skyler Coleman, clarinet

Ezra Hapner, drums

Ethan Kahn, violin 

Elijah Lurie, guitar

Raina Markham, violin 

Jacob Mayer, sax

Sydney Owens, piano

Cooper Rebeck Lynn, accordion, vocals

Laurel Daphne Reidel, clarinet

Aviv Schifrin, trumpet and trombone

Fuyi Yang, accordion

 

Lyrics and program notes:

Freylekh #5 

Here we have a traditional instrumental klezmer piece, part of the Kammen Portfolio of tunes.

 

Rebbe Elimelech

This is a Yiddish song published in 1927 by the satirist Moyshe Nadir (Yitzchak Rayz) and in some circles is thought to be inspired by the rhyme-song Old King Cole.

 

Az der rebe elimelekh

iz gevorn zeyer freylekh,

iz gevorn zeyer freylekh elimelekh,

hot er oysgeton di tfilen

un hot ongeton di briln

un geshikt nokh di fidlers di tsvey.

 

Un di fidldike fidlers

hobn fidldik gefidlt,

hobn fidldik gefidlt hoben zey.

 

Un az der rebe elimelekh

iz gevorn nokh mer freylekh,

iz gevorn nokh mer freylekh elimelekh,

hot er opgemakht havdoleh

mitn shames rav naftali

un geshikt nokh di payklers di tsvey.

 

Un di paykldike payklers

hoben paykldik gepayklt,

hoben paykldik gepayklt hoben zey. (x2)

 

Un az der rebe elimelekh

iz gevorn gor shtark freylekh,

iz gevorn gor shtark freylekh elimelekh,

hot er geton a gutn genets

un gezogt: me darf shoyn meyn nit!

un geshikt di kapelye aheym.

 

So the Rabbi Elimelekh

had become very happy

had become very happy Elimelekh,

he took off the tefilin

and put on his glasses

and sent after the two fiddlers.

 

And the fiddling fiddlers

had fiddled fiddlingly,

had fiddle fiddlingly, they had.

 

And then the Rabbi Elimelk

had become a bit more happy

had become a bit more happy Elimelekh,

he made havdalah ceremony

with the help of Rabbi Naftali

and sent after the two drummers.

 

And the drumming drumemrs

had drummed drummingly

had drummed drummingly, they had.

 

And then the Rabbi Elimelekh

had become totally happy

had become totally happy Elimelekh,

he made a great yawn

and said “no more is needed!”

and sent the band home.

 

Sheyn vi di Levone

“Beautiful as the Moon”, a beautiful Yiddish love song written in 1938.

Sheyn vi di levone,
Likhtik vi di shtern,
Fun himl a matone,
Bistu mir tzugeshikt!
Mayn glik hob ikh gevunen,
Ven ikh hob dikh gefunen,
Sheyn vi toyznt zunen
Hot mayn hartz baglikt.

Dayne tzeyndlekh, vays vi perelekh,
Mit dayne sheyne oygn,
Dayne heyndelekh, dayne herelekh,
Hot mikh tzugetzoygn.

Der moykh is mir tzumisht,
Ikh gey arum tzukhisht,
Khveys aleyn nit vos ikh vil,
Ikh shem zikh, ikh bin royt.
Di tzung is bay mir toyt,
Ikh ken nit zogn, vos ikh vil,
Du bist arayn tzu mir,
In hartzn oyf kvartir.
Khtrakh vi tzu zogn dir,
Az du bist…

You are as beautiful a the moon,
you are as bright as the stars,
you have been sent to me from the heavens,
you are a gift from above.
I found my happiness when I saw you.
You made my heart happy – you are as beautiful as a
thousand suns.

Your little teeth like pearls,
your fine eyes, your fingers, and your hair-
they all have captured me.

My head whirls, I am not myself.
I do not know what I want.
I am confused, my face is red.
I have lost my tongue — it cannot say what I want to say.
You have settled in my heart forever.
How shall I tell you about it?

 

Klezmer Merry-go-Round

We are proud to premiere this original “mash-up” tune by UCLA ethnomusicology student, Mickey Hashim. This imaginative jaunt features inspiration in the opening from the Yiddish classic “Pappirosen” as well as a central melody from Joe Hisaishi’s “Merry-go-Round of Life” from the soundtrack Howl’s Moving Castle symphony suite, all with a unique klezmer flair. Mazal Tov, Mickey! 

 

Bublichki

Bagels! What more can we say?

 

Bublichki,

Koyft mayne beygelekh,

Heysinke bublichki!

Nu, koyft…

Es kumt bald on di nakht,

Ikh shtey zikh tif fartrakht, 

Zet, mayne eygelekh

Zaynen farshvartst.

 

Der frost indroysn brent,

Farfroyrn mayne hent,

Fun tsores zing ikh mir

Mayn troy’rik lid. 

Nu, koyft zhe bublichki,

Heysinke beygelekh,

Di letste beygelekh, 

Nu, koyft, bay mir

 

Bagels! Hot Bagels!
Come-and-get my bagels
Hot bagels, hot rolls
It’s almost night now
Here I stand deep in thought
See, how dark my eyes are!
 

It’s freezing out here
My hands are frozen stiff
This sad song comes out of
My desperate troubles! 

 

Бублички

Ночь надвигается, фонарь шатается,

Свет пробивается в ночную тьму.

Я неумытая тряпьём прикрытая

И вся разбитая, едва брожу.

Припев:

Купите бублички, горячи бублички,

Несите рублички, сюда скорей!

И в ночь ненастную, меня несчастную,

Торговку частную, ты пожалей.

Отец мой пьяница, он этим чванится,

Он к гробу тянется, ему лишь пить.

Сестра гулящая, а мать пропащая,

А я курящая, глядите вот.

Припев.

Вот у хозяина проклятье Каина

Потом на улицу меня прогнал.

Кормилась дрянею, ловилась нянею,

Теперь живу я да у кустаря.

Припев.

 

Vitebsk

This original klezmer song is a soundtrack to life in an Old World shtetl, honoring the once bustling Jewish community in the city of Vitebsk. This traditional-style folk tune is a tribute to Eugene Mautner, the composer’s grandfather, and one of Vitebsk’s most famous residents, painter Marc Chagall.

 

African American Music Ensemble

Directed by Dr. Diane White-Clayton

 

Program

Rejoice, Come on Everybody…………… Kenneth Louis

Hold On…………… arr. Diane White-Clayton

Nobody Knows*, solo……………arr. White-Clayton

Michael Torres, baritone

Lord, I Know I Been Changed*………… arr. White-Clayton

Jane Park, solo

His Truth is Marching………… Richard Turner & Julia Ward Howe

Soloists – Michel Weiner, tenor & Jordan Casciato, alto saxophone

Clap Praise………… Diane White-Clayton

Ilea Farrall, solo & Rhyan Borden, speaker

Total Praise………… Richard Smallwood

You Are Good……… Israel Houghton

*World Premiere

 

Praise and Worship Team:

Rhyan Borden, Ryen Clark, Ilea Farrall, Esther Lin, Helio Luti,

Joshua Martinez & Megan Monroe

Soloists – Ryen Clark & Helio Luti

Lucy McHenry, Guitar

 

Band

Richard Turner, Jr., Music Director & Pianist

Diane White-Clayton, Pianist (Nobody Knows & Clap Praise)

Dawson Lau, Bass Guitarist

Amari Metcalfe, Drummer

 

African American Music Ensemble

(SL) Section Leaders
Soprano

Rhyan Borden (SL)

Avery Beckman

Jordan Casciato

Hannah Chang

Ryen Clark

Ilea Farrall

Angelica Gestre

Ashley Knepshield

Megan Monroe

Erika Ndidi

Mikailee Palmerston

Jane Park

Paulina Perez

Vania Sanchez Alvarez

Stephanie Su

Asumi Yamamoto

Lili Zhang

 

Alto

Esther Lin (SL)

Raven Adair

Nikki Aviv

Cicely Bingener

Hung-yu Chen

Daisy Faragher

Ziqing Ling

Helio Luti

Raina Markham

Lucy McHenry

Sofia Nonga Ngue

Remy Noveshen

Kaya Ralls

Sylvia Rutkowski

Jasmine Speights

Helene Tello

Candace Tsay

Selkie Winter-Golden

Tenor

James Cuff-Alvarado (SL)

Nathan Hsu

Dawson Lau

Joshua Martinez

Cameron Ong

Santiago Sanchez

Gavin Thompson

Michel Weiner

Matthew Wilson

Bass

Michael Torres (SL)

Aiden Chan

Miles Chen

Darren Hon

Tyler Kuan

Ryan Lee

Yicheng Liu

Caden Potter

Aviv Schiffrin

Shangjie Sun