Customer Reviews

Jewface

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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.

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.

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?

Anyone who would be offended by Jewface is probably not Jewish at all! We have always had the ability to laugh at ourselves and this CD is nothing less than pure gold to the grand tradition of angst.

Enjoy

Ivan Joseph Goldberg
Miracle Mastering Studios L.L.C.
P.S. - The mastering from these old wax gems is a job well done!

I remember recordings on this album. I got it for my Step father. If you'r from the lower East Side in NYC & Grew up in the 1920's 30's You'll like it.
I really prefer Miky Katz.

This CD is a piece of history that is barely remembered today, but helped to form what was to become American Popular music in the 20th century. These are original recordings from the years 1905-1924 of Jewish vaudevillians doing their musical routines, complete with over-the-top accents. I'm Jewish but I am not offended by any of the subject matter, which is very stereotypical of the day (songs like "Cohen Owes Me 97 Dollars" or "My Friends, Morris And Max"). The earliest songs were lifted off of Edison wax cylinder recordings. Some of the songs have pops, hisses and scratches, but you will never find any of these recordings anywhere else.

"Jewface" is a collection of (mostly) early Edison wax cylinder recordings, with lyrics that trade on many Jewish stereotypes, sung in Eastern European accents. (Warning: this album is not for the easily offended!) If you can relax and go with it, there's lots of fun listening, including a gem by Fanny Brice, and much less well-known singers, recruited from early 20th century music hall stages. Jewish and non-Jewish performers and songwriters poke innocent, and not-so-innocent (?) fun at the Jewish immigrant experience, with references to New York City's Lower East Side, and . . . the Bron-yx!

Copied from old 78 records. Lots of hiss and extraneous noise but
that makes it all the more authentic. Frequently hard to understand
some of the lyrics but then I have a serious hearing loss so that
is true of almost everything to which I listen.

These classic performances might offend a few people, but they are a wonderful souvenir of an earlier time in America when ethic material of this type was commonplace.
And many of the performances are terrific.