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	GUEST BOOK

Yale and Elizabeth, you both are musically and vocally blessed and we were blessed to hear you in Minneapolis, Nov, 2010 at our Yiddish Vinkl's Chai celebration. The community packed our Sabes JCC. Clapping, singing along, toe-tapping, smiling, crying--the whole gamet of feeling is what you brought to Yiddishkeit. Your presentation was fascinating and powerful--interesting stories of the Rom community and of old Klezmer musicians and of your research of Klezmer music. Your violin "talked", "shimmered" "danced" "fluttered", "zipped" and was also "soulful". Magnificent! What a talent you are, Yale. Elizabeth, your soulful, mournful, sad songs had us spellbound. YOu could hear a pin drop as the audience listened to your beautiful Yiddish and your rich, haunting voice. And when you "got down" with a more jazzy rendition of a song, the crowd went wild with appreciation. There aren't enough accolades for you. It was a love fest, and you left us wanting more. The other nice thing is that you both are approachable, and many in the audience enjoyed meeting you and speaking to you about their native countries, Poland, Romania, etc. Thank you for a wonderful concert You are top notch, memorable talents. A sheynem dank. We look forward to hearing more of your work. Zey gezunt and all good wishes. Annalee Odessky Co-chair, Mpls. Yiddish Vinkl St. Louis Park, MN
Annalee Odessky, Minnesota, USA

You are awesome. emocloud92@aol.com
Garrett Foster, ,

Elizabeth? I said your voice was on the short list of singers I hold in the highest esteem. So true. In my book you're right there with Dinah Washington, Mary Ford, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Cass Elliott, Patsy Cline. Thank you for Birobidzhan, I'll never forget it. All good things to you and yours, much continued success.
Cindy Frank, New York, United States

Elizabeth, your singing is absolutely haunting and lovely. I especially like your visiting that synagogue that is no longer used. The very wood seems to emanate chants and prayer. Awesome. I am Mark Soskin's wife (Mark is son of Zelman, grandson of Miriam (Mary) Schwartz Soskin. Mark is a dead ringer for David Lipman Schwartz, his great-grandfather. We did not know of David until this past week when relatives contacted us. We only knew back as far as Miriam -- we did not even know all the names of the brothers and sisters. You are an amazing, accomplished singer. Mark is a college prof and I am an artist. You can see my jewelry work at http://sweetchildjewelry.etsy.com I have a little bit of Jewish themed jewelry though I am a Lutheran. Keep singing and making that music -- it is so very special.
Virginia Soskin, Florida, USA

I'm very very happy that I attended your wonderful workshop at Osaka university! In fact, that I could attend it and hear your songs was very impressive for my singing, especially when I sing arabic or some kind of ladino songs improvisedly. Now I work hard!!
Maki, Kyoto, Japan

You are awesome, I will always come to listen to you.
nancy weisinger, CA, United States

I attended your First Night performance at the temple in La Jolla in May 2009. You are the most amazing singer I have ever heard with a controlled and thoughtful theatricality that I can only compare to the young Barbra Streisand. Thank you for sharing your remarkable gift with us.
Dorothy Malowney, California, USA

wow
Jami Abell Patterson, ,

I rarely feel compelled to publicly express an opinion of a personal experience but I feel the urge to do so after last night�s performance by Yale Strom and Hot Pstromi. I was tremendously impressed with each and every musicians ability and contribution to the whole. Their solos were terrific displays of musicianship and they combined to produce a complex blending of sound that evoked a wide range of emotions. In the constraints of theater seating I found my toes tapping furiously to the beat. I caught myself smiling non-stop throughout the performance but I also felt my throat constrict during sorrowful passages. At the core of all of this were the incredible evocative virtuosity of Yales fiddle playing and the amazing richness of Elizabeth Schwartzs voice. Yale produced sounds that I had never heard produced by anything like a violin and he played with such clarity, inventiveness and technical proficiency that its hard to come up with the appropriate superlatives but breathtaking is a good hint. And Elizabeth, WOW, with a voice that could tear your heart out. A big voice that is capable of the most delicate tenderness, full bore earthiness, sultry and sexy and the anguish that I heard in my mothers voice when she described family members who had perished. What a performance, I was moved and thinking about it hours later. Yale, Elizabeth and the other wonderful musicians that comprise Hot Pstromi produced for me my most significant musical experience since Janis Joplin, Jimmie Hendrix and John Mayall in San Francisco nearly forty years ago. Thats saying something as far as Im concerned.
Bob Schneider, California, USA

Dear Yale and Elizabeth, It was a great pleasure to attend your concert. In my opinion you've grasped the very essence of Klezmer music. To illustrate that I must refer to a Polish Klezmer trio Kroke - maybe you know them or have heard of them. They had numerous performances at the Festival of Jewish Culture in Cracow and have recorded some discs in the US. They are outstanding musicians, but perhaps too cultivated, too civilized for that kind of music. Klezmer requires a trace of madness, I hope you see what I mean. In your performace I coud hear both virtuosity and brilliant technique and at the same time one could feel savageness, madness almost right under the surface. Marvelous! I am deeply impressed by Elizabeth's voice. There are very few female vocalists in Klezmer music, probably due to the fact, Klezmer has developed under influence of kantorial music and chassidic songs - both strictly masculine. I can only recall two female vocalists that made an impression on me: Chava Alberstein from Israel and Judy Dressler of Klezmer Conservatory Band. Elizabeth Schwartz is one of the klezmer vocalists at the top of the mountain. I'm looking forward to next performance in Copenhagen while I'm listening to the recordigs of your music and so does my daughter. Your fan from now on, Nathan
nathan gurfinkel, , denmark

Dear Eliz, I was impressed by that song about a wedding which you sang in Stockholm in which your manifold talents met the arranger, vocalist and actress. Using just a few words in a simple text, you created a one-woman theatre. What a masterpiece! Thanks! Violetta Reder, Poland
Violetta Reder, , Poland

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