Meshuggenismo!

Daylight dancing

If you are within range of San Francisco's Pier 39 this Sunday, come and see us at the Hannukkah festival just outside the shopping area. Meshuggenismo! goes on stage at noon and plays for jus tunder an hour. It isn't very much time, but we'll try to squeeze in as much salsa magic as we can. We have heard that it's legal to dance before dark in San Francisco, so wear the right shoes. If you are around for the rest of the show, you'll also get to see the MeshugaNutcracker, which I've heard is a lot of fun.

Props

Some nice words are being said at Jewschool about the Dolores Park party last week.

Te recordaremos

We pay a lot of attention to Cuba here at Meshuggenismo! World Headquarters. We were wondering what people could do to help people there who have been hurt or displaced by the latest hurricane. How about this:

• The Cuba-America Jewish Mission organizes donations and trips.
  
• Jewish Cuban Connection specializes in getting wheelchairs to Cuba.
  

Dolores Park

was hopping last night. We followed the Temple Emanuel house band, which did cool folk-rock versions of some worship music. They finished just as the sun was going down. The only lighting was some 100-watt work lights that we hung from the mike stands, giving an appropriately spooky effect. People danced, laughed and carried on. I got to go out in the crowd and listen a little bit. The drummers were really starting to hang together this time, with Luigi using his head-bobbing method to lead them through the breaks, some of which get a little complicated and hard to remember. The energy level was pretty high. We tried out two Hanukkah arrangements that we hadn't played before, and I'm glad we did, because there are a couple of kinks to work out before next time. There always are, with my charts. But the crowd seemed to really like them. Next month's show at Fisherman's Wharf is going to be a blast.

Jamaican style

I just noticed that Klezska, whose approach to Jewish music is about as messed-up as ours, has tunes you can listen to on their website. They are very cool.

Practice practice

We've been polishing up our Hanukkah-related material for the holidays. Holidays, as the sage said, are like ill-fitting underwear: they creep up on you.
Next Sunday (Oct. 23) we're at Dolores Park, starting at 7 pm. On November 20 it's the first annual Hanukkah Festival at Pier 39, starting at noon. Put on your dancing shoes and come on out. 

Booking now

We've had a great summer and fall, and now we're working on booking up the winter party season and the spring wedding season. Call Ted, our manager, at 415 823 3941, or write him at [email protected].

Dr. Harlow

Last week at Harvard they were talking about the Jewish-Latin mix at an ever-so-scholarly conference that The Great One helped organize. Here are some notes about it from his perspective. (Scroll down to the fourth paragraph.)

Happy Hallokkot!

We will be at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Sunday evening, Oct. 23, for the Temple Emanuel Sukkot celebration. Come in costume! Our set kicks off at 7 p.m. We're bringing the whole shebang, all 11 musicians. Should be loud and lively.

From Shtetl to Swing

Staci points out this cool series on PBS about early crossover stars like Sophie Tucker (her recording of My Yiddishe Mamme was of course definitive) and Asa Yoelson, aka Al Jolson. I always figured George M. Cohan was Jewish too, but the Mickey Rooney biopic set me straight on that.