Surf and turfBy Mark Langton
Article Launched: 12/13/2007 03:27:42 PM PST, Marin Independent Journal
'LET MY PEOPLE GO, indeed,” says Mashugga Beach Party’s meshugganah bandleader Mel Waldorf -- and, presumably, he means surfing. Or maybe he means let them go mashugga (nuts) -- as in, “Vere are you goink?” “Crrrrrrazy! Vant to come along?” “Are you nuts?” “Nuts? Sure! C’mon…!!”
Combining all that is authentic, raw and retro-cool about instrumental surf guitar with the alternately joyous and melancholy strains of traditional Jewish folk music, Mashugga Beach Party’s Big Kahuna (Big Gefilte? Alpha Haddock? Macher? Groyseh Macher?) Waldorf will bring his five-piece rabbinical moondoggy ensemble to downtown Mill Valley’s Masonic Hall for a Hannukah hootenanny Friday, Dec. 14, to celebrate the release of their new, self-titled CD. And judging from the sound of this hit-heavy, self-titled “Meshuga Beach Party: Twenty Songs Of The Chosen Surfers” (Jewish Music Corp, EMI), it looks like it could shape up to be a pretty good night.
You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate what’s to like about this ultimate crossover band, which features Waldorf on principal guitar; Danny Snyder, guitar; Karen Dobronyi, piano and organ; and Steve Henderson on bass. It would appear that, despite a fondness for dressing up like rabbis in phony beards and dark sunglasses and playing rave-up surf guitar covers of songs like “Hava Negila,” this is no mere novelty act. If you listen closely, you’ll find they’re actually pretty good.
Waldorf admits that the idea for this unlikely cultural hybrid is not a new one, nor is it original with him. “Jangling surf guitar and traditional Jewish folk songs were first put together when (surf guitar legend) Dick Dale also recorded ‘Hava Nagila’ in 1963. I merely extended the idea to its …logical conclusion.”
Waldorf, who grew up in Westchester County, NY, but now resides in the Bay Area, has been a surf guitar player for almost two decades, in bands like Los Mel-tones and The Mach IV. His original surf music instrumentals have been featured on episodes of Nickelodeon¹s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” MTV’s “Real World,” and Walt Disney’s feature film remake of TV’s “My Favorite Martian.”
He says the idea for the band came to him after a Passover Seder when he experienced a Maneschewitz and gefilte fish-induced epiphany, for lack of a better word. It dawned on him that several time-honored Jewish classics might benefit from all that raw reverb and tremolo, made famous by the aforementioned Dale on classics like “Wipeout.” Just add Dale’s signature staccato, left-handed attacks and slides down the chromatic scale, fuse it with the minor chords of traditional Jewish folk melodies, and you could end up with a sonic blend that just might be kind of, well, catchy.
The CD is fraternity rock in the raw, entirely instrumental, the only vocals to be found coming in the form background party noises, or “Laverne and Shirley”-style count offs. The result is a well-crafted, upbeat – if somewhat guilt-laden – little collection of traditional Jewish classics, with a surprisingly authentic sound
And what makes an instrumental surf music song a Jewish instrumental surf music song?
“Guilt,” he replied.
“No, actually, besides the obvious yiddishkeit song titles the music has to sound, well, kosher. I have to ask myself, would this make sense in ‘Fiddler On The Roof?’ Would Moshe Dayan dance a hora to this?” If so, says Waldorf, it's kosher. Hey, good enough for government work, right?
Waldorf was asked if there was one word or phrase that could sum up what he loves about surf guitar. “That’s easy,” he said. “It’s just so … bitchin’.”
Note to younger hip hop fans: In this case, it’s an adjective, not a verb.
IF YOU GO:
Who: Meshugga Beach Party
What: Jewish surf music
When: Friday Dec.14th at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Mill Valley Masonic Hall 19 Core Madera Ave., Mill Valley,
Tickets: $20 adult/ $12 kids.
Contact: 415.389-5072 or http://meshuggabeachparty.com/
Photo credit: Ferenc Dobronyi
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