A Time For Everything?

I don’t know about you, but for me, things have been awfully dead in the Jewish music business.  Since the release of Benny Friedman’s mega album Chanukah time, I can think of only two other artists who have released new albums:  Yehuda Green and Shloime Gertner.   I am sure there are more, (not counting Purim albums and re-releases of music that is already out there) but those are the only two I can think of off the top of my head.  I know that things are seasonal in the Jewish music business, but I am wondering why.

Maybe someone who actually works for the Jewish music industry can correct me but I am under the impression that there are times that you release an album and times that you don’t.  For example, after Chanukah, the next time to release an album is Tu B’shvat.  Why is that exactly?  I understand that people want to release albums in time for the Chanukah gift giving season, but does it really make sense to release seven albums in the span of two weeks and then have nothing coming out for almost two months?

Same thing with the summer.  I know that prevailing wisdom is you don’t release an album right before the summer, so if you don’t release by Shavuos time, you have to wait until the summer is over.  This makes no sense to me at all.  Release an album towards the end of June.  School is ending, kids are going to camp, people are going on vacation and in a relaxed frame of mind.  They have time to listen to music.  They spend time in the car driving around, either as they are relaxing, going on family trips or heading up to the mountains.  It is the perfect time for a new album.  The same thing goes for kids in camp.  The music they play over the PA system gets burned into your head and becomes part of the fabric of that particular summer in camp.  There is no better time to get a new album out than right before the summer.

So here is a really novel idea.  Obviously no one wants to release an album right before sefira or the three weeks.   But how about if we release an album when it is ready instead of holding it for some special season, when it gets lost in the shuffle because three other albums were released at the same time?

Like I said, people who actually work in the Jewish music business seem to think that albums can only be released at particular times of the year.  Or so I have heard.  But for me, just your typical listener?  I am getting tired of waiting for the next time frame deemed auspicious for album releasing by someone in the business.  I just want to hear some more good music!!