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This week's "Yiddish Song of the Week" features the original (two originals, in fact) of a song that was remixed as part of the WAKS recording that I reviewed this week.
"Ver es vil kayn tate-mame folgn" Performed by Lifshe Schaechter-Widman, recorded in 1954
From Simon of Hatikva Music
The Barry Sisters performing live...Amazing!!! "Nu, Zug Mir Schoin Ven" (Live! With lyrics)
Does anyone have the translation to this song????
Just heard about this new release in the UK:
Mickey Katz and his Orchestra / Strictly Kosher Singles
My respondent notes that there is a lot of variation in levels between the cuts--it sounds more like a paste-together compilation than something someone tried to make work together. But, minor cavils—the material is now available outside of collectors' shops.
The compilation appears to be released by Jasmine Records
I am once again looking for a next gig (if you know someone in the Boston area who needs a cloud computing consultant/Project Manager/Scrum Master, do contact meAshkenaz Festival in a few days:
This is one of the most interesting and successful "re-mix" efforts I've heard. A group of musicians in Germany has pulled archival recordings and integrated into their covers. The material is wonderful and nicely extends our repertoire, and encourages more to consult the same sources: Waks / Yiddish Voices, 2015. Highly recommended.
I always look forward to concerts and recordings by klezmer flautist Adrianne Greenbaum. This new one is especially noteworthy as it brings a klezmer family repertoire back to life: Fleytmuzik / Poyln, 2016
Recordings like this remind us why we miss the late Franka Lampe (and how wonderful it is that her partner on this recording, Fabian Schnedler, is just hitting his stride—see him next weekend with Semer Ensemble in Ashkenaz!). In this case, the duo mine field recordings amongst Jewish criminals (an obvious place to look for those who know of the reputation of klezmorim back in the day). Check out Schikker Wi Lot / Ganovim-Lider, 2016 and enjoy.
Local (to me, here in Boston) avant-garde-istas return to the recording world after an absence of several years to remind us all why we miss them and how great it is to hear new material: Naftule's Dream / Blood, 2016. Sure to bring a smile to your ears.
If there is a better Jewish band actively creating new traditional klezmer, I don't know of them. In this new recording, they include Joel Rubin, an equally acclaimed klezmer revival pioneer and professor. Just marvellous. Polish rural folk traditions klezmerified. Veretski Pass w/Joel Rubin / Poyln, 2015. Buy a few copies—you'll be handing them out to friends and family.
Jeremiah Lockwood sings the Yiddish folksong "Surele iz in vald avek"
Little Sarah is off in the woods picking flowers for a bouquet.
In the forest a little bird comes to her and says: Tweet.
-Tell me little bird, how long will my life be?
-Forty, eighty, one hundred years.
-Thank you, little bird, very much.
For a few minutes, as the opening bit on the first video embedded in this article opens, I am reminded of Ehud Banai, in his punk phase. On other tracks, I am reminded of Yehuda Poliker--both Israeli musicians who have grounded their music in their roots. What I really love here is that mixing of piyyut and modern music forms (just as the original piyyut melodies mixed devotional poetry with the music of times 1500 years ago (give or take a few hundred years?) in the Islamic world. Conceptually, it's like listening to Abraham Inc., but starting from a Mizrahi world instead of an Ashkenazic one.
Shai Tsabari Storms the Heavens, From Bat Yam to New York, by Tal Kra-Oz, The Tablet
Shai Tsabari is an Israeli singer whose music has been called Mizrahi-indie. His debut album and live performances, fusing traditional oriental music with rock, pop, electronic and world music, have attracted some of the most enthusiastic audiences to be found both in Israel and abroad. Tsabari and his band, the aptly named Middle East Groove All Stars, are now embarking on their first mini-tour of the United States. They will perform at Joe's Pub in New York on Aug. 23, and give a free concert at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles two days later. [more]
OPA!
PREßBURGER KLEZMER BAND feat. DJ CLICK & DJ GALLETAS CALIENTES - Maramuresi Khsidim
ENJOY THE SUMMER!!!
Copied from a post on Facebook by Corey Breier, shared by Sarah Gordon
The Yiddish Artists & Friends-Actors Club and the Yiddish Theatrical Alliance mourn the loss of our beloved board member, the Emmy award winning star of television, radio, film, Broadway and most of all Yiddish theater, our beloved Fyvush Finkel Z'L. Fyvush passed away early this morning at his apartment in Manhattan. Fyvush served as the number one resource for questions about the Yiddish theater in America and the actors, producers, directors, and theater owners who were part of its history. He knew them all. His passing is a tremendous loss for our "teater velt" (theater world). To know him was to love him.
The funeral service will take place this Wednesday, August 17 at 12 noon at the Sutton Place Synagogue,225 East 51 Street NYC. (Between 2 & 3 Ave).
Koved zayn ondenk.
Corey (Gedalye) Breier
President
Lori Lippitz, of Maxwell St. Klezmer, adds a link to this video:
The has excerpts from Fyvush Finkel, in English and Yiddish as part of their Wexner Oral History project.
Rokhl Kafrissen shares her memories (and blog posts) about Fyvush on rokhl.blogspot.com
Our old friends from Shirim Klezmer Orchestra at a recent wedding:
Bandleader Glenn Dickson posts: "This set went on for at least 45 minutes of intense dancing (as you can see), and was a heck of a lot of fun. In addition to myself on clarinet, Michael McLaughlin; accordion; Eric Rosenthal, drums; we had guest members Jim Guttmann, bass; and Tev Stevig, guitar.
