Lots of great new music
In the last couple of weeks I have been better at writing and gathering reviews than actually posting them. For instance, last Fall I wrote a review of the rookie "Sukke" album. Now the album is out and available to all: "Introducing Sukke" and I like it a lot. The band consists of a trio of some of Europe's best klezmorim, and it shows. The album also includes a couple of lyric efforts by Michael Wex. Need I say more? Okay, then read the whole review!
There has been tremendous buzz about Pearl Gluck's film, Divan. The movie may deserve the buzz, but Frank London's soundtrack for the film is worth listening to on its own terms as a remarkable fusion of chasidishe nign and other music pushing the edges—makes sense, because in many ways, that's what chasidishe nign does. A wonderful, album, too, for lovers of women's voices.
Going back a couple of years, already, is an album by Sanda Weigl, "Gypsy Killer". It isn't klezmer, it's traditional Romanian and Rom music filtered through the New York downtown scene. So, other music kept getting reviewed first, even while I couldn't stop listening. Now you can read the review and catch the fever, yourself. It is a killer album.
Speaking of filtering great music through the New York downtown scene, another album that has been on the CD changer for over a year is this incredible, insanely wonderful tribute to Israel's amazing songwriter, Sasha Argov: Great Jewish Music. They really get it, and Argov, well, Argov got it big time. He's like the Kurt Weill and Irving Berlin all rolled together, and all in Hebrew.
A couple of bands have been fusing Jewish music with 20s jazz and pop. In this hemisphere, we have Portland, Oregon's Klezmocracy, with their debut CD. And then, down where it's winter while we swelter in summer, is 
Australia's Monsieur Camembert, with a lovely sophomore outing, Absynthe.
Finally, there is a newer Israeli pop artists, channeling the Sixties and Israeli music, Ben-Canar and Shvil HeHalav. Definitely interesting. Not Sasha Argov, but not Mashina, either. Read more!