Veretski Pass, Madison, WI, Feb 17
Playing in an unbound, energetic "village style", the trio Veretski Pass
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne :
February 20, 2007 Tuesday 7:30 PM
Smith Music Hall, open to public
For more information
Veretski Pass: With a new program, including new pieces for their upcoming
second album...
In Eastern Europe, the roots of "world music" go back centuries:
historically, Jews, Christians, Moslems, Rumanians, Ukrainians, and Roma
played music together in this multicultural area where professional
musicians had to know as many musical styles as the diverse peoples among
whom they lived. Veretski Pass, a trio of veteran klezmer artists, plays Old
Country Music that ranges from melodies of Medieval Poland and dances from
Bessarabia, Ruthenia, and Bukovina to music originating in the Ottoman
Empire—much of which they learned from field recordings they themselves
gathered.
Cookie Segelstein (Budowitz, New Haven Symphony Orchestra), Joshua Horowitz
(Budowitz), and Stuart Brotman (Ellis Island Band, The Klezmorim, San
Francisco Klezmer Experience, Brave Old World) synthesize raw energy and
polished musicianship to produce music of unusual depth and power on a
variety of traditional instruments, including violin, viola, button
accordion, bass, bassetl (three stringed bass), basy (three stringed Polish
folk cello), baraban (Jewish style drum), and tsimbl (hammered dulcimer).
On stage, as on its self-titled album, Veretski Pass extends an
irresistible invitation to discover a lost musical world full of deeply felt
emotions and unbound energy.
Reviews:
"An impressive line-up of US klezmer luminaries, Veretski Pass stands out
as something bold, unusual and musically satisfying."—Simon Broughton, Songlines
"This is the most rocking, roots klezmer album I have heard in years."—Ari Davidow, KlezmerShack
"Segelstein is the center of attention and is prepared for the challenge.
She has a recognizably individual style, with clear elements from mainstream
Klezmer and Hungarian Gypsy. Her playing shows technical mastery and assured
authority of the genres, often operating at full throttle, but always in
full control. "—Stacy Phillips, Fiddler Magazine
"The tunes are at once familiar and from a strange other world—compelling
in the same way that visiting a synagogue in a city where you can't speak
the language would be."—Jay Schwartz, Jewsweek
Veretski Pass CD and newly released third album of Budowitz is available at
www.goldenhorn.com