Testimonials

"Many thanks for making Skokie Valley Hadassah's recent meeting an outstanding event. We were all delighted with your entertaining and meaningful program. We enjoyed how you teach your audience about the wonderful world of Yiddish and Jewish music. My personal thanks to both of you for your contribution to my success as a Program Coordinator."

"You presented a delightful musical journey. Jeff and Janis are outstanding. Everyone agreed it was a memorable afternoon"

"Thank you for your excellent performance at the Skokie Festival of Cultures. We had a terrific response and positive feedback from our audience"

"Your performance at Briarwood Country Club was delightful and uplifting. You both have beautiful voices and your repertoire was so much fun. Thank you for helping to make the afternoon so pleasurable."

"Thank you for tonight's wonderful program! Your music is fabulous and we all enjoyed every minute. I'll be looking forward to future engagements."

"The Board members of the BJBE Friendship Club thanks you for sharing your wonderful talents at our Chanukah party. Your diverse selection of songs and beautiful music gave pleasure and enjoyment to everyone in attendance. We had a wonderful response and hope you will share your talents with us again."

"The presentation was great and the audience enjoyed the music immensely. I received many compliments on the performance and I'm sure we will invite 'Jeff and Janis' to perform again."

—Sol Young, Program Chair
Northwest Suburban Jewish Friendship Club

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—below is an extended Skokie Review article
Jeff & Janis recorded ‘At Last’—December 5, 2002
BY MYRNA PETLICKI

A couple of years ago, we introduced readers to a pair of college professors who had combined forces to share their love of Jewish music.
We’re happy to report that Jeff Winter and Janis Fine, known professionally as Jeff & Janis, have found a large audience.
Bookings are coming in at a rapid rate for the Skokie-based duo.
The two have expanded their repertoire to include several Broadway medleys, some newer Israeli numbers and more Yiddish songs, in addition to Hebrew and folk numbers.
They also have released their first album, appropriately titled “Jeff & Janis: At Last.”
The pair will perform selections from the recording Saturday evening during “Come to the (Jewish) Cabaret, Old Chum,” a CD release party at Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston.
As usual, Winter will be singing and playing a six-string guitar, 12-string guitar, autoharp and harmonica. Fine will sing and play percussion instruments.
Over coffee a few weeks before the concert, the two discussed recent career developments.
“We were taken happily by surprise,” said Fine of the warm receptions they have received at performances. “We knew that there was a niche for us, though, that people weren’t doing the kind of thing we were doing.”
The two carefully pick every song that they add to their repertoire.
“We are very interested in the message,” Fine said. “If it’s a Hebrew song or a Yiddish song, we translate what the message is. If it’s an English song, we also give the rationale as to why this is a piece in our performance that evening.”
“We come to an audience hoping to do more than just present music,” Winter added. The personal touch
“We want to talk about what music has said to us and why we've decided to add our fingerprints to a song and interpret it in a particular way,” Winter said. “We never can completely predict how that audience is going to react or the ways they’re going to find the music meaningful — but they always do.”
“Come to the (Jewish) Cabaret, Old Chum” will offer a mix of Hebrew, Israeli, Yiddish and show tunes, highlighting the new album, which is available as a CD and a tape. Selections range from “Chiri Bim” and “Tsena Tsena” to “Bei Mir Bisdu Shayn,” a “Fiddler on the Roof” medley and a rousing rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.” A Broadway medley includes “New York, New York,” “Lullaby of Broadway” and “Give My Regards to Broadway.”
Winter said that the CD has been well received.
“I talked to one couple that told me they played it all the way driving down to Florida,” Winter said. “It was very meaningful that my mother really enjoyed it that much.”
Joking aside, both performers say they've been praised by many listeners for keeping Jewish music alive and revitalizing it.
Winter emphasized that they don’t present a nostalgia act.
“Rather, we try to bring new arrangements to things,” he said. “And no matter what the age of the group, we always try to have several songs that they haven’t heard before. We try to look back and forward at the same time.”