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September 01, 2010
Blown away from "The Other Europeans" in Somerville, MA last night

An amazing show by "The Other Europeans" in Somerville, MA last night. The place was packed on a Tuesday night, much to everyone's astonishment and delight. (Well, the dancer's might have wanted more room)

The band plays a mix of lautari and klezmer music with an intense energy level, and with an ability to improvise together that continually blows me away. So many members of the band are famous in their own right, from Kalman Balogh, king of the Hungarian tsimbl, to Matt Darriau, best known as the reed player for the Klezmatics.

The killer moment in a killer evening, for me, came on a duet featuring Matt and bassist Mark Rubin (perhaps best known for his alt.country band, the Bad Livers). I have simply never seen anyone attack a standup bass with such ferocity such that Darriau pushed his own clarinet faster and farther than he may have known he could do (Rubin's playing, and his effect on his bandmates are well-known--a performance a couple of years ago with Andy Statman at the Ashkenaz Festival was my personal highlight of that festival). But the whole damn band was like that--14 people at times, crowded on a bandstand that seems crowded with half that number.

It was the sort of concert so transforming that people took a very long time to leave. We all had to stand around talking about what we'd just heard, and sharing the joy of being at a concert so intense and wonderful. And, of course, this was also the sort of event that turns into a social occasion—everyone who loves this kind of music was there, it seemed, so a lot of fun catching up happened in the afterglow of the fiercely great music.

At our tables we just enjoyed the concert—we didn't do any filming or recording. But you can catch last week's concert at the National Yiddish Book Center on YouTube (clip below)

Posted by adavidow at 06:09 AM | Permalink
August 23, 2010
KlezmerShack email folder erased I am still not convinced it was me and not a bug in my email software, but the end result is that all pending KlezmerShack email that was in my general "inbox" was erased whilst on vacation and the backups similarly "oops"d. If you have a new or updated band listing, concert listing, CD review request, or general "hello" to which I have not replied, and could resend, just to be sure (you can even use this contact form), I would be most appreciative. Many thanks.
Posted by adavidow at 10:46 AM | Permalink
Poem for KlezKanada by Seymour Mayne

KlezKanada logo
One of the delights of this year's KlezKanada was the first-time appearance of poet Seymour Mayne. He has written this appreciation.

COOL
(a word sonnet)

What
is
it
God
avidly
listens
to
up
in
His
Penthouse?
Klezmer
from
KlezKanada.

Posted by adavidow at 10:33 AM | Permalink
August 08, 2010
Nat Hentoff reviews Mayrent release in WSJ

Bert Stratton spotted this one and posted to the Jewish-Music list:

Time-Travelers From a Golden Age—'Cantors, Klezmorim and Crooners 1905-1953,' a 3-CD set of U.S. recordings, brings the past to vivid life, by Nat Hentoff, Wall Street Journal, Aug 7, 2010.

"At last, … from Klezmer clarinetist Sherry Mayrent's collection of Yiddish 78s—as far as I know the largest in the world—there now comes a gloriously wide-ranging compilation from those golden years: "Cantors, Klezmorim and Crooners 1905-1953" (JASP Records, available on amazon.com ). There are 67 tracks in this three-CD set, including 42 never before reissued. Because of the extraordinary skills of engineer Christopher King, all of them bring you into the very presence of these carriers of the Yiddish ethos. At home in the Boston ghetto, I had grown up with a few of these, but they didn't sound as if the performers were actually in the room with me. They do now." [more]

Posted by adavidow at 09:25 AM | Permalink
August 06, 2010
Yiddish Song of the Week—“Oy vey mame,” performed by Ita Taub

How can I better Pete Rushefsky's description, posted to the Jewish-Music mailing list? [I note that both Pete and Itzik will be teaching, in person, at KlezKanada, since that's just about the only thing I am thinking about at the moment ;-).]

Was she betrayed?
Will she find the strength to move on?
The darkness of heartbreak … like black coal.

Performance by Ita Taub, notes by Itzik Gottesman.

Now at www.yiddishsong.wordpress.com

Posted by adavidow at 10:16 AM | Permalink
KlezKanada in just a week and a half, Aug 16-22—last chance to register? KlezKanada logo

I woke up this morning realizing that I am just a bit over a week from KlezKanada. The approach has been manifesting itself in several ways—earlier this week, for instance, I was planning my get together with friends at a houseparty in Maine. "Looking forward to klezmer" wrote my friend. For a moment, I was in a panic since we were about to hear a singer-songwriter of the Grateful Dead persuasion with no connection to Jewish music (other than personal ancestry). Then I remembered that we were all meeting up soon--him, his wife, his song, and his inlaws. It isn't such a stretch when you consider that KlezKanada alumni Shtreiml played my friend's Montreal wedding.

This is going to be an incredibly exciting KlezKanada. Not only will I be there doing the usual daily Yiddish/English/other-languages-as-present newsletter, but the entire "Other Europeans" ensemble will be teaching—a unique opportunity to learn older European klezmer traditions, but also lautari (Roma musicians) traditions. There will be a host of other incredible music workshops, along with some very exciting lectures and presentations. Consider this, then, your last opportunity to register, and come visit with us in a little over a week, in beautiful Camp Bnai Brith in the Laurentians, just north of Montreal.

Register online now for KlezKanada 2010!
August 16th to 22nd

New Balkan Beat Box CD - podcast from NPR Everyone's favorite dance band (at least if "everyone" means everyone in my house) has a new CD out - check it out in this NPR podcast:

Balkan Beat Box: A Fusion Of Cultures

"Balkan Beat Box describes its sound as "globalized urban mash-ups," with brass bands, wedding organs and a rooster's crow all finding a place in their recordings. Although the three band members were raised far from the Balkans, percussionist Tamir Muskat traces the band's inspiration to a childhood that amounted to musical potpourri.... [more on NPR's site]

Posted by adavidow at 06:18 AM | Permalink
July 26, 2010
Stempenyu's Neshome - new soul from Steven Greenman now available

cd coverWhile I am on the subject of New Jewish Music, with an emphasis on new music worth hearing, let me note that Steven Greenman's latest release, an amazing blend of klezmer, nign, and classical feeling is now available from CDbaby.com, with samples. It features several compositions by midwestern violin maestro Greenman, along with his playing, accompanied by the likes of Alan Bern (Brave Old World) and Pete Rushefsky. It's been on my current rotation for several weeks now and isn't going anywhere. There is some very deep music here. I don't think I'll get tired of it anytime soon. (Fair disclosure: I typeset the CD notes, so cannot be regarded as entirely unbiased unless you consider that I only work on projects that I am very much in love with and manage to hit during the very rare instances when I have time to work on them—the former criterion being the one that's relevant here.)

Posted by adavidow at 05:36 PM | Permalink
HBI issue on young Jewish women doing Jewish music

The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (HBI) has an online magazine called "614" (extending the 613 commandments followed by traditional Jews....) This issue has some short interviews with several young Jewish women creating interesting music. There is also an interview with jDub founder Aaron Bisman, and a link to the grandmother of Jewish Music Festivals, the Berkeley Jewish Music Fest, currently celebrating it's 25th birthday.

Taking Jewish music mainstream

I think what I like best is that there are articles about several people doing interesting music, and that I could go on for several more without even thinking that coulda shoulda also been part of that issue, but for deadlines and limited resources. So, I'll praise the magazine for catching a few facets of the prism, and encourage them to continue to explore the subject over time.

.
Posted by adavidow at 06:53 AM | Permalink
July 18, 2010
The Klezmer Shul - davenning klezmer style

This past Thursday night this year's Paper Bridge festival was closed out by Veretski Pass performing the East Coast premiere of their new improvisational piece, "The KlezmerShul."

It wasn't klezmer. There was lots of classical, cantorial, jazz music. It was intense and wonderful. Here is the closing movement (I posted the two movements under 10 minutes, plus all of the QA sessions, on YouTube):

You can catch the entire concert from the Internet Archive at www.archive.org/details/VeretskiPasstheKlezmerShulAmherstMa15Jul2010

Posted by adavidow at 08:58 PM | Permalink
July 15, 2010
"Branches" bridges old and new at Paper Bridge fest

Those of us (and the house was pretty full, so it wasn't a small crowd filling out the National Yiddish Book Center's new auditorium--I'd give you the donors' names, but the new NYBC website seems particularly opaque on such details) who attended the Amherst debut of Hankus Netsky's new band, "Branches" on Monday night had a subversively pleasant evening.

"Branches," includes Hankus on piano (Klezmer Conservatory Band founder and, as Dr. Netsky, head of the NYBC's "Discovery" Project), KCB regulars Andy Blickenderfer on bass, cello, and banjo; and Yaeko Mirando Elmaleh on violin; along with Hankus' jazz ensemble, "Another Realm" co-conspirator Linda Jaye Chase on flute and bass clarinet; and Hebrew College cantorial student Jessica Kate Meyer on vocals, harmonium, and percussion. You couldn't ask for a much more professional, tighter sounder group of folks for a pleasant evening in Amherst. Augmenting everything was the core of NYBC interns (and audience members) who took advantage of the floor space to indulge in "Yiddish" (Eastern European Jewish) folk dancing. The group started off with some traditional klezmer, but it quickly became clear that this was traditional music, but not the old same repertoire. Instead, Hankus mixed in pieces that he had gathered as part of the Center's "Discovery" project, as well as less-well-known pieces by that generation of Second Avenue songsters who had drawn on traditional music and made it American. We got to hear wonderful music that sounded familiar, but was still new to most of us.

Once the audience was warmed up, Hankus moved farther afield, including pieces from "Another Realm," including two wonderful pieces by flautist Linda Chase, one inspired by a poem by Itzik Manger, read simultaneously in Yiddish and English by Netsky and Chase; and another inspired by an earlier poem by the Sufi mystic Rumi. Again from "Another Realm" (I think—I forgot to check) was a new middle eastern piece by Hankus. Closing out, the ensemble returned to the familiar-sounding Yiddish and klezmer. As they played, my audience companions would turn to each other and to me, smiling that "this is hot shit" smile.

What made the concert special wasn't just wonderful music wonderfully played—it was the way that Hankus continues to broaden the repertoire of traditional music, expanding ears, and in a way, legitimizing further the boundary-pushing music of a younger generation of musicians such as The Lithuanian Empire or Daniel Kahn & Painted Bird. It's not a static canon, nor does the music come from a tradition that is disappearing—at least, not disappearing yet, and if the musicians or Monday night's audience have anything to say about it, clearly not disappearing anytime soon.

Tonight, of course, is the East Coast premiere of the new Veretski Pass piece, "Klezmer Shul," as suitable to close the festival as "Branches" was to open the festival—the one to open by showing that the culture that the Center has preserved is alive and well; and tonight to seal a future is even more open-ended and exciting than we imagined a few days ago. חזק חזק ונתחדש!

Posted by adavidow at 05:21 AM | Permalink
July 11, 2010
Ezekiel's Wheels on YouTube

As I wrote last week, this performance of Ezekiel's Wheels last weekend at the LilyPad was the culmination of a week of great music. I taped the whole thing on a Flip camera, and the bandmembers edited it down and put segments up on YouTube. The band, playing to a full house, was joined by several friends onstage, and great fun was had by all:

Posted by adavidow at 12:13 PM | Permalink
National Yiddish Book Center's "Paper Bridge" fest opens today

NYBC Paper Bridge Festival logoOne of the most special New England events occurs not during the Fall leaf-gawking season, but in mid-July—starting today, in fact—when the National Yiddish Book Center opens its annual "Paper Bridge" festival, a week-long celebration of Yiddishkeit with lectures, workshops, film screenings, and of course, Jewish music new and old.

This year features two special exhibits, Mayer Kirshenblatt's paintings in a traveling exhibit titled: "They Call Me Mayer July" (so what more appropriate month!??). I am a major fan of the exhibit, and of his pictures, which capture life in pre-Holocaust Poland in a way that is both sweet and yet eschews the shmalzification of the period. Kirshenblatt's exhibit is balanced by a look at "Esn! Jews and Food in America. It's a hard combo to beat. [Off-topic, I note that the Jewish Women's Archive, where I work, has recently begun featuring regular guest blogs—is that an oxymoron?—on food and new kosher recipes. Yummy!

What matters most to KlezmerShack readers, of course, is that there will be music. Amazing music. New music. Tomorrow night I expect to trek out for Hankus Netsky's new ensemble, Branches, "… that uses Jewish musical tradition as a point of departure for creative exploration, performing repertoire drawn from klezmer, Yiddish theater, and cantorial traditions, along with new compositions and improvisations based on Yiddish poetry and other sources."

Tuesday night is a re-interpretation "The Firebird." Double Edge Theatre's interpretation of the classic Russian tale draws from the work of Mark Chagall and uses both the indoor and outdoor spaces of the Book Center to transport the audience into the imagination of the famous painter. This is followed on Wednesday night by two documentaries, "The Peretzniks" and "Paint what you remember," the latter featuring Mayer Kirshenblatt talking about his work and pre-war Poland.

The finale, and another absolutely-must-see evening is the East Coast premiere of Veretski Pass's new piece, "The Klezmer Shul." "Inspired by the synagogues of pre-war Eastern Europe, The Klezmer Shul is rooted in Jewish liturgical melodic principles and emotionals intonations. This four-movement instrumental suite transmits the emotional power of synagogue singing without the use of words, incorporating elements of jazz, avant-garde, classical, klezmer, and folk music." If you are familiar with the ways in which Veretski Pass has revitalized early European klezmer music, you wouldn't dream of missing this. As for me, having heard bits and pieces of the piece in formation, I have my tickets at the ready.

The Paper Bridge festival includes more than just evening concerts. There are workshops, film-screenings, and tours during the day. If, like much of New England, you are spending some time in the Berkshires (or nearby) to escape the current heat wave, this is the week to spend a bit to the East in Amherst. The rest of us, still at work during the day, will simply face a longer commute than usual ;-).

National Yiddish Book Center logoNational Yiddish Book Center
1021 West Street
Amherst, MA
www.yiddishbookcenter.org

Posted by adavidow at 11:42 AM | Permalink
July 01, 2010
From Cooper and Lerner to Ezekiel's Wheel - a week of good music and not done yet

This past Sunday I found myself in New York City. I did the obvious and caught Adrienne Cooper and Marilyn Lerner at the City Winery brunch, way off on the West Side of town where I hadn't been since visiting a college friend at her father's print shop--Varick Street was once the center of printing in Manhattan.

Not only did I run into several friends, but the music was superb. The repertoire was a varied as one would hope for—older, less-well-known Yiddish songs, new ones, and a taste of Cooper and Lerner's settings of the poetry of Anna Margolin. I could listen to Adrienne Cooper sing for hours and days. I have to say likewise for listening to the improvisational piano playing of Marilyn Lerner, here extending from the instrumental music recorded on her most recent Jewish music CD, Roumanian Fantasy, to her incredible interplay with Cooper. Watching them both was a treat.

Brunch at City Winery is a major step up from the tiny old Tonic (which wasn't even offering food in the last years of its Sunday brunch series). The space is huge, and clean, and the waitstaff are attentive. But, I gotta say that Sunday brunch needs to feature food that is better than "okay." It is not painful to eat there, and the coffee is good, but I can't imagine anyone waking up and saying, "I can't wait to eat at the City Winery again, and boy, wouldn't it be great to take the family out and listen to XXX." For the music, you can't do better. But for the food, you'll always be thinking, "couldn't I be eating someplace else?"

I was sorely tempted to stay in NYC to catch Mycale that night, and really, really wanted to hear Greg Wall's Ain Sof Arkestra Monday night. Too bad on my part, as Greg writes:

The Ayn Sof Arkestra and Bigger Band played Monday night to a packed house and kicked hard! The Jewish Week wrote a nice preview and that helped. Interesting mix of folks in the audience—young, older, secular, frummies, and a bunch of musicians as well.

My consolation? I was back here in time to attend the first gig by the KlezWoods at Johnny D's. I've written about this band a few times—usually I see them at Atwoods Tavern in Cambridge at one of their Sunday night gigs. Dana Westover, who has a great Sunday afternoon world folk show on WUMB interviewed them last week, and got them this gig. It was smoking. If ever there was a band ready to be playing to people who are actually paying attention and are ready to dance, it's KlezWoods.

There were 10 people on stage, including Grant Smith, drummer for the Klezmer Conservatory Band and a wide range of projects including balkan and other world music; and Michael McLaughlin—Dr. McLaughlin to most of us—who plays accordion and keyboards for Shirim, Naftule's Dream, and some wonderful avant garde-ish bands. Joe Kessler, the band instigator was there hopping around and playing his battered electric teal violin. There was electric guitar and stand-up bass and trombone and trumpet and Becky Wexler on clarinet, Alex Spiegelman (sp?) on sax, all playing this wonderful soup of klezmer/balkan/funk/jam band music that was so perfect for dancing that you had people bopping around in usual north american style on stage while others were carefully weaving a line of Balkan steps.

'Nuff said. The band has a CD out in a couple of months. It may or may not be great. They appear around town. Time to catch them live.

And finally, the week not being over yet, I expect to see the same faces at the Lily Pad, in Inman Square, on Saturday night at 10pm when Ezekiel's Wheels hold forth. Big fun expected.

June 26, 2010
Three new reviews - recordings with attitude

I didn't realize until afterwards that there was a strong theme to today's reviews—these are all CDs that marry really, really good playing with really, really strong attitude. God bless every one of them.

Interesting type and graphics w/homage to wooden type.First up, Daniel Kahn and his Painted Bird ensemble have made a sort of hipster antiestablishmentarian "Yiddish as implicit protest" statement from the beginning. With this 2009 recording, I think the ensemble is coming into its own as a powerful voice for activism. I was corresponding with someone on Facebook last week and he mentioned this recording as one of his favorite recent recordings, so I knew it was time to actually tell people about Parasites & Partisans.

I saw Yiddish Princess in concert last week and haven't had such a good time in a long time. So, with unseemly haste and a lack of reflection, I provide a quick review of their extraordinary debut CD.

And now for an entirely different sort of attitude, perhaps appropriate for posting on a Shabbes before I hit the road to visit friends, we have the aptly named Breslov Bar Band / Have no fear with some of my favorite young New York musicians. Barroom rock 'n' roll meets Breslov to wonderful effect. Enjoy!

Posted by adavidow at 01:18 PM | Permalink
First Jewish Women's Music Festival, Falls Village, CT, Aug 2-8, 2010 festival photoJewish Women's Music Festival Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center Falls Village CT August 2-8, 2010 The festival will feature classes with renowned artists, and workshops in song sharing, writing a spiritual song, song and ritual, using chant, drumming, leadership of an audience/reading an audience, choral leadership and a cappella performance (among others). Opportunities to jam will abound and every night there will be a performance as well as open mic opportunities. In the Elat Chayyim tradition, Shabbat will be the central part of the festival. The festival culminates in a public performance at Isabella Freedman on Sunday, August 8th with featured performers including Vocolot, Rakia and Yofiah. For further info: isabellafreedman.org/womensmusic To register: thriva.activenetwork.com
Posted by adavidow at 08:25 AM | Permalink
Stages Klezmer Paris - 2010 du 5 au 9 juillet 2010 / From July 5 until July 9, 2010

promo image for festivalN'attendez plus pour vous inscrire !

STAGE de MUSIQUE INSTRUMENTALE
STAGE de CHANT YIDDISH
STAGE de DANSES TRADITIONNELLES
STAGE pour ENFANTS et JUNIORS

Du 5 au 9 juillet 2010

Pour la huitième année consécutive, ces quatre cursus parallèles et intensifs s’adressent aux intéressés de tous âges, du niveau intermédiaire au niveau professionnel. De nombreuses passerelles permettent à chacun de découvrir l’étendue de ce folklore particulièrement riche ou de parfaire ses connaissances (cours dispensés en français et en anglais).


Au programme : ateliers, conférences, master classes, jams, spectacles ... certaines animations seront ouvertes au grand public. Et pour les juniors de 7 à 17 ans, un projet pluridisciplinaire : « le grand cirque klezmer »…

Informations et inscriptions auprès d'Estelle au 01 47 00 14 00 ou par e-mail

RENSEIGNEMENTS ET RESERVATIONS
Maison de la culture yiddish – Bibliothèque Medem
18, passage Saint-Pierre Amelot F - 75011 PARIS
Tél. : + 33 1 47 00 14 00 / fax : + 33 1 47 00 14 47
Métro : Oberkampf (lignes 5 et 9), Richard Lenoir (ligne 5), Filles du Calvaire (ligne 8)
Bus : 56 et 96 (arrêt : Oberkampf), 20 et 65 (arrêt : Saint-Sébastien Froissart)
www.yiddishweb.com

MORE...
Posted by adavidow at 08:08 AM | Permalink
June 24, 2010
The Other Europeans, Somerville, MA, 31 Aug 2010 OtherEuropeans.jpg

I have been remiss in posting this, but for the first time I can claim to have played a useful role in bringing a concert to the Boston area. If it had to be a first time, this is definitely the group to bring.

The Other Europeans is an amazing project fusing Lautari and klezmorim, playing amazing traditional music and very new, very powerful fusion. The band will be at Johnny D's, my favorite spot for dance music, on Tuesday, August 31. Anything people can do to help bring a crowd will be appreciated. Please help us get the word out. If they don't play to a packed house, it won't be nearly as much fun (and boy will it be hard to bring them back, or bring the next unknown band this exciting).

You can help. Download a flyer and post it. Share it with friends.

Posted by adavidow at 10:42 PM | Permalink
June 21, 2010
Yeshivas Goldenshteyn live at Northwest Folklife fest

You don't know from Yeshivas Goldenshteyn? You're in for a treat.

Yeshivas Goldenshteyn's performance at the 2010 Northwest Folklife Festival (4 of 7 videos already online, the rest should be online within the next few hours) at "professormobesser" on YouTube:

Posted by adavidow at 08:21 AM | Permalink
June 20, 2010
Yiddish video from Sweden

My name is Anne Kalmering, singer/actress from Sweden. I´m performing Jewish music in concerts, festivals, radio, TV etc. I performed at Ashkenaz 1999 (time flies...)

Posted by adavidow at 04:41 PM | Permalink
June 19, 2010
KlezKamp Roadshow, Poyntelle, PA, Jul 7-14, 2010

imageSpend an incredible week July 7 - 14, 2010 as a part of the Klezkamp Roadshow at the Block and Hexter Vacation Center in Northeastern, PA. The famous KlezKamp program of Yiddish music, dance, arts and language returns to BHVC for a week of lectures, participation, and performances.

Featuring:


The price is just $705 double per person or $1,000 single occupancy.
The rate includes:

Associated Camps, Inc., Block and Hexter Vacation Center
1-800-400-1924 / fax: 973-276-3188
Poyntelle, PA
www.bhvc.org
-----


Posted by adavidow at 04:51 PM | Permalink
YIVO encyclopedia now online!

www.yivoencyclopedia.org

This unprecedented website makes accurate, reliable, scholarly information about Eastern European Jewish life universally available online free of charge. Since 2008, The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe, published by Yale University Press, has been the only resource of its kind;providing the most complete picture of the history and culture of Jews in Eastern Europe from the beginning of their settlement in the region tothe present. The online edition includes the contents of the 2008 edition, plus interactive maps, more color photographs, and rare letters and documents as well as newly added video and audio clips. To date, this is the first full-fledged online encyclopedia dedicated to the history and culture of Eastern European Jewry.

www.yivoencyclopedia.org

Posted by adavidow at 11:52 AM | Permalink
June 18, 2010
Yiddish Song of the Week

I have been remiss in not passing on word of two excellent new blogs:

Yiddish Song of the Week is curated by the excellent Itzik Gottesman, of the Forward (more accurately, since he works on the Yiddish side of the paper, פֿאָרווערטס). This week, thrill to “Klezmorim mayne” from the Ben Stonehill Collection, a recording of an unidentified singer recorded by Ben Stonehill in the lobby of the Marseilles Hotel (Broadway and 103rd street in Manhattan) in summer 1948.

The recording follows on work by YIVO sound archivist/Klezmatics keyboardist-singer Lorin Sklamberg. The sound archive, and the projects on which Sklamberg is working, are documented in the YIVOSounds blog.

Posted by adavidow at 07:41 AM | Permalink
June 17, 2010
Yiddish Princess!!!!

band logoWhat a concert! Yiddish Princess is my new favorite band. To my intense pleasure Sarah Gordon sounds like a Yiddish-singing Kate Bush; indeed, her singing on band's hard rockified version of "Oy Avram" is instantly recognizable from "Hounds of Love" or LP of similar vintage.

I have to say that this is a good thing. It's like Yiddish folk song of the 1880s (okay, most of this material is much later--some written in Yiddish by Gordon and set to music by Michael Winograd and the rest of the band, one by contemporary Yiddish songwriter Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman) meets hard rock of the 1980s. Pop meets pop, as it were. And the band has so much fun playing--Avi Fox-Rosen and Yoshie Fruchter have more fun playing guitar than should be legal. Winograd has the synths down, and both Chris Berry on drums and Ari Folman-Cohen on bass are perfect.

If I have a single complaint about the concert, it was that Gordon's voice was too far back in the mix. Despite the Kate Bush influences so clear on the new EP (buy a few! they make great gifts), in concert it was more like watching Molly Picon meets hard rock. A couple songs were already familiar to me from Winograd's arrangements on the more traditional jazz-klezmer album, Khevre. This isn't how they sounded a few years ago. Time passes.

Along with "Oy Avram," there were a few other traditional songs: "Yash," and "Vilna;" the latter was sung traditionally, accompanied only by Winograd on the keyboard for the first verse or so, until with a great clash the drums kicked in and Yoshie Fruchter crashed in with his guitar and once more we were back in the 1980s.

A select audience of Workmen's Circle friends and local klezmorim danced to the music, grabbed hula hoops and cavorted as the band played. Such an excellent time was had by all. I'm considering skipping work and heading up to Vermont for tomorrow night's gig. If you are in the vicinity, you owe it to yourself and your ears to do likewise. You can follow the whole tour from the band website, or for that matter, on the Klezmershack calendar. If nothing else, you have to catch the band live to stock up on the new EP, which I suspect will be the best-selling CD of the summer.

Posted by adavidow at 11:48 PM | Permalink
Yiddish Princess!

First off, if you don't already know, tonight Sarah Gordon's band, "Yiddish Princess" is coming to Boston. It is their CD release tour. I am going to try very hard to break my usual old fogey bedtime rules and attend.

Sara Ivry, whose podcasts on tablet are my favorite part of the site, does a damn fine podcast with Sarah, Michael Winograd, and I believe, Yoshie Fruchter, at http://www.tabletmag.com/podcasts/36365/power-chords . Not only does she play a cut or two from the album, but gets the three to do a song live.

And, as icing on the cake, the Jewish Week names Gordon as one its "36 most influential people under 36." Sadly, the author seems not to have understood that there are two significant East Coast Yiddish culture camps--one, KlezKamp held each winter in the Catskills US); the other, KlezKanada held each summer in the Laurentians (Canada). The talented Ms. Gordon not only grew up attending both, but is now on the faculty of both. Read the article to see how the JW interviewer, um, mashups up the descriptions of the two for this wonderful "Yiddish Mash-Up Artist" (his term).

Posted by adavidow at 04:24 PM | Permalink
June 13, 2010
Klez and more, in French

i'm the creator of a web site in french devoted to Jewish culture. The Klez activity in France is hudge even if the achkénazy peaple are very few so i've made this unique source of information and links.

www.bortch.com

Posted by adavidow at 02:04 PM | Permalink
June 12, 2010
Name that tune

As is usually the case with a non-musician, I can place this tune, but can't name it. Can anyone help?

I'm an Israeli composer and pianist. I used to go to NEC, but now I'm doing a scholarship year in Berlin. I'm contacting you because I have a klezmer band here, and we're playing some tunes, some of which we don't know the composer and name of tune. I attached here the mp3 with the tune. If you recognize it, can you tell me what it is?

OsnatNetzerTrack.mp3

We are putting together a demo CD with a few tunes and would really like to put correct information.

Thanks very much in advance,
Osnat Netzer

Posted by adavidow at 07:22 PM | Permalink
JSA highlights Zimbalist and Gluck

I have mixed feelings about this announcement, given how ambivalent (to put as positive a spin on it as possible) Alma Gluck felt about the "Jewish" part of her heritage.

JSA highlights two brilliant Jewish performers from the early 20th century.

About a hundred years ago two Jewish superstars of classical music met and fell in love. They were young, they were talented, and they made beautiful music together.

Even before her marriage to the violin virtuoso, Efrem Zimbalist, famed operatic soprano Alma Gluck enjoyed a highly successful recording career.

The Zimbalist-Gluck romance provided lots of material for the gossips of their day. While the idea of such a wonderful pairing of talents was thrilling, there were those who pointed out that Gluck was six years older, as well as a divorcee with a daughter. Scandalous!

After their marriage the Victor/Victrola company capitalized on a sure bet....recording the newlyweds together. You can read more about these performers and their romance on JSA’s blog.

The JSA is proud to announce this special collection of music featuring the combined talents of these legendary performers.

Listen to their music

Posted by adavidow at 07:12 PM | Permalink
May 23, 2010
Video clips from 2009 Argentinian Jewish Music Fest

By way of announcing the next festival, the festival has presented clips from the 2nd Annual Festival:

3er. Edicion de EMMKA
Encuentro Mundial de Musica Klezmer en Argentina

Klezfiesta 2010
Octubre/Noviembre 2010

Klezmer en el Bicentenario
Klezmer on the 200th birthday of Argentina

www.klezfiesta.com.ar

Posted by adavidow at 06:03 PM | Permalink
New CDs available from JMI, UK

Sent in by the folks at JMI:

New Music releases and additions to our website, 2010
www.jewishmusic-jmd.co.uk

CDE coverSongs of the Bible
A wonderful 5 CD box, with songs inspired by the Tanatkh (the Bible), sung by many of the most famous Israeli singers, such as the Army band, Nehama Handle, Avram Fried, Noami Shemer, Parvarim, Arik Enistein, Shoshana Damari, Arikl Lavi and many more. Total of 125 songs! 5 CD box £28.99

CDE coverShir / Ashk'farad—Vilna, Slonika, Afula—Klezmer and Ladino
New release from Shir, a brilliant UK based band, previously released CDs of Israeli songs and Klezmer music. All songs are traditional and arranged by Shir (exept track 8). Tracks: Hakdama; Silver Wedding; En El Café De Amanacer; Chossid Wedding Dances; Bukovina Freylechs; Cuando El Rey Nimrod; Kishiniever Bulgar; HaKlzmer; Di Sapozkelakh; Skocne (Nifty Freilachs); Scheharchoret; Tanz Tanz Yidelekh; Yo M’enamori D’un Aire; Russian Sher; A Nacht in Gan Eydn; Adio Querida. CD £14.50

MORE...
Posted by adavidow at 04:59 PM | Permalink
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Global Calendar of Jewish Music Events

Know of an event? Tell me. Want to see what is happening in the world of klezmer? Take a look


KlezmerShack Twitter Updates

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Blog Roll

Music (or often about music)
Jewish Music WebCenter
Bella e Perduta: Music, Italy, & the Jews
Blog in Dm
Chasing the Fat Man
Dumneazu
Inna's Musings, Memories, Meanderings
Jeff Klepper's Blog
Klezmer Guy: Real Music & Real Estate
Klezmer Podcast Blog
Learning Tsymbaly
Matisyahu, best of UK Jewish Music & Culture
Rootless Cosmopolitan
Shemspeed blogs
Shirim Khadashim—New Jewish Songs
The SoupASonic
Teruah Jewish Music
Yiddish Song of the Week
YIVOSounds
YK's Jewish Music Forum

Other blogs of note
The Board of Guardians of British Jews
Jewish Currents
Jewschool
JVoices
JWABlog
Mima'amakim


www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from Flickr tagged with klezmer. Make your own badge here.

Got klezmer photos you'd like me to include on the KlezmerShack? Upload them to flickr with the label "klezmer" and they'll be in rotation here!



The above feature, "This Week in History," is available to all websites from my employer, the Jewish Women's Archive. Time to get the word out! When you use the code, let JWA know.


About Klezmer Music

The Klezmer revival (article revised 9/97) sparked a renaissance in Jewish music and culture. Nowadays, the revival is over--klezmer is a popular music form that is no longer exclusively Jewish, and other forms of Jewish music are also gaining in popularity. And no one questions the place of klezmer in both Jewish and popular cultures. Well, no one we care about. Meanwhile, the edges of musical and cultural boundaries continue to change, expand, and morph onward, fueled by the imperatives to explore new music on the one hand, and by the shifting sense of Jewish identity on another, not always related, hand. So I find myself, in these pages, moving both directions at once: trying to expand access to all Jewish music materials, and happily exploring musical edges, some of which have nothing to do with Jewish music.

Klezmer is the music that speaks to me. It's balkans and blues, ancient Jewish culture and prayer and history, spirit and jazz all mixed together. Good klezmer, and the music inspired by it, demands that one dance. In the words immortalized by Emma Goldman: "If your revolution doesn't include klezmer, I don't want it." I sometimes envision the Holy One, Blessed Be Whatever He/She/It May Be, who knows all history before its time, sitting on the throne in heaven, watching new music and cultural excitement unfold, turning and declaring to the assembled angels and saints and sinners, "ahhhh, now I can hear it live."

KlezmerShack FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)

We have klezmer news and the latest reviews. For new musicians, we've added a FAQ on "Essential klezmer repertoire" culled from the Jewish-music mailing list.

If you want to be listed here, or to get advice on putting together your own web page or CD, read this short "how-to" page.

If you are looking for sources of sheet music, several online vendors carry books and music. If you are looking for album recommendations, browse the reviews and try what sounds like you. Be aware that I don't know which , and will never recommend any band for your simkha--contact your local Jewish community newspaper, book store, or federation--or any of the bands from your area. And, mazel tov! Oh, and don't forget to browse the "klezcontacts" page. The Klezclassified's is the place to check to advertise, find other's ads, jamming partners, whatever. If you'd like to be listed, on any of these pages (or more than one) just send me e-mail, or use the semi-convenient form, telling me a bit about yourself. (Don't send me a web URL and expect me to extract info. Don't even get me started about incoherent web pages--look over my notes on designing a usable web page, and then, still, send me a paragraph of text about yourself, your band, or just to say 'hello'.)

As I said, I never make any recommendations beyond what is listed here. For recommendations of any sort, or for gossip, discussion, or even to ask about stuff that I clearly don't know about, the best place to ask is the jewish-music mailing list. I specifically never make recommendations or suggestions about bands for your wedding or bar mitzvah (see above for similar rant). To repeat, you always want to be consulting local Jewish newspapers, federations, and other community organizations and services. They survive only because you use them. Please do.

If you have a klez story to tell, comments, reviews to add, or just want to let people know about your band, or have something else to say that I haven't already mentioned (and especially about bad links or other mistakes)--send me e-mail. I'll get it all online as I have time. It's a pleasure!