Don't think I've forgotten that this is the first night of Chanukah. Here's the first track of Moishe Oysher's excellent 1950 record, The Moishe Oysher Chanukah Party. (I got my copy of this from Christmas sharity legend Ernie (Not Bert).)The record is narrated by Moishe's daughter Shoshanna, but the real highlight is the singing: Moishe brought the traditional art of the cantor into this century, with jazz phrasing and more dramatic intonations.
I'm not familiar at all with any aspects of Judaism (except of course that you don't roll on Shabbas), but I've put this whole album into my Christmas playlist, and I'm never disappointed when one of these tracks come up.
I don't have eight whole Chanukah posts this year, but I have at least one more up my sleeve between now and the 29th. Stay tuned.
