Charley Rappaport

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  www.bdaa.com/halloffame_charleyrappaport_m.htm - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 9/6/2009    Last Visited: 9/6/2009  

  Charley Rappaport The BDAA Hall of Fame ~ Charley Rappaport
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  CHARLEY RAPPAPORT - 2003 - BDAA CO-FOUNDER When Charley Rappaport sat down with Steve Wolownik to put together the first BDAA membership list, Charley had no trouble coming up with names. When Charley Rappaport sat down with Steve Wolownik to put together the first BDAA membership list, Charley had no trouble coming up with names.
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  Ever since memories of his grandfather inspired his love of the balalaika, Charley Rappaport has sought out those who have played and loved the music. Whether their paths crossed musically, or Charley happened to be in town with a phone number in his pocket, Charley sat down with the "old-timers" and listened to their stories.
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  Those whom Charley interviewed were ready to share their memories and knowledge with someone they to respected: as early as the 1960's, Charley Rappaport earned a reputation as a master of the domra (before that the mandolin), with a truly expressive, individual style.
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  Charley Rappaport grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he first heard Martin Kalinsky play the mandolin.
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  "I'm really self-taught," says Charley, 'although I did read the books on mandolin technique and music theory.
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  It was in New York that Charley first came into contact with the Russian cabaret scene. He was playing alto domra with Alexander Kutin's Balalaika Symphonic Orchestra in the 1960's, and frequently went to the Two Guitars restaurant to relax with orchestra members after concerts. As he listened to Sasha Polinoff, Kostya Poliansky, and Mike Geryak create a Russian evening, Charley says, "I know what I really wanted to do. Charley formed his own Tzigane Folk Orchestra, and took them to Gerde's Folk City to audition at Monday open mike night. The act was so popular that Gerde's wanted to sign up the five young musicians to play every night for tow weeks. But because some members of the group were college students, they couldn't commit to playing every night. But Charley was fired up and ready to play.
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  The closing of the Two Guitars opened another door, Charley moved to Silverton, Colorado with friends Marvin and Diana Paloff, and opened his own Russian restaurant.
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  Charley had always loved his grandmother's Russian cooking (I know what she did; I just don't know how she did it!"), and spent a lot of time studying cookbooks and observing what went on in the kitchen at the Two Guitars. "But after three years in Silverton," he says, "I found myself mopping floors more than playing music.
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  The 1970's earned Charley the reputation as America's "Johnny Appleseed of the balalaika. After bringing Russian folk music to Silverton, Charley moved to Houston, co-founded the Houston Balalaika Society, and in 1977 moved to Atlanta, where he later co-founded the Atlanta Balalaika Society. When Charley moved to Atlanta, the city was becoming a real convention boomtown.
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  "I walked into the hotel manager's office on an airplane layover in Atlanta, " Charley says, "and walked out with a contract. The resulting engagement was probably the longest running "permanent gig" of any balalaika group in the U.S. The Great American Gypsy Band (Charley on domra, Eddy Svetlovsky on guitar and vocals, and Steve Wolownik, followed by Greg Carageorge, on contrabass) played six nights a week for thirteen years.
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  After the Great American Gypsy Band's engagement ended, Charley stayed on another three years at the Peachtree, playing with Guitarist, Frank Hamilton, and later with Sasha Lisnichuk.
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  In 1993, Charley and Sasha played a Russian fantasy show in Atlantic City called "Caviar: A Russian Delicacy.

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  www.bdaa.com/halloffame_charleyrappaport.htm - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 9/6/2009    Last Visited: 9/6/2009  

  The BDAA Hall of Fame ~ Charley Rappaport
  ...
  CHARLEY RAPPAPORT - 2003 - BDAA CO-FOUNDER When Charley Rappaport sat down with Steve Wolownik to put together the first BDAA membership list, Charley had no trouble coming up with names. When Charley Rappaport sat down with Steve Wolownik to put together the first BDAA membership list, Charley had no trouble coming up with names.
  ...
  Ever since memories of his grandfather inspired his love of the balalaika, Charley Rappaport has sought out those who have played and loved the music. Whether their paths crossed musically, or Charley happened to be in town with a phone number in his pocket, Charley sat down with the "old-timers" and listened to their stories.
  ...
  Those whom Charley interviewed were ready to share their memories and knowledge with someone they to respected: as early as the 1960's, Charley Rappaport earned a reputation as a master of the domra (before that the mandolin), with a truly expressive, individual style.
  ...
  Charley Rappaport grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he first heard Martin Kalinsky play the mandolin.
  ...
  "I'm really self-taught," says Charley, 'although I did read the books on mandolin technique and music theory.
  ...
  It was in New York that Charley first came into contact with the Russian cabaret scene. He was playing alto domra with Alexander Kutin's Balalaika Symphonic Orchestra in the 1960's, and frequently went to the Two Guitars restaurant to relax with orchestra members after concerts. As he listened to Sasha Polinoff, Kostya Poliansky, and Mike Geryak create a Russian evening, Charley says, "I know what I really wanted to do. Charley formed his own Tzigane Folk Orchestra, and took them to Gerde's Folk City to audition at Monday open mike night. The act was so popular that Gerde's wanted to sign up the five young musicians to play every night for tow weeks. But because some members of the group were college students, they couldn't commit to playing every night. But Charley was fired up and ready to play.
  ...
  The closing of the Two Guitars opened another door, Charley moved to Silverton, Colorado with friends Marvin and Diana Paloff, and opened his own Russian restaurant.
  ...
  Charley had always loved his grandmother's Russian cooking (I know what she did; I just don't know how she did it!"), and spent a lot of time studying cookbooks and observing what went on in the kitchen at the Two Guitars. "But after three years in Silverton," he says, "I found myself mopping floors more than playing music.
  ...
  The 1970's earned Charley the reputation as America's "Johnny Appleseed of the balalaika. After bringing Russian folk music to Silverton, Charley moved to Houston, co-founded the Houston Balalaika Society, and in 1977 moved to Atlanta, where he later co-founded the Atlanta Balalaika Society. When Charley moved to Atlanta, the city was becoming a real convention boomtown.
  ...
  "I walked into the hotel manager's office on an airplane layover in Atlanta, " Charley says, "and walked out with a contract. The resulting engagement was probably the longest running "permanent gig" of any balalaika group in the U.S. The Great American Gypsy Band (Charley on domra, Eddy Svetlovsky on guitar and vocals, and Steve Wolownik, followed by Greg Carageorge, on contrabass) played six nights a week for thirteen years.
  ...
  After the Great American Gypsy Band's engagement ended, Charley stayed on another three years at the Peachtree, playing with Guitarist, Frank Hamilton, and later with Sasha Lisnichuk.
  ...
  In 1993, Charley and Sasha played a Russian fantasy show in Atlantic City called "Caviar: A Russian Delicacy.

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  www.bdaa.com/halloffame_charleyrappaport_t.htm - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 9/6/2009    Last Visited: 9/6/2009  

  Charley Rappaport The Balalaika and Domra Association of America | Home RETURN TO BDAA Hall of Fame

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  www.bdaa.com/index_m.htm - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 9/3/2009    Last Visited: 9/6/2009  

  Charley Rappaport

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  www.postgazette.com/pg/07284/824349-42.stm - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/11/2007    Last Visited: 10/11/2007  

  According to Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra director Charley Rappaport, such ensembles were a popular American fad from the late 19th century up to the early 1930s, and Pittsburgh was no exception.
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  "There were some famous teachers and a lot of players from here," Rappaport explains.
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  With Maue's schedule becoming too hectic, Rappaport, a third-generation mandolin player (hearkening back to his mother and grandfather from Odessa) took over the post last year.He brought his experience since the early '70s playing around the country with his group The Great American Gypsies, most recently in Atlanta."We were the house band at the Peachtree Hotel, playing every night, six nights a week for 26 years."
  
  Rappaport likens the highly specialized arrangements of the Mandolin Orchestra to that of a symphonic pop orchestra such as the Boston Pops.
  
  "It's very light and entertaining.
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  "We also have a section of guitarists who add the foundation and the chords, and a different tone quality to the overall sound," Rappaport explains.
  
  A resident of Erie, Rappaport travels down Route 79 three days a week to teach about 30 students at Steve Miklas' Acoustic Music Works in Squirrel Hill, the region's unofficial mandolin mecca.In addition to playing Italian weddings and spending weekends as a strolling musician at Chovy's Restaurant in Meadville, Rappaport shepherds a smaller group called the Three Rivers Mandolin Consort.
  
  "We wanted to play more challenging music than was available in the orchestral setting.So we do ethnic music from countries where the mandolin is popular -- Italy, Spain, Poland, Greece, Russia -- and then we play classic and early baroque music, as well as pieces that were written for mandolin groups in the 20th century.We play in venues that are too small for the orchestra -- in fact, we have a show at the Carnegie Library on Nov. 11."
  
  Audience members on Saturday might be most surprised by the group's wide demographic when they behold four generations onstage."Our youngest player is 12, and our oldest is 88," adds Rappaport."We have an ensemble of young people -- three boys and two girls.They've all played for years on other instruments -- violin, cello -- and picked up the mandolin because they enjoy it.They play so great that you wouldn't believe they were kids if you turned your back."
  
  Such youthful participation bodes well for the future of the mandolin, and local folk enthusiasts should also count their blessings, Rappaport emphasizes.

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  - Elderly Instruments - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/1/2006    Last Visited: 9/30/2006  

  Alan, who has studied with top mandolin players such as Butch Baldassari, Tim O'Brien, and Charlie Rappaport, was the founder and director of the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra.

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  2006 Performers - Raccoon County Music Festival - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 4/25/2008    Last Visited: 3/31/2009  

  The band consists of Charley Rappaport on mandolin and Joseph Kovach on guitar.
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  Charley Rappaport was born in Brooklyn, NY and now resides in western Pennsylvania. He has appeared as a soloist at New York's Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Town Hall, in Washington's Kennedy Center as well as many other important venues in North America and Europe. He has founded many music organizations, including mandolin orchestras, and in 2004 Charley was named Master Folk Artist by the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts.

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  Acoustic Music Works - Guitars - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 9/30/2007    Last Visited: 11/12/2007  

  This mandolin was the personal instrument of and was traded here by the venerable Charley Rappaport, one of the finest mandolin players in the world.You can read more about Charley at his website here Charley was the founder of the Houston Balalaika Society and the Atlanta Balalaika Society and the co-founder of the Balalaika and Domra Association of America and the Atlanta Mandolin Orchestra.He has 5 recordings to his credit.He gets more music out of one of these little rascals than anyone we know.This classic Gibson A-2 mandolin has been played regularly by Charley and has a *great* loud woody sound and is an exceptionally fine player with a nice straight neck, no repair issues, separations or cracks - ready to treasure.We see a lot of these older Gibsons, but we rarely see them in this fine condition.Just the thing to end your oval hole mando search for GOOD.A classic.The case includes some great old accessories - the Gibson Souvenir leather key and pick pouch, a whistle style single note pitch pipe, and a mandolin method book (copyright 1927).The book is a unique "5 Minute Mandolin Course - Self teaching method" Maybe with that and fifty years of practice, you'll sound like Charley.

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  Acoustic Music Works - Mandolins - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 6/15/2009    Last Visited: 6/15/2009  

  Charley Rappaport played it and called it "The One".
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  Pictured here with Charlie Rappaport. Charley finds this mandolin to be quite impressive. Original TKL tweed case. $3,250 SOLD Thanks Andrew (AG)
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  Our mandolin teacher, Charley Rappaport, owns and plays two Stiver mandolins.
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  Charley Rappaport, our mandolin specialist, calls this one a "home run. Charley has been on the cover of Mandolin Magazine.
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  Before packing it (very carefully, I might add) I was able to pass it through the capable hands of Charley Rappaport, Alan Epstein, and Bob Artis, all of whom had nothing but high praise for the instrument.
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  Charley in particular (who gets more mileage of out those skinny frets up top than any man I know) commented that the mandolin had *perfect* intonation - dead on and fat singing treble tones. One happy Gypsy!
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  Charley Rappaport, who is fond of saying things like "this will be a great mandolin someday" says of this one "this is a great mandolin *period*".

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  Acoustic Music Works - Mandolins - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 2/20/2009    Last Visited: 2/20/2009  

  Pictured here with Charlie Rappaport. Charley finds this mandolin to be quite impressive. Original TKL tweed case.
  ...
  Our mandolin teacher, Charley Rappaport, owns and plays two Stiver mandolins.
  ...
  Charley Rappaport, our mandolin specialist, calls this one a "home run." Charley has been on the cover of Mandolin Magazine.
  ...
  Before packing it (very carefully, I might add) I was able to pass it through the capable hands of Charley Rappaport, Alan Epstein, and Bob Artis, all of whom had nothing but high praise for the instrument.
  ...
  Charley in particular (who gets more mileage of out those skinny frets up top than any man I know) commented that the mandolin had *perfect* intonation - dead on and fat singing treble tones. One happy Gypsy!
  ...
  Charley Rappaport, who is fond of saying things like "this will be a great mandolin someday" says of this one "this is a great mandolin *period*".

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