Jewface

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 14, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Idelsohn Society
• ASIN: B000J3Q0Y8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,873 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #9 in Music > Folk > Jewish & Yiddish Music
  • #10 in Music > World Music > Middle East > Israel
  • #35 in Music > World Music > Europe > Eastern Europe

Track Listings

1. Pittsburgh, Pa.

2. My Yiddish Mammy

3. Cohen Owes Me 97 Dollars

4. My Friends, Morris and Max

5. Marry a Yiddisher Boy

6. I'm a Yiddish Cowboy

7. Under the Matzos Tree

8. When Mose with His Nose Leads the Band

9. No Hot Water Was Up in the Bronx

10. Becky Is Back in the Ballet

11. That's Yiddisha Love

12. Nat'an

13. The Original Cohens

14. Becky the Spanish Dancer

15. The Yiddish Professor

16. Then I'd Be Satisfied with Life

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars from this they made a living ???, February 24, 2008

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jewface (Audio CD)

Jewface is a CD that gives us sixteen musical numbers recorded in the very early 1900s about the Jewish experience in America. Naturally, some of the humor in these songs is today considered to be rather politically incorrect. Indeed, many Jews were displeased by these songs even then! However, those Jews had difficulty stopping this genre of music because it was mostly Jewish people themselves making these recordings. I think that although some of these songs are sometimes offensive, it's also important for us to be able to laugh at ourselves. That was the original intent of these musical numbers.

The quality of the sound is rather good considering the age of these recordings. Sometimes I had trouble hearing a word or two but overall I could easily follow along.

There are all sorts of songs on this CD performed mostly by Jews who were poking fun at their own culture. The track set opens with "Pittsburgh, PA." This song tells the story of a group of Jews, all of whom have last names ending in "burg" or "berg"--and, naturally, they have their affair in Pittsburgh! "My Yiddisha Mammy" is a takeoff on Al Jolson's "My Mammy;" this actually made me smile; it's kid of cute and somewhat amusing. Listen also for a less appealing view of an old Jew who can't rest until he gets back the money he's loaned out; "Cohen Owes Me 97 Dollars" pictures a man who can't die happy unless his son collects his debts. Sigh.

"My Friends, Morris And Max" is very funny! It's a song about two men, Morris and Max, who pinch pennies constantly in their mom and pop business--but there's always money for a new automobile! I like how Maurice Burkhart sings that if you asked one of the two business partners for money, they would always refer you to the other partner. I think I've met small business owners from several different ethnic backgrounds who were just like this; that's why I had to laugh when I heard "My Friends, Morris And Max."

"I'm A Yiddish Cowboy" deals with Jewish cowboys and interracial love; and "No Hot Water Way Up In The Bronx" tells a very funny story about just why there's no hot water in The Bronx! Fanny Brice also performs a funny song called "Becky Is Back In The Ballet;" I sure laughed at this!

The CD ends strong with a silly number entitled "Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life."

As for the musical accompaniments to these numbers; they are relatively simple. There are horns and occasionally some percussion kicks in for effect. "My Friends Morris And Max" sounds like it might have used some wind instruments but the sound quality is such that I can't be certain of this. Sorry! "No Hot Water Way Up In The Bronx" does have wind instruments; that I can tell.

Overall, this is certainly a CD that gives it to you as it really was--no museum stuffiness in this look back into olden days. I recommend this for anyone who appreciates classic Jewish humor from the days of vaudeville; but you must prepare yourself for a line or two here and there that is far from today's much more sensitive and polite political correctness. Anyway, I hope you get this CD and enjoy it as much as I have.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yiddish vaudeville, February 21, 2007

By 

Deborah B-Y - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jewface (Audio CD)

This album is exactly what it advertises itself to be: a compendium of songs and comedy routines featuring the stereotypical Jewish immigrant parodies popular in vaudeville before the 1930's. PC it ain't, but a necessary piece of theatre history it is. To listen to Fanny Brice singing "Becky Is Back In The Ballet" is worth the price.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Collection, January 15, 2007

By 

L. Berman (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jewface (Audio CD)

This is a very entertaining collection of quirky old Jewish vaudeville-type songs. Yes, they sound scratchy, because a number of them were taken from really old (wax cylinders, even) recordings, but we like old radio stuff, so this didn't bother us. These were all pieces that we had never heard before, and we love them. Uncensored, self-effacing American Jewish humor. Cultural history in a jewelcase. What's not to like?