Showing results by narrator "Joel ben Izzy" in All Categories

Once upon a time, a successful storyteller lost his voice to throat cancer. Deprived of the instrument of his art and his livelihood, he retreated into dark, sullen silence and depression. While searching for a spiritual explanation, he encountered his former mentor, a cantankerous and often drunken old man. Their meetings began a journey into the timeless wisdom of ancient tales: of beggars and kings, monks and tigers, lost horses, buried treasures, and ultimately the secret of happiness.

One lousy miracle. Is that too much to ask? Evidently so for Joel, as he tries to survive Hannukah 1971 in the suburbs of the suburbs of Los Angeles (or, as he calls it, "The Land of Shriveled Dreams"). That's no small task when you're a "seriously funny-looking" 12-year-old magician who dreams of being his own superhero: Normalman. And Joel's a long way from that as the only Jew at Bixby School, where his attempts to make himself disappear fail spectacularly.

Joel's first recording will carry you from the old city of Jerusalem to the subways of Tokyo, from the bath houses in Turkey to a village in China, with a detour through Chelm, the mystical Jewish village of fools.The stories are beautifully woven together by clarinet music and strains of laughter. Winner of the American Library Association Notable Recording Award as well as the Parents' Choice Gold, it has also been chosen as a "Parents' Choice Classic.

Joel tells the stories closest to his heart, including the bittersweet tales of his father, in the collection that will carry you from Poland to Spain to Haiti and even the suburbs of Los Angeles. You'll meet Herschel of Ostropol and Merisier - stronger than elephants. All the stories are woven together with music to match in this tale of laughter and tears stretching around the world and back again.

Traveling storyteller Joel ben Izzy recounts the story of Hanukkah, as you've never heard it before, along with seven other tales to keep you laughing for all eight nights of the festival of lights. Through it all, Joel manages to capture both the warmth and humor of the holiday, with the stories woven together by the lilting music of The Kings of Klezmer.

Ghost stories gathered around the world, from a taxi in Hong Kong to a cemetery in Israel and one memorable tale set on a Halloween in suburbs of Los Angeles. These are some of the scariest and funniest tales Joel has found. This collection includes The Green Hand - a tale which actually found Joel, deep within a cave outside of Rome. Accompanied by an eclectic mix of creepy music, these are a great assortment of tales for late October, when the days grow dark.

This hilarious collection of tales will take you back to Joel's liver-lovin' days. As long on laughter as they are short on truth, these tales tell the story of Brian, who loved watermelon, and Brian, who hated watermelon. You'll hear the tale of Moose-Turd Pie and a tale of Paula Bunyan - which was her real name.The zaniness of the tales is matched by the music for a collection of stories you'll want to listen to again and again. Winner of Parents' Choice Silver Award.

Tales of beggars, bakers, and babies, this is one of Joel's most beloved recordings. You'll be carried around the world and back again, with a detour through Mohammed Ali's Green Door Pizza oven in Jerusalem, with the tales woven together with strains of music to set the mood.