Happy 121st Birthday Jolie!



Asa Yoelson was born on May 26, 1886 born in Seredzius, Lithuania in a Jewish village (commonly known as a "schtetle"). "The World's Greatest Entertainer" would eventually change his name to the legendary, Al Jolson. The rest is history.

One Year Anniversary of the Jolson and Friends Blog

On May 14th, The Jolson and Friends Blog celebrated our first year anniversary. Thank you for all of the positive support and feedback. Excluding this blog posting, I have published five original interview totaling 29 blog postings and 15 audio podcasts. This consisting of over 86,000 words which have been viewed 17,000 times including over 500 regular subscribers. The audio Podcasts have been heard over 4,200 times over the last seven months.

Also special thanks to my family and close friends for their support as well as Richard Grudens, Janet and Brian Gari, Sybil Jason, Trav S.D., Joe Franklin, Richard Halpern, Clive Baldwin, Dr. Larry I. Gaum, Dr. Marc Leavey, Michael Scaife, Bob Daniels, Jan Hernstat, George Hudson, Ed Greenbaum, Michelle Malik, the International Al Jolson Society, Eddie Cantor Appreciation Society, Stan Gerloff, Tracey Lawton, Anthony DiFlorio III, the Kaplinsky family, every customer who has purchased one of the featured special collector edition t-shirts and of course Jolie, "The Worlds Greatest Entertainer".

Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel

In case you have been wondering what is next project for the Jolson and Friends Blog. Well folk, next stop is a very informative six-part series on Al Jolson with another fellow Jolson auteur, Dr. Larry I. Gaum. He has produced a very informative and award-winning documentary in Canada entitled "Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel."

Free Jolson and Friends Podcasts

After collecting audio assets for five Jolson related interviews, in the last few months I launched the First Jolson Podcast and you can listen to the entire six-part Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel interview with Dr. Larry I. Gaum and seven-part series on Vaudeville with authors Trav S.D. as well as Sybil Jason.

To listen to the free Jolson and Friends Blog Podcast published audio files

Use feed.jolsonblog.com and click on:

Jolson and Friends Blog Podcast: Asa the Magnificent Minstrel Interview Part I

To subscribe to the free Jolson and Friends Blog Podcast published audio files

Use www.apple.com/itunes/download/ or www.podcastalley.com or www.bloglines.com/ to set-up account and then search on Jolson and Friends Blog Podcast.

If you are currently using a RSS or atom reader add feed.jolsonblog.com to you subscribed content list.

Last Chance to Register: 2007 Jolson Society Festival in Toronto

The annual International Al Jolson Society event starts on Friday, May 25, 2007 and ends on Sunday, May 27, 2007 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Very special entertainment will include Tony Babino (The heart of Jolson), Richard Halpern (Mr. Tin Pan Alley) and William Campbell (Scotland's Own Jolson).

On Friday afternoon, at 2 PM, Ed Greenbaum will be hosting a special tribute to the late Norman Brooks. It will be a musical event in which Ed Greenberg will present an overview of Norman's 40 year career and emphasize, of course, his wonderful Jolsoneque performances. I am hoping that some members of the Brooks family may be attending this event.

On Saturday afternoon, at 1:30 PM, Professor Paul Bowers and Ed Greenbaum will be presenting some new and very exciting rare Jolson material for all to enjoy. Paul will debut the brand new Lifebuoy CD which includes a "new" tune---a BIG one--that has never before been released. Ed will also be presenting some Jolson surprises that you've not heard before.

For more information on this great event, go to www.Jolson.org and click on the Click for information on May, 2007, Jolson Festival near Toronto, Canada link.

New Series of Houdini and History of Baseball T-shirts and for a Limited Time, Save 20% on Special Edition T-shirts (Still Includes FREE Shipping)

You will be "Sitting on Top of the World" with these limited edition T-shirts. These are perfect holiday gifts for collectors of nostalgia and a must have for anyone interested in the legendary Al Jolson, Houdini, Baseball and Eddie Cantor. Each t-shirt comes with a FREE matching gift card.

AffiniTee LLC only uses brand new Hanes Beefy-Ts premium 6.1 oz. heavyweight pre-shrunk 100% cotton . These unique vintage images are applied using a high pressure industrial heat press and professional grade hot transfers and a proprietary process for extended wear.

This unique T-shirts is available in white or black in adult sizes including small (34-36), medium (38-40), adult large (42-44) and XL (46-48) sizes. Additional sizes including children, adult XXL and XXXL are available on a special order basis and are subject to a $3.00 surcharge to prices listed below

           King of Cards                               Escape Artist                     Death Defying Mystery

        Jolson Singing Fool                Cantor Tell to the Judge                  Moon Rocket Ride

                    Jolie                                      Old Time Baseball                   Asbury Park Clowns

            Sherlock Double                         Sherlock Improbable                   Sudoku Puzzle

Here's the Deal:

NEW Houdini Limited Edition T-shirt: King of Card
No slight of hand with this vintage reproduction of a historic King of Cards poster

NEW Houdini Limited Edition T-shirt: Escape Artists
Try breaking out of this vintage reproduction of publicity photo of Houdini in chains

NEW Houdini Limited Edition T-shirt: World's Most Mysterious Man & Escape King
There is no escaping from this vintage reproduction of Houdini's personal stationary

Al Jolson Limited Edition T-shirt: The Singing Fool
This is a vintage color reproduction of a 1928 theatrical program

Eddie Cantor Limited Edition T-shirt: Tell it to the Judge
This is a vintage two-color reproduction of 1930s board game

Moon Rocket Ride Limited Edition Carnival T-shirt
This is a vintage color reproduction of a hand painted tin carnival sign

Jolie NEW Black & White Limited Edition T-shirt
This is a vintage B/W illustration of Jolie from the 1920s

NEW History of Time Baseball Limited Edition T-shirt
This is real deal for real baseball fans, an authentic turn of the century History of Baseball T-shirt featuring Boston, New York, Chicago and Detroit

Asbury Park Clowns Limited Edition Boardwalk T-shirt
This clown no longer graces Asbury Park Boardwalk, but this vintage color reproduction lives on

Sherlock Double Limited Edition T-shirt
Looking left and right "the game is afoot" with this vintage, black and white illustrated, Sherlock t-shirt, with no clues overlooked

Sherlock Improbable Limited Edition T-shirt
Vintage Sherlock, black and white illustrated profile, on t-shirt with famous quote, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth"

Sudoku Clueless Limited Edition T-shirt
Sudoku aficionados can proudly challenge the world with this puzzling T-shirt

Here's the Deal: Save up to 15%

White or Natural T-Shirt: $17.00 with FREE U.S Shipping and Matching Gift Card (Regular price $20.00)

Black T-Shirt: $18.50 with FREE U.S Shipping and Matching Gift Card (Regular price $22.00)

Pack of 5 gift cards: with envelopes is now $8.50 with FREE U.S Shipping (Regular price $10.00)

Pack of 10 gift cards: with envelopes is now $15.00 with FREE U.S Shipping (Regular price $18.00)

For additional information, special orders, discounted shipping outside the U.S., payments through Pay Pal, please contact: brian@affinitee.com.

To order please specify style (Jolson, Cantor, Moon, Jolie, Houdini King of Cards, World's Greatest Mystery Man, History of Old Time Baseball, Asbury Park Clown, Sherlock Double Profile, Sherlock Improbable, Sudoku), quantity, size, t-shirt color (white/natural or black), type (t-shirts or matching gift cards) and your shipping address. Please send checks to:

AffiniTee LLC c/o:
Brian Marcus Decker
24 Arverne Road
West Orange, NJ
07052

Part I: Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel Interview

Brian Marcus Decker: Yowza, Yowza, Yowza. This is Brian Marcus Decker, for the Jolson and Friends blog located on the web at www.JolsonBlog.com, which is the first tech-nostalgic blog dedicated to the musical influences of Al Jolson and Friends. As part of our ongoing series of interviews, we're fortunate to be talking, via telephone today, with Dr. Larry I. Gaum who has produced a very informative and award-winning documentary entitled "Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel."

Larry, I wanted to thank you for taking the time with the Jolson and Friends blog community.

Dr. Larry I. Gaum: Brian, it's a pleasure to be talking to you today and it's indeed an honor for me to realize that you have selected me as your guest. Thank you very much, Brian.

Brian Marcus Decker: You're welcome. Larry, you seem to among a small group, independent group of talented individuals whose creative energy and passion for Al Jolson resulted in "Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel." What was the genesis of this project and how did it go from just an idea into reality?

Dr. Larry I. Gaum: Well, ever since I was a small boy, probably about eight-years-old, I was enthralled with the voice of Al Jolson. It was through the Decca Records that I really listened to Jolson. The Decca Records were the recordings from "The Jolson Story" and "Jolson Sings Again", and my dear father brought home the album. He was a very neat and tidy individual and when I think today he said, "Here son, play it at your heart's content." I played that album must have been a thousand times. And it was through his love of Jolson in which I was introduced to this fabulous person. But, I also remember my mother, who was a very musical person, and we used to listen together; again, I was only 8 or nine years old; to the Kraft Radio programs on the radio. I can remember distinctly Oscar Levant and Jolson, and everything else and I think this whole thing just formulated in my mind. Jolson, to me, became the best there was and throughout my entire life, up to this day as I'm sitting and talking to you, Jolson is one of the greatest and the one that I enjoy the most.

Brian Marcus Decker: Well, my understanding is that you have received some public recognition and awards for your documentary, "Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel." Can you tell us about these awards?

Dr. Larry I. Gaum: Well, I submitted the documentary to the various video clubs and organizations here in Toronto and in Canada. The Toronto Film and Video Club gave it their top award for the best documentary. Then I submitted it on a national level to an organization, their initials are SCCA, which is the Canadian Amateur Cinema group, and I got the Best Editing Award. It's across Canada, there are hundreds of submissions of documentaries and other videos, and I was very proud and very pleased.

It was also picked up and played on various TV channels and I got a lot of positive feedback from it. As a matter of fact, I think it would be an appropriate place to also tell you that I sent a copy to Mrs. Earl Jolson Krasna and I never dreamt that I would ever receive a reply. But I have a brother who lives in California and he managed to get me her address. And lo and behold, on August 9, 2002, it was about a month after I had sent her the video, she wrote me a beautiful, beautiful letter. I have that framed and in my office.

Brian Marcus Decker: That's just fantastic. Let me ask you what were some of the biggest challenges you faced in making "Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel"?

Dr. Larry I. Gaum: First of all, at the time that I put this together, and it was 2001, 2002, there wasn't a lot of material on the life of Jolson at the time. There were a few books. Remember the web and the internet wasn't all that sophisticated at the time, although there were sources. It was 60 years since he had passed away and very few of my generation and older that had heard and were aware of Jolson, were still around. There's very few of us that recall the Jolson legend, but I managed.

I joined the International Al Jolson Society and to a great extent they were very helpful. Some of the members, especially the editor, Dr. Marc Leavey is a wonderful person, a very kind, very considerate, very helpful individual. There were also others who were part of the executive board, my Canadian friends and colleagues that tried to help as much as they could. I bought a lot of old movies and recordings from the International Al Jolson Society and I compiled the material myself. I worked on it myself. Like my father used to say, I was the chief cook and bottle washer. I produced, directed and wrote it. I narrated, compiled and edited the entire documentary. So, other than sources of information that were few and far between, I guess those were the biggest challenges was to get enough material to put on a video tape that lasted close to an hour.

A lot of people at the time said, Why Jolson? Why don't you do somebody popular? You're wasting your time. Who's interested in Jolson? It won't be successful if you want to sell it. Well, my initial thrust was not, I didn't want this to become a commercial issue. It was a labor of love, it's still a labor of love and when I listen to Jolson and see movies and clips and things, it's still a love for Jolson.

Brian Marcus Decker: Believe me, I more than understand that from all the work and resources and blood, sweat and tears. So thank you for all the effort in terms of putting together "Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel."

Dr. Larry I. Gaum: Thank you.

June 17, 2007: Part II Asa, the Magnificent Minstrel Interview with Larry  Gaum

• Jolson has been credited for revolutionizing popular culture. He's changed mass media, as well as just affecting the performing arts, even today. Can you share with us some of Jolson's biggest achievements and what made the singing minstrel, comedian, recording film artist, radio performer truly earn the reputation as "The World's Greatest Entertainer"?

• You refer to him as the "immortal Jewish minstrel" and "the first Jewish performer who was loved, worshipped and adored by millions of people all over the world." Can you put into perspective your thoughts on how Judaism influenced and contributed to Jolson's success as an entertainer?

Jolson and Friends Blog Required Reading List

No Applause--Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous (Paperback) by Trav S.D.

Click here to shop and buy this book from Amazon

My Fifteen Minutes: An Autobiography of a Child Star of the Golden Era of Hollywood (Paperback) by Sybil Jason.

Click here to shop and buy this book from Amazon

When Jolson Was King: (Paperback) by Richard Grudens.

Richard Grudens has written an entertaining and informative (must read) book for anyone interested in the legendary, Al Jolson "The World's Greatest Entertainer".

"The book contains many facets of Jolson' career including those around him, his competition, employers, and comments from those he inspired enough to form their own careers, the issue of minstrel, blackface performers, fabled stories of the famed Friar's Club, a chapter of the infamous Shubert Brothers, and chapters covering Jolson's experiences in film, radio and his extensive USO travels. Covered too are vignettes of the theatres in which Jolson performed, and of those great theatrical competitors like the Barrymore's and where they were voicing their talents while Jolson was pulling them in at the Winter Garden, and a full feature on Jolson's films from the first talkie, The Jazz Singer to his famed bio-pics The Jolson Story and Jolson Sings Again." - Richard Grudens

Click here to shop and buy this book from Amazon

Changes to Jolson and Friends Blog

In the upcoming months I am looking to continue to evolve the Jolson and Friends Blog and wanted preview some upcoming changes. As of this post, I am promoting the sale of Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Houdini, History of Baseball and several other unique Limited Edition T-shirt designs (featured above) and matching gift cards (with free shipping). The sales from these items help offset the cost of maintaining this blog.

Due to the time intensive nature of ongoing research, content development, production and maintaining and the Blog, the next blog update will happen on June 17, 2007.

I am starting to work on several future Jolson and Friends projects including:

• Video tapes to DVD transfer service.
• Jolson and Friends Recommended Reading and Viewer Lists including cost-saving shopping links to find out-of-print books, videos and more.
• Expanded global coverage of local events.
• Future podcasts of upcoming interviews and special performance-based content.

To ensure that you are automatically informed about new postings, please enter your email address at the sidebar on the left of this blog page or send an email to my attention, with the subject line "Subscribe", to: brian@JolsonBlog.com.

Watch for the Mail, I'll Never Fail

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