Shirim Klezmer Orchestra / Naftule's Dream

The first Shirim album, featuring a cut from a new Yiddish opera, and my now-favorite version of "and the Angels Sing," was wonderful. It took a while for me to get used to this new album because it was so different. Some nights it sounds like klez as it would be played by the Grateful Dead if they had horns: Yiddish scat to old Hasidic drinking song as the band stretches out, the clarinet blows, the brass wander off and explore various corners. I can't decide whether or not I prefer this version of the road to Zhankoye (here called "Az men fort kayn Sevastopol") or that on a recent Geduldig un thimann (A Haymish Groove, Extraplatte, 1992), but, my word, what a pleasure to have such choices.

This is one of the reviews that launched the Klezmer Shack. Ari Davidow, 6/19/95, after an article in the Whole Earth Review.

Songs

1. Sha, Shtil (Shh, be quiet) Trad., add'l lyrics: Betty Silberman; arr./Shirim 4:26
2. Naftule's Dream Glenn Dickson 5:46
3. Kum aher du filosof (Come here, philosopher) Velvl Aharzher (1826?-1883), arr/Dickson 3:41
4. Az men fort kayn Sevastopol (On the way to Sevastopol) Trad., arr./Dickson 7:28
5. Waiting Glenn Dickson 7:47
6. Nokh a gleyzl vayn (One more glass of wine) trad., arr./Shirim 2:58
7. What can you makh? (What can you make?) A. Lebedeff/S. Secunda 3:40
8. Oy, dortn, dortn, ibern vaserl (Oh there, over the water) Trad., arr./Dickson 3:16
9. Seams Dickson 6:06
10. Silver Wedding Trad., lyrics: Rosalie Gerut, Betty Silberman, Miriam Hoffman 2:53
11. National Hora Trad., arr./David Harris 5:04
12. Tumba, Tumba Trad., arr./Betty Silberman, Maury Rosenberg 3:32
13. Moldavian Tantz Trad., arr./Shirim 3:57

Sound files hosted by The Yiddish Voice.
WUNR 1600 AM/Brookline, MA,
Wednesdays, 7:30 - 8:30 pm

The Shirim Klezmer Orchestra have one previous release, ... of angels and horseradish, also on Northeastern Records. Here is what I wrote in my December 1991 Klez report:

Shirim Klezmer Orchestra/of angles and horseradish. Whew!! I haven't listened to a new Klez CD so much since the [original] Maxwell St. Band. This band covers the gamut of modern Jewish music, including dynamite klez. Musicianship and vocals are outstanding, but the album would be worth it if only for the haunting "Sarah's Lullaby and Hagar's Lament" from the recent hit Yiddish musical, "Songs of Paradise." *****

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