Sabbath Hela Veckan / Klez

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Sabbath Hela Veckan
Klez, 1994
Prophone Records AB
(Erland Boëthius)
S-117 26 Stockholm
Sweden
Phone: +46-8-84 33 85
Fax: +46-8-84 09 45

band e-mail: einar@p2.sr.se
Web: www.sami.se/art/pbothen/home.htm

Here's a friendly and relaxed ensemble from Stockholm. I like the selection of music a lot. There are the usual freylachs and horas, with some gentle, jazzy interludes. Very few vocals, although my attention was caught in the nicest way by the lively "ya ba dei's" on "Yoshke Yoshke", that build up and up until by the end we have Texas-sounding "yee-haaaa"s. On the other hand, I found "Dzhankoye" just a bit too fast. I like it more at sing-along speed, or even slower. This just rushes along. They sure have fun doing it, though, and the ending kind of makes up for it. (For the record, my favorite versions on record are by Geduldig-Thimann and the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra. The latter, of course, is very, very good when you are very, very stoned, but that's another story.) The band does show a more soulful vocal side on "Du Meydele, Du Fayns," but mostly this is instrumental music, as traditional-ish klez with occasional jazzisms should be.

The band doesn't experiment as much as I enjoy, although "Klezmophobia" and the intro to "Papirosn" show where they can go when they have a mind to. Some of the instrumentals are very, very sweet. I'd sure love to see them in concert.

Reviewed by Ari Davidow 11/4/95