Four new CD reviews--Keith Wolzinger on Vira Lozinsky, KlezFactor, Den Flygande Bokrullen, Budowitz
As I review less, a couple of KlezmerShack regulars have stepped in to fill the breach. Their taste is impeccable—I am jealous that they have beaten me to the punch on some stunning new releases. First up is Keith Wolzinger, whose name will be recognized by fans of the Klezmer Podcast:
Vira Lozinsky, a Moldova-born Israel immigrant, is a fresh voice in the world of Yiddish song. This is the Yiddish of native speakers, not that of those who simply pick up the lyrics and learn the pronunciation. In fact, nearly half of these songs are from the hand of Lozinsky's father, Yiddish poet Michael Felsenbaum…. There's more. Check out Keith's full review of Vayte Shtern (Distant Stars)
One of the stand-out bands at last year's Ashkenaz Festival was Toronto's own KlezFactor. Under the leadership of Mike Anklewicz, the band deftly fuses jazz and klezmer with a nice hard edge. Keith reviews their debut CD, 2005's The Golem of Bathurst Manor. I'm only embarrassed that I keep listening to it myself, can't put it away, and hadn't yet written my own review.
The redoubtable masters of Swedish klezmer, among the first bands listed (and reviewed) here on the KlezmerShack are still at it. Here Keith catches their latest release, hot off the press: Shuff!.
For those of you who didn't believe me about Budowitz' latest CD, Wolzinger has his own admiring perspective. Take it from us, this is the one of the best klezmer recordings of the decade: Budowitz Live.