the KlezmerShack

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:46 AM | Permalink

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 Ari Davidow at 10:33 AM | Permalink

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 Ari Davidow at 9:25 AM | Permalink

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 Ari Davidow at 10:16 AM | Permalink

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

Posted by Ari Davidow at 7:02 AM | Permalink

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 Ari Davidow at 6:18 AM | Permalink