On the fourth night of Khanike (new reviews, part 2/?)
It was a rainy day in North Carolina where we have been celebrating the first nights of Khanike. That made it easy to focus on some of my favorite albums from the past year (including a couple that just got released)
- If you are like me, the Klezmatics "Happy Joyous Hanukkah," in which they set several Woody Guthrie Hanukkah poems to new music, is a favorite. It was released חי (18) years ago, so what better way to follow it up with some covers, some live recordings, and an actual clip of Woody singing one of his Hanukkah songs. Don't miss this brand new Klezmatics, et al / Happier, Joyous Hannukah. Hanukkah only last eight days, remember!
- Sasha Lurje and Ilya Shneyveys grew up in Riga. They have become an essential part of the general world-wide klezmer/Yiddish music revival. Here, they revitalize "Latvian Jewish and Latvian folk music collected by Emilis Melngails at the turn of the 20th century." This is traditional folk music for tradition-loving 21st century folk. It's a special recording, made with love, emanating love. Black Rooster Kapelye / Vos Mir Zaynen, 2024
- It's been a couple years since Dan Kahn was last in town, playing with partner Jake Shulman-Ment. It's about time I made mention of this on the KlezmerShack. New Yiddish music. Translations of great English-language songs (Velvet Underground, Tom Waits, more Leonard Cohen...) into Yiddish. And, more of Shulman-Ment's amazing fiddle. Daniel Kahn & Jake Shulman-Ment / דער בנין און אנדערע לידער The building and other songs
- I love Anthony Mordecai Tzvi Russel and his musical brother, Dmitri Gaskin, the Tsvey Brider. Here, he creates a Yiddish cabaret that never was, with musical settings of modern Yiddish poetry, some of my favorite modern Yiddish poetry. Tsvey Brider (Anthony Russell & Dmitri Gaskin)+Baymele / Kosmopolitn
- Finally, for tonight, I was blown away when I heard Francesca Ter-Berg and Flora Curzon at a mid-day concert (Yiddish New York during the pandemic?) I never got a chance to review that first recording, but they are back with new experimental avant-garde Jewish music. They've even gotten wider notice as one of The Guardian's 10 best albums of 2024. Fran & Flora / Precious Collection