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Live Albums from the Borscht Belt?


Teasing the Korean

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A friend of mine was playing a Borsch Belt gig back in the 70s, when they were told that they had to play for a vocalist who brought charts with him and a pianist/conductor.

The singer turned out to be Johnny Hartman! My friend is a trumpet player, and he played Trane licks behind JH.

The idiot audience hated JH! Thy all walked out on him.

No record.

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This article on Larry Harlow's role as Jewish musician in the New York salsa scene mentions just the two live albums by Puente and Machito as examples, but still may be of interest:

https://www.academia.edu/40702895/Jewish_Americans_in_New_York_s_Latin_Music_Scene_An_Analysis_of_Larry_Harlow_s_Career_1965_1979?email_work_card=view-paper

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I read Dave Liebmans autobiography and he tells that he played a lot in the borș circuit in his youth. As an European I hadn´t known until than what the borș belt meant, but it must be a nice holidayday place....
The first time I read about it was in Ira Gitler´s book "Jazz Masters of the Forties" about Bird and Diz´ bassist Curley Russell, that in the 60´s he was seen playing in hotel bands in the borș circuit.....

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On 6/3/2022 at 3:20 AM, Gheorghe said:

I read Dave Liebmans autobiography and he tells that he played a lot in the borș circuit in his youth. As an European I hadn´t known until than what the borș belt meant, but it must be a nice holidayday place....
The first time I read about it was in Ira Gitler´s book "Jazz Masters of the Forties" about Bird and Diz´ bassist Curley Russell, that in the 60´s he was seen playing in hotel bands in the borș circuit.....

Emphasis on past tense. Probably were nice places, but their heyday was at least circa 50-70 years ago, they went into inexorable decline thereafter and have all been closed since the early 2010s afaik.

Catskills Borscht Belt resorts were really big summer vacation destinations for NYC residents in those days.

Edited by T.D.
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41 minutes ago, T.D. said:

Catskills Borscht Belt resorts were really big summer vacation destinations for NYC residents in those days.

Serious question - in their heyday, was there a significant-size non-Jewish clientele for these places? It would seem not, but that's just an impression. 

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10 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Serious question - in their heyday, was there a significant-size non-Jewish clientele for these places? It would seem not, but that's just an impression. 

I have the exact same impression (based on much reading and limited oral anecdotes), but can't say anything stronger. Have lived in NY State since 1978 but grew up in Chicago area, so no personal experience to speak of.

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Sad to hear the area is in decline. 
As much as I imagine as an European, it must have been nice for holiday if you couldn´t afford to travel to more exotic countries with islands , palms and sand and blue sea....

And nice if there was so much entertainment for the evening. I mean if I make holiday with my wife, we like to dance or listen to music or do some shopping after a day outdoor. 

But the only 2 times we took the plane to the States it was goin to Miami Beach to be sure we have 2 weeks of sun, warm water, shopping in the evening and dancing...., there is to much risc of cold and rainy days in mountain areas even in summer time. But a lot Jewish People  are also living or making holiday  in Miami Beach, maybe for the same reason. Nice people, they often asked us where we comin from....

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