[Dixielandjazz] Support live jazz

[Marek Boym]

Have you heard of Fritz Weiss?
OK, neither have I, or rather p had, until the 26th, when I received a
notice about tonight's "Tribute to Fritz Weiss."
Fritz Weiss turned out to have been a Chech Jewish jazz musician, who
played in Prague; after the German conquest Jews were not allowed to play,
but he still arranged for the Emil Ludwig Orchestra.
Eventually he was sent to Theresienstadt, where he organized a swing band,
referred to as the Ghetto Swingers.  On September 27, 1944, A REd Cross
delegation visited Teresienstadt.  The Germans put a show for them in order
to prove they treated Jews humanly.  Among those appearing were the Ghetto
Swingers.  On the 28th the GErmans sent them all to Auschwitz, where Fritza
weiss was gassed on the smae date - his 29th birthday.
The tribute was th brain child of the soprano saxophonist Shai Brenner, who
had with him Merton Cahm on clarinet, Asaf Finkelstein (piano), Ori Ben-Zvi
(guitar), Kostia Adelkind (double bass) and Leon Habib (drums).   By the
way, the story above is based on Mr. Brenner's research.

The band played extremely well to a full hall (as far as I could tell,
there was one free seat only!).  I have not seet hte (small) hall so full
in a long time.
Mr. Brenner is a swinger!  True, from time to time he lapses into what he
calls "bebop phrases" (which sound like just scales to me), but no too
much.  He played some unaccompanied solo introduction, and often swung so
hard that it sounded as if the rhythm section were superfluous.
The programme included stadards (Summertime, Sweet Georgia Brown, etc.),
played based on the arrangements of the Emil Weiss Orchestra, Czech songs
played by that orchestra, numbers composed and/or arranged by Fritz Weiss
for either Emil Ludaig or the Ghetto Swingers, and a song written in honour
of Fritz Weiss.  Good solos abounded - Merton Cahm (a vetran of the israeli
jazz scene and a member of the Isradixie Band) and Ori Ben-Zvi (a foremr
member of Swing de Gitanes) are both excellent musicians, so is the pianist
Asaf Finkelstein, and Shai Brenner himself is no slouch either.  Leon Habib
is really my kind of drummer- unobtrusive, quiet, swinging, and a real
accompanyistl  Small wonder he is in demand for accompanying singers.  The
bassis Kostia Adelkind provides just the kind of basis I expect of a bass
player.
If there are more shows, I hope to be able to go again.
Cheers