Peter Greenbaum

[David]

Was Peter Green's mother Jewish?

To what degree was the Greenbaum household Jewish in practice? Did Peter have any exposure at all to Jewish rituals & observances? Festivals? Holidays? Daily rituals? Dietary laws?

Can any Jewish musical influence -- shtetl folksong, klezmer, sephardic mediterranean influence, ashkenazic eastern European influence, liturgical song -- be heard in Peter Green's work with Fleetwood Mac or elsewhere? This seems to me a grossly overlooked aspect of Peter's art.

Was Peter Green the most notable Jewish blues composer & guitarist in the world?

[DavidMn]

Was Peter Green's mother Jewish?

To what degree was the Greenbaum household Jewish in practice? Did Peter have any exposure at all to Jewish rituals & observances? Festivals? Holidays? Daily rituals? Dietary laws?

Can any Jewish musical influence -- shtetl folksong, klezmer, sephardic mediterranean influence, ashkenazic eastern European influence, liturgical song -- be heard in Peter Green's work with Fleetwood Mac or elsewhere? This seems to me a grossly overlooked aspect of Peter's art.

Was Peter Green the most notable Jewish blues composer & guitarist in the world?I dont know about all that, but when I met him, he signed my copy of Mick's book by that name. :cool:

[madformac]

I really haven't seen much material on Peter's upbringing. He mentioned this on the Penguin Q&A.

Having incidentally almost the same family history as you have (Jewish grandfather fighting Bolsheviks in Polish army in 1920, father changing family name in 1948, etc.)I was deeply touched by those aspects of your biography in Martin Celmins' book. I would like to ask you whether your still have any family living in Poland or Ukraine, maybe some far relatives of yours that had survived the insanity of nazism and communism? (Andrzej Stankiewicz, Sittard, The Netherlands)


I don't know the answer. I think my parents lost all their family apart from my Grandmother who came to England.

I seem to recall somewhere Peter worked as a butcher in his younger days and this didn't go down too well at home. But there is very little out there from what I understand.

Peter is probably the most famous Jewish blues player and possibly rock and roll musician too along with Gene Simmons and Marc Bolan I would say.

Peter autographed a Fleetwood Mac album for me with Greenbaum too, it's quite rare of him and I think he does it for those that he may feel understand the music. Most of the time he just signs as Green.

[sharksfan2000]

Was Peter Green the most notable Jewish blues composer & guitarist in the world?
Mike Bloomfield was another very notable one.

[Neb-Maat-Re]

Peter is probably the most famous Jewish blues player and possibly rock and roll musician too along with Gene Simmons and Marc Bolan I would say.

Gene Simmons but not Paul Stanley?

I suppose Bob Dylan and Paul Simon are't strictly rock and roll.

[Neb-Maat-Re]

Was Peter Green the most notable Jewish blues composer & guitarist in the world?

Well, I don't think Gershwin played guitar, so yes.

[SteveMacD]

But, what I want to know is who's the most famous Jewish comic?
















{Runs for cover}

[Neb-Maat-Re]

But, what I want to know is who's the most famous Jewish comic?

I understand The Beano changed it's name from The Beanbaum.

Homer: Hee hee hee hee hee! He's talking funny-talk!
Lisa: No Dad, that's Hebrew! Krusty must be Jewish.
Homer: A Jewish entertainer? Get out of here!
Lisa: Dad, there are many prominent Jewish entertainers, including
Lauren Bacall, Dinah Shore, William Shatner, and Mel Brooks.
Homer: Mel Brooks is Jewish!?! -- Who would've known?

[bretonbanquet]

Was Peter Green's mother Jewish?

To what degree was the Greenbaum household Jewish in practice? Did Peter have any exposure at all to Jewish rituals & observances? Festivals? Holidays? Daily rituals? Dietary laws?

The man to ask is jjgreen67 - he'll know about all that stuff :)

[chiliD]

Was Peter Green's mother Jewish?

To what degree was the Greenbaum household Jewish in practice? Did Peter have any exposure at all to Jewish rituals & observances? Festivals? Holidays? Daily rituals? Dietary laws?

Can any Jewish musical influence -- shtetl folksong, klezmer, sephardic mediterranean influence, ashkenazic eastern European influence, liturgical song -- be heard in Peter Green's work with Fleetwood Mac or elsewhere? This seems to me a grossly overlooked aspect of Peter's art.

Was Peter Green the most notable Jewish blues composer & guitarist in the world?


Do you need/want to borrow my copy of Martin Celmins' bio of Peter?

It was the "downtrodden" aspect of being Jewish in England that Peter could relate to the black blues guys.

[David]

Do you need/want to borrow my copy of Martin Celmins' bio of Peter?Nah, I don't want to read another Fleetwood Mac-related book written by an amateur. I already read a bunch of them, & each one was dickwad. Plus, I have a stack of three Beethoven critical bios sitting here on my kitchen table waiting for me--& damned if two of those aren't written by amateurs!
It was the "downtrodden" aspect of being Jewish in England that Peter could relate to the black blues guys.Yes, but I'm looking for specific, concrete examples of that influence, if any. Shtetl themes or bits of themes that found their way onto Fleetwood Mac or PG solo albums, Israeli folk music motifs from, say, "Sharm el Sheikh" or "Lach Y'rushalayim" or "Al Tira," etc.

Can we trace any such phrases, themes, motifs, perhaps even deliberate simulations of klezmer mechanics, including instrumental arrangements?

[bretonbanquet]

Nah, I don't want to read another Fleetwood Mac-related book written by an amateur. I already read a bunch of them, & each one was dickwad. Plus, I have a stack of three Beethoven critical bios sitting here on my kitchen table waiting for me--& damned if two of those aren't written by amateurs!
Yes, but I'm looking for specific, concrete examples of that influence, if any. Shtetl themes or bits of themes that found their way onto Fleetwood Mac or PG solo albums, Israeli folk music motifs from, say, "Sharm el Sheikh" or "Lach Y'rushalayim" or "Al Tira," etc.

Can we trace any such phrases, themes, motifs, perhaps even deliberate simulations of klezmer mechanics, including instrumental arrangements?


Celmins is certainly no amateur - that's a well-researched, very readable book.

I wouldn't know a specific, concrete Jewish musical reference if one bit me on the ass, but maybe there are some lyrical ones in the lyrics that Jane Green wrote on the "In The Skies" album. They're certainly a bit far out.

[kowk]

Yes, but I'm looking for specific, concrete examples of that influence, if any. Shtetl themes or bits of themes that found their way onto Fleetwood Mac or PG solo albums, Israeli folk music motifs from, say, "Sharm el Sheikh" or "Lach Y'rushalayim" or "Al Tira," etc.

Can we trace any such phrases, themes, motifs, perhaps even deliberate simulations of klezmer mechanics, including instrumental arrangements?

I think there is a little Jewish influence on the track "Momma Don'tcha Cry" from the album "Little Dreamer". It sounds for me like some Jewish songs.
It's my opinion - but I'm not a specialist. So, listen it carefully once more :)))
Krzysztof

[kowk]

"The Apostle" was inspired by his Jewish grandmother at a time when questions of faith weighed heavy on his mind - "Jet" Martis Celmins wrote - the note from last year edition "In the Skies".

Stay Green :)))
Krzysztof

[becca]

I understand The Beano changed it's name from The Beanbaum.


Falls over. Legs in air.

[SteveMacD]

Can any Jewish musical influence -- shtetl folksong, klezmer, sephardic mediterranean influence, ashkenazic eastern European influence, liturgical song -- be heard in Peter Green's work with Fleetwood Mac or elsewhere? This seems to me a grossly overlooked aspect of Peter's art.

I don't know abut the musical side of his songs, but certainly there are examples in his lyrics. "Trying So Hard To Forget" from "Mr. Wonderful" would be a great example of a song that reflects a part of the Jewish experience.

[becca]

I posted this below in a Dave Walker thread elsewhere. I think more about Peter's economic or class background as effecting the music he makes more than a Jewish connection. Mind you, I don't know much about that really, but I'm sure it has something to do with becoming the person you become... being a part of the family to whatever degree.

Dave Walker writes and sings from a place pretty close to Peter Greenbaum's, a place anyone who has been through hard times and absense of opportunity can connect to. It is about surviving, about protecting in some basic ferocious way your sensitivity in an environment where you can only expect to be treated roughly. They turn this into music and it's truly beautiful, it feeds you. It's hard not to be fierecly loyal to people like that, that help your soul survive. The best blues are songs of survival.