24 JEWISH TELEGRAPH Friday January 22, 2010

CONTACT MIKE COHEN [email protected] ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Tel: 0161 741 2637 Grant helped to send Mike to USA on the trail

of jazz legends MAD ABOUT AWARD: From left, January Jones, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks and Vincent Kartheiser BY SIMON YAFFE Middlesex Polytechnic and then celebrate their Golden Globe award applied to do a post-graduate course in journalism from the HE cool, London College of Printing. uplifting world of “It was a tough course to get jazz has inspired on to and tough to do,” he ‘Jew Hunter’ waltzes and attracted continued. many Jewish Mike spent time writing for a Tmusicians. range of periodicals, including the National Union of From Artie Shaw to Pete Railwaymen’s magazine, away with a Globe Sokolow to Stan Levey, Jews London magazine City Limits, have made important forays The Guardian, The Financial AUSTRIAN actor Christoph Waltz into jazz. Times and The Observer. picked up yet another award on Sunday “In its early years, jazz He also wrote music features night for his portrayal as Hans Landa, attracted ethnic minorities in for Channel 4’s website and the Jew Hunter, in Quentin Tarantino’s America, such as Jews, blacks, various folk and roots’ hit flick Inglourious Basterds. Italians and the Irish — it never magazines. Waltz won best supporting actor at attracted WASPS,” Mike “It was all part of my music the prestigious Golden Globes, held on Gerber, author of Jazz Jews, told development,” Mike observed. Sunday in Los Angeles. He has already the Jewish Telegraph. His venture into jazz started won more than 15 awards for the role In the book, Mike in 2002. set during the Second World War. concentrates on the performers The lifelong Tottenham The Hangover, directed and produced and writers and explores the Hotspur fan used to frequent by Todd Phillips and Daniel Goldberg, role of Jews in breaking the the legendary Ronnie Scott’s won best film (musical or comedy). colour bar in American jazz. GERSHWIN FAN: Mike Gerber jazz club in London, Mad Men, created by Matthew Weiner, He also debates whether there way, just totally different.” He phoned Jim Godbold, won best series (drama), while Julianna is such a thing as Jewish jazz. editor of the club’s magazine Margulies picked up best actress Mike recalls watching a Freelance journalist Mike, of and told him he wanted talk (drama) for her role as Alicia Florrick in performance by the American Walthamstow, east London, about Jews in jazz. the legal drama The Good Wife. decided to write the book after jazz drummer and bandleader Buddy Rich at a Royal Variety “That conversation lasted It will be screened on Channel 4 from being approached to submit an half-a-minute, he just was not Monday (10pm). article on Jewish jazz for the Performance in the 1970s. interested,” Mike recalled. James Cameron’s epic Avatar swept Jewish Socialist magazine. He continued: “It was one of Amazingly, however, a friend the board, at the expense of Inglourious Mike recalled: “I knew that a the best performances I have later phoned Mike who told him Basterds and Quentin Tarantino. company called Five Leaves had ever watched. that Godbold had written an Daniel Day-Lewis (Nine), Joseph published a book called Rock ‘n’ “I also went to see Sonny editorial on Jews and jazz and Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer) Roll Jews. Rollins, McCoy Tyner, Muddy Waters and Dizzy Gillespie had even alluded to their phone and Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man) “I wanted to delve more into call. lost out to Robert Downey Jr in the Jews and jazz, so I approached when they were in London. Mike said: “I was not best actor (musical or comedy) them and asked if they fancied Born and brought up in annoyed, I actually mention category. doing a follow-up.” Kilburn, north London, he was barmitzvah in 1966, just after the story in the preface to my Anna Paquin missed out on a best He subsequently received a book.” actress award for her role in The grant from the Jewish Music the World Cup. His research for the book and Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler. Institute at London’s School of And his barmitzvah at the subsequent trip to America led Sendler saved 2,500 Jewish children African and Oriental Studies in local synagogue was the second one there. to him tracking down the by smuggling them out of the Warsaw 2002 and went to America to Ghetto. search out the legendary “It had been burned down, renowned jazz clarinettist, Composer Marvin Hamlisch music for Jewish stars of jazz. probably by neo-Nazis, and then composer and bandleader Artie restored,” Mike explained. Shaw, who he went to see at his The Informant was beaten to best Mike’s interest in jazz began home in Thousand Oaks, original score by Michael Giacchino for The 56-year-old did not get at a young age. California. Up. He remembered: “My dad had into journalism until he was in his 30s. Shaw, born Arthur Jacob Entourage’s Jeremy Piven and The a 78 rpm record of George Arshawsky, died in 2004, and the Closer’s Kyra Sedgwick also missed out Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue — He said: “I had a string of on awards. WINNER: Christoph Waltz dead-end, low-paid jobs, such as interview he gave to Mike for you had to turn it over to hear the book was one of his last. the rest of the song. working in a textile factory and Mike said: “He was quite “This was in the 1960s and I in a warehouse. “There came a point where it brusque and prickly, but highly was a big fan of The Beatles, intelligent. The Rolling Stones, The Kinks became so boring and I was just and The Animals. not getting any job satisfaction “I knew he was not at all. sympathetic to what I was “But Gershwin’s sound was writing, he said it did not make like nothing I had heard before Mike decided to do a degree in history with Spanish at a difference to him when he was — it was quasi-classical in a hiring people for his band what religion or ethnicity they were. “He was actually opposed to BRUSQUE: the premise of my book, but we Jazz legend spoke and it remains my Artie Shaw proudest interview.” Mike also interviewed Pete Sokolow, Barbara Carroll, Terry Gibbs and Stan Levey among others. He found that many Jews in jazz were inspired by the Talmudic songs and prayers they heard recited by the chazanim in synagogues when they were young. He said: “I am still researching the subject in my spare time. PREPARE TO BE HUNGOVER: The Hangover won the award for best motion “My passion for it has just picture, comedy or musical. Pictured, from left, Ed Helms Justin Bartha, director grown and grown.” Todd Phillips, Heather Graham, Bradley Cooper and Mike Tyson I Jazz Jews is published by Five Leaves, priced £24.99.