Category Archives: Musicabilia

About my musicals that are not “Speakeasy” or a “Poe musicabre”

LANGSTON HUGHES, TOO, SINGS AMERICA

Posted on June 5, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

Who But The Lord – Words: Langston Hughes; Music: Danny Ashkenasi The above words were written by Langston Hughes in the 1950s. It angers me that they still speak so closely to the struggles we are witnessing today, even more … Continue reading →

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DROPPING NAMES

Posted on April 12, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

  A Collection of Mini Memoir Memories You may have seen this going around on Facebook or Twitter:  People listing names of celebrities they have met in their life times, but including one name that is a lie.  Then people … Continue reading →

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The Staten Island September 11th Memorial

Posted on September 11, 2019 by dannyashkenasi

  This year at this date, I would like to share photos I took earlier this summer at the Staten Island September 11th Memorial, just across the water from Manhattan’s financial district, and the new World Trade Center. The memorial … Continue reading →

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MARK TWAIN NEVER GOT TO THE LOUVRE (but I did)

Posted on December 14, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

A trip to the magnificent Louvre museum with Mark Twain.  Well actually Mark Twain himself never got there, but he wrote about not getting there in “The Innocents Abroad”, and that satirical anecdote about what happens to unwary, blustery Americans … Continue reading →

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WITCHES IN HOUSTON

Posted on September 30, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

UPDATE:  Lone Star Lyric has postponed their production of “Witches” to June, 2019 However, my Nov 3 talk at the Round Top Theater Forum will include numerous performed excerpts -songs and scenes – from the musical. —— Looking for something … Continue reading →

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In Which I Complete the 30 DAY SONG CHALLENGE

Posted on July 6, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Fun on Twitter.  Last month I took on the #30daysongchallenge. Here are the complete results, lightly annotated:   No kidding.  Kurt Weill’s haunting masterpiece. The subject of one of this blog’s most widely read pieces: Speak Low, Phoenix, Speak Low…   … Continue reading →

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CANNIBALISM IN THE CARS – a Musical Take on Mark Twain’s Succulent Satire of Congress

Posted on April 11, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Congress … yuck!  A distasteful subject!  Quite literally even, according to Mark Twain. Every year Congress gives us more reasons to loathe it.  This year perhaps more than ever. Thinking ill and making fun of Congress is a sport that … Continue reading →

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SONGS OF JOB’S DESPAIR – “I’m Alive” & “Divine Intervention”

Posted on February 16, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

“I’m Alive” and “Divine Intervention” are two songs that speak to humanity’s age-old despair, in the person of one man crying out against overwhelming unspeakable events outside of his fault and control. They were written for The Song of Job … Continue reading →

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Jacqui Sutton and the Frontier Jazz Orchestra perform “Grass Dolls”

Posted on January 28, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

My friend and collaborator Jacqui Sutton has posted a video of her and the Frontier Jazz Orchestra performing “Grass Dolls”, a live performance that also functions as a video submission for NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts. “Grass Dolls” is the first … Continue reading →

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HOPE? Maybe just PRAYING FOR TIME

Posted on January 3, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Last year I ushered in the new year with Hope for a New Year, featuring the cathartic finale “Hope” of my oratorio The Song of Job 9:11.  A song of phoenix like rising from the ashes, a gently defiant assertion … Continue reading →

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Holiday Repost: HAPPY HOLIDAYS – How this Carol Curmudgeon Ended Up Unwittingly Writing Three Seasonably Suited Carols Himself

Posted on December 28, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

(Originally posted last Christmas… Last Christmas … sniff… R.I.P. George Michael…) I plead guilty to being a bit of a Christmas Carol Grinch.  OK, I used to be a BIG Christmas Carol Grinch, really loathing most carols and sometimes resorting … Continue reading →

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Holiday Flee Market in the Classic Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

Posted on December 21, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

This post features holiday music from the damn bestest Lesbian holiday album ever: Venus Envy’s 1990’s cult classic “I’ll be a Homo for Christmas” The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower is the most famous building in Brooklyn.  Completed in 1929 it … Continue reading →

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN with Notes from a Composer

Posted on October 29, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

As Halloween falls on a Monday this year, I think it makes sense to call this a long Halloween Weekend.  Much costumed celebrating and ghoulish goings-on will have already begun yesterday and continue through today and Sunday into the official … Continue reading →

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September 11, 2016

Posted on September 11, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

For this day: HOPE from the oratorio The Song of Job 9:11   For the full concert, go to the  Song of Job page.   Also: THE SONG OF JOB 9:11 – 14 year anniversary of 9/11/2001 Posted on September 8, … Continue reading →

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BRAZIL – Floating Forests, Piranhas, and Sunsets of the Amazon

Posted on August 5, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

Above, the Jungle Lodge, where we stayed for a weekend Amazon Adventure on the Urubu River BRAZIL (Bachianos Brazil Samba) – Michael Kamen Below views of the Urubu River from the Lodge tower. The Urubu river gets its name from … Continue reading →

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LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI – a mini musical adaptation

Posted on July 15, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

  I recently created the TWAIN page, where you can read about stories and listen to musical excerpts from my Mark Twain musical comedy beTwixt, beTween & beTWAIN.  Below I will reproduce a complete scene from the musical, the mini-adaptation … Continue reading →

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