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Mostly Meshugah! The Music and Comedy of Mickey Katz

Mickey Katz Photo courtesy of Capitol Records

Treat yourself to some Chanukah happiness with the inspired lunacy of Mickey Katz. Actor Joel Grey hosts this holiday special about his father, who put together a band of some of the best musicians in Los Angeles to play hilarious parodies of pop tunes from the 40's and 50's, as well as brilliant klezmer music.

Most of the music on the show will be from rare recordings of Mickey's work, parodies of hits such as "Kiss of Fire" ("Kiss of Meyer") and "Sixteen Tons," as well as a parody of Bizet -- Carmen Katz.

In addition, we'll hear from people who love Mickey and his music, including Sid Caesar, who says "He looked at the music through Jewish eyes, but you don't have to be Jewish to have fun with it." There are comments from comedians Steve Allen and Milton Berle, and musicians Don Byron, Hankus Netsky, and Janis Siegel, as well as Joel Grey's memories of his father.

Don't miss this meshuganeh music, which writer Leon Wieseltier of the New Republic calls the "sound of uninhibited Jewish happiness." To learn more about this master entertainer, check out the Katz "haim page", and a discography.

Chanukah Lights '99

This year on Chanukah Lights, we’ll revisit some Chanukah Highlights from recent years, with stories ranging from hilarious, to irreverent, to deeply moving. The readings in this edition are:

• Who Can Retell, by Myra Goldberg. She’s also the author of Whistling, and Rosalind: A Family Romance, published by Zoland Books. “Who Can Retell” was commissioned especially for “Chanukah Lights,” by National Public Radio.
• Unto us a Child is Given, by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, the author of Invisible Lines of Connection, and Eyes Remade for Wonder, which is available from Jewish Lights Publications.
• Joan Nathan’s recipes for latkes are from her book Jewish Cooking in America. Check out the recipes for curried latkes and crispy latkes!
• A Chanukah Story, by Kinky Friedman. His most recent book Spanking Watson was published in 1999 by Simon and Schuster. A Chanukah Story was commissioned for “Chanukah Lights” by NPR.
• Oil and Water, by Dani Shapiro. Her most recent book is Slow Motion, published by Random House. Oil and Water was commissioned by NPR.
• It Should Once Again See Light, by Dr. Blair P. Grubb, a cardiologist, at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo. It Should Once Again See Light first appeared in ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE.

The Western Wind on NPR

Theodore Bikel narrates The Chanukah Story as the internationally acclaimed Western Wind sings an eclectic repertoire of songs reflecting the diverse and multi-national nature of the Jewish Experience. Hear an example, as The Western Wind performs Mi Ze Y'Malei, an ancient Sephardic Folk song, with an introduction by Theodore Bikel. (You can also listen with a 14.4 connection)

(These 28.8 kbps audio segments require the free RealPlayer 5.0 or higher.)