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Panorama Jazz Band feat. Mark Rubin, Jew of Oklahoma - Happy Joyous Hanukkah!

from Song​-​of​-​the​-​Month Club: Good Music For You by Panorama Jazz Band and Panorama Brass Band plus special guests

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Did you know that dustbowl troubadour Woody Guthrie (1912-67) wrote a batch of Hanukkah songs? His second wife, (Marjorie Greenblatt, a professional dancer and Arlo's mom) was Jewish, so they celebrated in their home. No original music has been documented for his Hanukkah songs but he did leave behind some lyrics.

Well then, who better to interpret a Woody Guthrie Hanukkah song than the "Jew of Oklahoma" himself, Mark Rubin! He brought up the idea and we talked about potential vibes. Mark said, "barrelhouse," that medium-tempo New Orleans four-on-the-floor groove found on tunes like Jelly Roll Morton's "Jungle Blues." He came up with a straight-ahead chord sequence and worked out the phrasing including the call and response between himself and the band. Then Mark sent me a demo, I banged out the arrangement and we recorded it on the October 12th session.

This year Hanukkah begins at sundown on Dec 18 but it's kosher to start playing Hanukkah music after Thanksgiving. Thanks for listening and for all your support.

Ben Schenck
Panorama Jazz Band
New Orleans, LA

lyrics

How many nights for Hanukkah?
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)
Nights and days, days and nights
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)
Eight are the nights of Hanukkah
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)
Eight are the days, eight are the nights
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)

How many candles do I light?
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)
Eight are the candles you should light
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)
Eight are the nights of Hanukkah
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)
Eight are the days, eight are the nights
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)

(Instrumental)

(One!)
For Moses on the Mount
(Two!)
For the mother and the father love
(Three!)
For the books that Ezra taught
(Four!)
For the Hebrew children
(Five!)
For the brothers Maccabee
(Six!)
For the tricks that the king did play
(Seven…)
For the sons on Hannah that died…
(Eight!)
For the new-built altar place
(Nine!)
For the light of G-d that shines around this whole wide world tonight!

(Eight!)
Are the nights of Hanukkah
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)
Eight are the days, eight are the nights
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)

How many candles do I light?
(Happy Joyous Hanukkah)
Eight are the candles you should light
For a Happy Joyous Hanukkah!

Chag sameach! (Happy holiday!)

credits

from Song​-​of​-​the​-​Month Club: Good Music For You, track released December 1, 2022
Panorama Jazz Band feat Mark Rubin, "Jew of Oklahoma"
Mark Rubin - Lead vocal, tenor banjo
Aurora Nealand, Boyanna Trayanova, Jack Pritchett and Colin Myers
- Gang Vocal
Ben Schenck - Clarinet
Aurora Nealand - Alto Saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Michael Ward-Bergeman - Accordion
Matt Perrine - Tuba
Doug Garrison - Drums

Lyrics by Woody Guthrie (LUDLOW MUSIC, INC. / BMI)
Music by Mark Rubin (Jew of Oklahoma Music / BMI)
Arranged by Ben Schenck (Snack Daddy Music/ASCAP)
Publisher - Snack Daddy Music
Recorded and edited by Adam Keil October 12, 2022 at Marigny Studios, New Orleans, LA. Gang vocal recorded by Rick Nelson on November 28, 2022.
Mixed and mastered by Lu Rojas
Photo and graphic design by Ben Schenck

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Panorama Jazz Band / Panorama Brass Band - New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana

"New Orleans' genre fluid jazz band"

The Panorama Jazz Band and the Panorama Brass Band have been working steadily in New Orleans and beyond since 1995. Many hundreds of nightclub gigs, festivals, weddings, crawfish boils and Mardi Gras parades have added to this community of musicians' collective experience, all of which they bring to each of their recordings. ... more

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