OK, Here's the deal... • I can barely keep up with updating this here website anymore. It's fairly easy however to log onto my "Blog." Much as I may hate the concept generally, I can whip up stuff wherever I am and post it quite frequently. There's quite a lot to share with you. Trips to the Kennedy Center, the National Folk Festival and the International Accordion Festival. New CD's from Brian Marshall and Frank London's Klezmer Brass All Stars, an article for Sing Out magazine on Charlie Poole and much, much more random stuff. Check it out. (October 17, 2005) • Check out this new Internet only Fanzine called "Jumpin' from 6 to 6." I contributed a story on one of my favorite 78's,"Sweet Fiddle Blues" by the Tune Wranglers. (6/11/5) • "Panoramaland" is available now!! I helped produce the new CD from New Orleans’ amazing Panorama Jazz Band. Suffice it to say, it’s as close to joining the band as they’d let me, even though I did march with them this Mardi Gras. This CD really captures thier wonderous spirit of music, love and adventure. I'm very proud to be involved with it and think you should pick up a copy! (5/6/5)  • My Ridgetop Syncopaters have finally made a recording. Just a demo, but it's just exactly what we sound like and I think thats pretty damn good. Visit the Ridgetop page to listen to what is essentially an oldtime 15 minute live radio show, all in mp3 format. We're at the Hole in the Wall every Wednesday for a 90 minute set starting at 9pm. (5/6/5) • Despite what I may have told any of you before, I went ahead and picked up yet another movie gig. This time a real live Hollywood style flick with a fine director and crew, but no real budget to speak of. It’s an incredibly well written bio-pic about Truman Capote and the writing of “In Cold Blood,” entitled “Every Word Is True.” Due to their budgetary restraints, they weren’t able to hire an actual Music Supervisor proper, so they approached me to be a “Music Consultant.” Essentially they brought me on to help the director create some musical scenes that he envisioned for his film. This included working in the studio on and on the set with Gwenth Paltrow, who I’ve come to find is a gifted vocalist. I was cast in the role of the “bass player” in the pivotal open scene, and also recorded several tracks of Latin-tinged music with a fine group of local musicians including pianist-arranger Glover Gill and percussionist Rey Arteaga. Look for a late ’05 or early ’06 release. • Also on the movie front, I FINALLY completed the DVD release of the 1920 German Expressionist film “Der Golem” with a live soundtrack by my Yiddish Ensemble. We originally recorded the music in front of a live audience way back in June of 2000. It took quite a lot of thoughtful work to rescue the Jewish ledgend from it’s rather ant-Semetic presentation. It’s taken all this time, and significant advances in technology, to eventually bring the project to market. Get yourself a copy at my secure Merchandise site. We’re mighty proud of it. Thanks again goes to Alamo Drafthouse owner Tim League for personally seeing the project to fruition. • The Youngers of Zion have finally made a CD! Now available at gigs (and soon on this website,) we're calling it "The Protocols." You better have a sense of humor about the band name and the title, but it beats our original name (Hank Sapoznik and his Holocats...) I can't believe I'm saying this but it now knocks out the Brotherhood of Brass as the best Jewish music project I've been involved with. Imagine and coke addled Clayton McMichon fiddling with a druken and upset Belf's Rumanian Orchestra. Dare I say it; it's the Bad Livers of klezmer....No really, it's the same reckless abandon married with stunning musicianship and a distinct willingness to not play by the accepted rules of the day. (Did I mention I liked it?)  (3/10/5)