For a short spell back in the mid-to-late 80s, I had the unenviable task of replacing the great Bob Lucas in the immensely popular folk trio, Eclectricity. My task was to help the remaining members, Willy Swartz and Miriam Sturm, muscle through a spate of gigs they had on the books. Once those gigs were done, the band folded.
Now, I will be the first to say there was simply no way for me, nor anyone of our acquaintance back then, to truly replace Bob Lucas, who’s soaring tenor voice, impeccable guitar, banjo and fiddle chops, and inestimable songwriting was the heart of the band. Bob’s departure truly signaled the end of Eclectricity — I was recruited purely for damage control, the only guitar player Willy and Miriam knew in the Bloomington Indiana area who could ramp up a complex set of tunes in a short period of time and help them get through those last few gigs.
One of these engagements was a high-dollar concert at a synagogue up in Chicago, so the material was drawn from the rich musical heritage of Israel. I loved the ethnic subtleties and spiritual density of the music, as well as the wit inherent in the lighter fare we played.
The gig was a LONG time ago, so the details are rather foggy, but I do remember having a hard time keeping my yarmulka (the small cap worn by Orthodox Jewish males to fulfill the customary requirement that the head always be covered) in place, as my hair is pretty curly, and in those days, relatively long. Miriam helped me out with some hair pins, as I recall.
This admittedly rough live cassette tape recording is a preparatory rehearsal of ‘Ki Tine Am’, one of the tunes we performed. Willy is on accordion, Miriam on violin, with me on guitar. All three of us sang, and I had to learn my lines by rote — to this day I have no idea what I was singing.
