the KlezmerShack

From Leonard Koenick on the Jewish-Music list:

We Can't Make This Up: Yiddish Song Performed On Mongolia's American Idol May 1, 2017, by Jordan Kutzik

Posted by Ari Davidow at 6:42 PM | Permalink

Trees are chopped down in the woods. Stars fall and are extinguished. And hard is the path through the sand; But how good we feel when we're together.

Performance by Zelig Schnadover, commentary by Itzik Gottesman. Now at CTMD's Yiddish Song of the Week! yiddishsong.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/beymer-hakt-men-fun-veldl-aroys-performed-by-zelig-schnadover/

The Yiddish Song of the Week is a project of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance's An-sky Institute for Jewish Culture.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 5:28 PM | Permalink

"For me a ship, for you a canoe..." performance of a short Yiddish song by Zelig Schnadover. Commentary by Itzik Gottesman. Now on CTMD's Yiddish Song of the Week.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 12:04 PM | Permalink

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.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 8:49 AM | Permalink

Posted to Facebook by Francesco Spagnolo

Klezmer Supergroup The Brothers Nazaroff Revive "Yiddish Pendant to the Anthology of American Folk Music" (out 10/23/15)

On October 23, Smithsonian Folkways will release The Brothers Nazaroff: The Happy Prince, a boisterous, high-energy tribute to cult Yiddish troubadour Nathan "Prince" Nazaroff, who recorded the mysterious Folkways 10-inch record Jewish Freilach Songs in 1954. International klezmer supergroup The Brothers Nazaroff, composed of Daniel Kahn, Psoy Korolenko, Michael Alpert, Jake Shulman-Ment, Bob Cohen, and Hampus Melin, breathe new life into the discordant, obscure, jubilant legacy of their Happy Prince. [More, including audio sample]

Posted by Ari Davidow at 8:53 PM | Permalink

Posted by Ari Davidow at 8:26 AM | Permalink

A song used in variant forms to memorialize tragedies befalling early 20th century Jewish communities in Kishinev, Bialystock and Volodarka. Commentary by Itzik Gottesman, now on Center for Traditional Music and Dance's Yiddish Song of the Week...

www.yiddishsong.wordpress.com

A project of CTMD's An-sky Institute for Jewish Culture

Posted by Ari Davidow at 6:30 PM | Permalink

One of my favorites among the many tunes popularized by Adrienne Cooper, here played by Marilyn Lerner, with three of Toronto's most exciting vocalists. A good listen on a Shabbes eve on my way to a shul dinner where we'll hear a speaker from Israeli on the upcoming elections. May all have this song in their hearts as they vote:

Posted by Ari Davidow at 5:23 PM | Permalink

Ack! It is almost Khanike and I still have stacks of CDs that you should know about in case you have made gift-giving part of your seasonal celebration of light. Okay, let's get short bits up about a few of them, at least.

From the clarinet glissando that opens the first song, first echoing Gershwin, then blasting that thought out of the ears, Benjy Fox-Rosens 2011 EP Tick Tock signalled a major shift in the way we think about Yiddish songs and Mordechai Geburtig's legacy. It is totally new all over again. "Yiddish Art Song" is reborn, in a thoroughly imaginative, beautiful manner. Listen, for instance to "Grine Oygen" (Green Eyes), which quotes from several popular klezmer and yiddish cliches, turning them inside out. I can only conclude by mentioning the title of the final song on the EP: "S'iz Git"—It's Good! You can get a copy of the EP in digital or physical form via BandCamp.

But, I really got you here to talk about the more recent 2014 Fox-Rosen release, Two Worlds, a reflective, sad song cycle comprised of reset songs by Mordechai Gebirtig. From the opening, "When father beats me," you know that this is not a shmaltzy picture of life in the old country. What makes this essential, and I think why I can't stop listening, is how real it is. The picture is so vivid, the music so intense, that I find myself at the end and starting over. Backed by his Yiddish Art Trio bandmates Pat Ferrell on accordion and Michael Winograd on clarinet, with his brother Avi on guitar and Tyshawn Sorey on drums, Benjy Fox-Rosen's voice and bass weave the arrangements into compelling, haunting stories. His music is new. But it is new swirled with traditional Yiddish folk, theatre, and klezmer fragments, recreated to make a vanished community real again, and to tug at our hearts, to make us care about that community and their lives, anew. You can get a copy for those amazing purveyors of wonderful new sounds, Golden Horn Records.

Looking for something smooth, jazzy, uplifting for the holiday? David Chevan's Afro-Semitic Experience has just the thing, Souls on Fire. After several recent releases that focused on Jewish cantorial tradition, this year the band turned back to its roots, presenting songs from Pharaoh Sanders, MyCoy Tyner, Duke Ellington, along with traditional Jewish klezmer, and spirituals such as "Go Down, Moses" and "Avadim Hayinu" (We were slaves), from the Passover seder. Selections also include that gospel cantor, Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Up above my head I hear music in the air." A perfect accompaniment to quiet evenings around the menorah or even a roaring fire. You can get your copy, digital or otherwise, from cdbaby.com.

It is the rare holiday season when you can celebrate with a new release by the punk Eastern European rhythms of "Golem." This is one of them, and Tanz is the most fun the band has had in years. A frenzied cross between the Brave Combo, Gogol Bordello, and your neighborhood klezmer band, Golem's songs are pleasantly twisted, the rhythms are propulsive, dance-perfect. There is a lounge music component that keeps us from taking anything too seriously. Whether telling a plaintive story of two sad sacks finding each other and falling in love ("Miskayt"), harking back to the old country and the many changing linguistic contexts of modern life in "My Horse" ("but with my faithful horse, I speak mameloshn") or telling the stories of recent immigrants to the USA from the former USSR (most notably, sadly, on "Poletim," story of a hijacking gone a bit awry), this is a wonderful burst of energy and fun. This, and other fine recordings by the band are available from their website: golemrocks.com.

A surprising amount of wonderful new Jewish music doesn't come from European Jewish traditions. Likewise, some of the most striking new music is old, as in this recreated Sephardic wedding song cycle arranged by Aron Saltiel, Ensemble Saltiel / Boda. There seems to be no comparable cycle in Ashkenazic tradition. Saltiel has combined decades of field research, with singers and musicians familiar with the repertoire, and takes us from a celebration of the first glances, to arranging the engagement, completing the bridal trousseau to the groom presenting a gift on the wedding night. Gathered from former Ottoman lands in the Balkans and Turkey, the melodies, the singing, and the sense of tradition are fantastic. The singing features for individual solos and a powerful Sephardic chorus. The CD is beautifully packaged with notes (including a brief introduction by Dr. Judith Cohen) and images, as well as translations of all of the tunes. This is just wonderful, good-time music, all the more precious for being a rare recording based on a vanishing/vanished tradition. You can get your copy, digital or otherwise, from Golden Horn Records.

I saved my favorite among favorites for last. César Lerner and Marcelo Moguilevsky have been creating a wonderful fusion of Jewish and South American music together for almost as long as there has been a KlezmerShack. On their most recent (first?) trip to Boston two years ago, they brought Alef Bet, their most fully realized recording, yet. The album features their patented interplay between woodwinds and percussion/piano. Listen to Moguilevsky turn a simple "Zhok," first on flute?, and then Lerner's piano response, and then they begin improvising. "Una Luz" opens with quite, sparse chords by Lerner, and continues quietly exploring until the rapid pace of "Popurri" picks up Moguilevsky's clarinet and then the two are off, conversing wildly, excitedly, again. This is a quieter, more sure recording than their earlier efforts. It is less "klezmer-jazz fusion" and more it's own modern music in which one discerns strains of many things, but mostly, two musicians who have been sharing their conversations for decades, and who continue to find new, deeper, always-satisfying things to say to each other. Listening to Marcelo's whistling, as Lerner's piano walks quietly beside on the closing "Part of me," best expresses how far they have come, and how much richer our ears have been for the journey. Better, the days when ordering their CDs meant finding one's way in an Argentinian website and fantastic shipping charges are over. You can get this, and other recordings, directly from iTunes or Amazon.com.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 5:42 PM | Permalink

It is already after Thanksgiving and I haven't had time to make any additional dents in the pile of CDs that you =should= be considering for holiday gifts. Okay, I'll try to give some brief reviews of some of the essential new (mostly new) recordings:

I used to think of Isle of Klezbos as the lesser cousin of Metroplitan Klezmer, both anchored by drummer Eve Sicular, and both featuring many of the same musicians. But Live from Brooklyn shows that Isle of Klezbos is one of the premiere purveyors of that American form of klezmer: jazzy, brash, full of yiddish theatre songs and great dance music. This one is for the dancer in the house. You can get your copy right on CDbaby.com. Bonus: Order this between now and 12/3/14 midnight, and shipping is free.

Folklorist, singer, dancer Michael Alpert has been sharing a stage with Julian Kytasty for many years. One sings in Yiddish. The other in Ukrainian. Together they weave together two folk cultures in a beautiful acoustic set, Night songs from a neighboring village. Appropriately timed, given Ukraine's prominence in recent news, this one will leave you feeling all sweet inside—except for "Homebrew," which will encourage you to eschew the store-bought stuff and drink local. I remember the tune as Irish, but what do I know. What a great way to celebrate 20 amazing years of music from Oriente records.

I first noticed Zisl Slepovitch because of his brilliant "Minsker Kapelye" CD. But, that was back in the old country. Arriving here in the US, he formed a new ensemble, Litvakus, and presented the unique repertoire of Belarusian Jews as a thing of beauty. This is a pre-American jazz form of klezmer, along with nign and folksong. Raysn is a recording of unadorned beauty. I am in awe. Available online from Bandcamp.

Although you are less likely to hear cantorial music, much less good cantorial music in the synagogue today than even when I was young, one compensation is the myriad of ways in which cantorial music is being recontextualized. Some stylings are more tuneful and gentle, as in Frank London's cantorial music albums. Other artists, like Jeremiah Lockwood of The Sway Machinery have been louder and more discordant. Here, Tzadik recording artist, guitarist Yoshie Fruchter (also the grandson of a cantor) has reimagined and recontextualized some cantorial gems. Some are rendered as instrumentals, with his searing guitar replacing the cantorial sobbing of a hundred years ago. I find myself, in particular, drawn to his reimagination of the "Rosh Hashanah"" plea.In a few cases, he mixed original recordings in with his new musical settings, or sings the music, himself. The result is a loud, discordant, and ultimately immensely spiritual CD. Check out Schizophonia / Cantorial recordings reimagined and get copies for the musical explorers on your gift list. Available from Bandcamp.

This last mention for tonight is from a recording that has been sitting on the review shelf for too long. I was reminded of it with a pang last night when I listened to Andy Statman play at a local club. Statman is famous for mixing klezmer and hassidic music and bluegrass so seamlessly that it isn't so much a melding of genres, but a fluency so natural, that all genres sound like facets of the same universal harmonies. That's what the Freilachmakers do with their blend of various Jewish music, starting with klezmer, and with Irish music. Intriguingly, this third recording, Klezmer at the confluence by the ensemble is all Jewish in source: klezmer, yiddish, ladino. But, I am happy to say that the Irish is also still present. Another very special recording from a very special band. This one goes to the persons on your list who don't yet know that klezmer is another way of speaking Irish. Get your copy(ies) from cdbaby.com.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:08 PM | Permalink

So, we're just about at the end of my writing about the Ashkenaz 2014 fest and what I saw and heard there. Just a few more bands/releases to cover. Bear with me. I've kind of saved the best for last, so you wouldn't all go away.

The first full evening of the festival was Saturday night. As festival director Eric Stein noted, every act playing Saturday night was Canadian. That already makes Ashkenaz special. Beyond the rare incursion by some of the Montreal bands, you wouldn't think from sitting here in Boston that there was Jewish music, much less new Jewish music in Canada at all.

One of the key ingredients of the festival is the ongoing dancing. This year, the band that did most of the playing for that dancing was a Montreal band, Ichka, that has also done some minor touring—they were even south of the border, here in Boston on a double bill with local favorites Ezekiel's Wheels last winter. They are a powerful, brassy ensemble that remind me in some ways of the venerable Dutch band, Di Gojim. Ichka is young and they play with excellence and fervor. Their first release, Podorozh, captures the contemporary North American klezmer sound: Not only familiar songs such as "Nifty's Freylakhs" or "Fun Tashlikh," but updated to include Steven Greenman's excellent "Dreaming of Goldenshteyn," a delightful "Glazier's Hora" from Alicia Svigals, and best of all, reaching across the pond to capture "the Tongue," by Merlin Shepherd (who, as already mentioned, was also at Ashkenaz with wife, singer/piano player, Polina Shepherd). Opening with a fantastic drumroll and a fantastic blaring of horns, this is both a blast from the past, and a statement about keeping the dancing speaking to us. If you were't at Ashkenaz, you can get your CD or MP3s from bandcamp.

Joining Ichka on its debut album was the Lemon Bucket Orkestra, one of Toronto's best street orchestras. You don't know from street orchestras? Somewhere, in an urban area near you there is a festival called "Honk!" featuring these popular, often-amateur ensembles from around the world. (Boston's was held this weekend, in fact!) Lemon Bucket is famed for calling out the band to play in an Assisted Living home, or to accompany a good protest. At Ashkenaz, they headlined on Saturday night, exciting the largest crowd I saw during the festival with incredible energy, precision, and a scintillating mix of klezmer, balkan, and whatever else they felt like playing. Their new recording, Lume Lume has the frenetic mix you would expect, with tunes from all over Eastern Europe, Jewish and otherwise. They close with one of my favorites, "7:40." Back towards the beginning of the klezmer revival, this was recorded by everyone. We all moved on. I am greatful to the Lemon Buckets for bringing it back, and for having so much fun playing. You can find out more and get your own copy (CD or MP3) from their bandcamp page.

As part of my introduction to the artists playing at Ashkenaz, I mentioned Lenka Lichtenberg's recent CD, Songs for the breathing walls. She was at Ashkenaz to promote a new, just-released project, an album of lullabies which she has put together with Iraqi-Israeli artist Yair Dalal. Lullabies from Exile presents lullabies from both European and Mizrahi Jewish traditions. Featuring the gentle voices of both, as well as Dalal's wonderful oud, and backed by an excellent ensemble, this is the children's recording of the festival. Soothing and gentle, and drawing from so many Jewish traditions (and their overlap), it is a pleasure. Check out Lichtenberg's website for your own copy and for more info.

Finally, we come to my personal favorite, Sunday night's headline band, Zion 80, jazz guitarist/Tzadik recording artist Jon Madof's recent project merging the AfroPop sounds of Fela Kuti with the melodies of Shlomo Carlebach. While that original project was a wall of danceable, infectious nign, this concert highlighted material from the new release, Adramelech: The book of angels, vol. 22 featuring Madof's arrangements of John Zorn tunes from "The Book of Angels." The band isn't much smaller than the Lemon Bucket Orchestra, and took Jewish music to another continent entirely. If you don't have both of the Zion 80 releases, time to catch up. But, I also have to express my pleasure and delight especially at the new release. Available, of course, from Tzadik Records. Enjoy. Same time, same place, in two years for the next Ashkenaz Festival?

While you're waiting for the KlezmerShack reviews of these new albums by Lenka Lichtenberg, we've been scooped by "The Whole Note". Three review covers the diversity most recent three CDs, including the newest, a complete departure, "Songs for the Breathing Walls." I say, get the word out, and enjoy.

Pot pouri, Lenka Lichtenberg, by Andrew Timar, June 2, 2013.

"The deeply affecting album Songs for the Breathing Walls refers to the 12 historic synagogues scattered throughout the Czech Republic whose Jewish populations were decimated by the mid-20th century Holocaust. These settings of Jewish liturgical songs reflect the varying onsite interior acoustics of the synagogues, their outside soundscapes (on track 18 Lichtenberg remarks "...birds, cars, bells...everything...") as well as their history, intimately connected to their congregations. [more]

Bonus: The following audio links are from the CD release party:

• Laska, boze, laska ("a Moravian song that i loved since childhood that i did on a hunch—and people just loved it. i guess something to be said for simplicity...")
• Di Goldene Pave ("here is Di goldene pave from same concert (poem Simcha Simchovitch—who was there!) … finally i got it right i think. my fourth arrangement of it (it exists on two albums, each totally different, and there was also a never-recorded 4-part arrangement i did for the Sisters of Sheynville …) well here, i dropped all the fancy modulations, time changes and stuff. just added lots of dai dais at the end so peeps would sing along and they did … clearly it's a folk song and i was trying too hard to make it into something that it is not... :-)")

Posted by Ari Davidow at 5:17 PM | Permalink

From Jeff Warschauer to the Jewish Music list:

Come to the Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow this summer!

For several years now I've had the great privilege of teaching the Yiddish Song workshop at the festival in Krakow. We truly have a wonderful time, and you will make new friends from all over the world. Here's the description for this year:

22nd Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, 2012

Yiddish Song Workshop: Answering the Big Questions Through Yiddish Songs

We all confront the big questions: What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? What shall we have for Shabbes lunch? And Yiddish songs attempt to answer these kinds of questions, too! Each year, a wonderful, international community comes together in Krakow to sing, dance, learn and have fun. All are welcome, with no previous experience necessary. Join us!

Info on the whole festival: www.jewishfestival.pl/index,en.html

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:09 AM | Permalink

From Yale Strom:

Very happy to announce that our klezmer-feminist-historical-magic realism audio drama, "The Witches of Lublin", has been nominated for three Audie Awards! Co-written by Ellen Kushner (of PRI's "Sound and Spirit"), Elizabeth Schwartz and Yale Strom, with music by Strom, "The Witches of Lublin" was directed by Sue Zizza and stars Tovah Feldshuh, plus featured actors Neil Gaiman, Simon Jones, Barbara Rosenblat, and beloved actors from the Yiddish stage like Yelena Shumlenson, Sam Guncler and Joanne Borts. The music was performed by Strom, Sprocket, Alexander Fedouriok, Peter Stan and Schwartz (and the companion CD, "The Devil's Brides" with narration by Miriam Margolyes, is released by Arc Music UK). For more info: www.TheWitchesOfLublin.com. And here's the press release from the Audies:

The Audiobook of the Year Award recognizes the audiobook that, through quality, innovation, marketing and sales, has had the most significant impact on the audio industry.
The four titles selected to compete for the 2012 Distinguished Achievement in Production Award are:

• The Mark of Zorro, by Yuri Rasovsky, narrated by Val Kilmer and a full cast (Zorro Productions, Inc., and Blackstone Audio, Inc.)
• She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems, selected, introduced and narrated by Caroline Kennedy and a full cast (Hyperion Audio)
• The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic, by Allan Wolf, narrated by Michael Page, Phil Gigante, Christopher Lane, Laural Merlington and Angela Dawe (Candlewick on Brilliance Audio)
• The Witches of Lublin, by Ellen Kushner, Elizabeth Schwartz and Yale Strom, narrated by Tovah Feldshuh, Neil Gaiman, Simon Jones, Barbara Rosenblat, Elizabeth Boskey, Joanne Borts, Yelena Shmulenson, Joyce Feurring, Tim Jerome and a full cast (SueMedia Productions)

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:28 PM | Permalink

This is a wonderful new project that I've heard of via the wonderful Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett:

Please put out the word! Help us document on film the creation of this extraordinary wooden synagogue's exquisite painted ceiling and timber-framed roof. More about how you can help: www.kickstarter.com/projects/15287081/filming-the-replication-of-a-17th-century-wooden-s

Posted by Ari Davidow at 5:00 PM | Permalink

Starting to worry about what you might want to hand out this Hanukah? Well, the obvious answer is the new CD by Adrienne Cooper, Enchanted. George Robinson tells us more in this review in the Jewish Week:

New Musical Life For A Supposedly Dead Language, Thursday, November 4, 2010, George Robinson, The Jewish Week

You've already read my thoughts about referring to Yiddish with the tedious phrase, "supposedly dead language" in a post earlier this evening, but George and I are in significant agreement—this is the real deal, and an amazing recording. I'd go into more detail, but it's his turn.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 7:10 PM | Permalink

This is a very rare public performance by one of the most wonderful klezmer violinists out there. If you're in the area, it's worth stopping by!

You're invited!

Sandra Layman will be performing with the Seattle Jewish Chorale and Kesselgarden at a free event on Sunday afternoon, November 29, between 2:00 and 5:00 pm, Barnes and Noble bookstore at University Village, NE Seattle.

It's a "pre-Hanukkah" event, with beautiful choral singing (including a lovely song for women's voices with violin), interludes of rousing klezmer music, and Hanukkah sing-alongs. Drop by, and bring the kids!

It's finally available -- at a special low price for the holiday gift-giving season -- the downloadable (MP3) version of my CD, "Little Blackbird"! Preview and buy it at: Little Blackbird

Posted by Ari Davidow at 3:38 PM | Permalink

As long as I'm stealing a few minutes at lunch, let me get up this video posted by the amazing Mark Rubin, last seen live by me just a week and a half ago, with Frank London and the Klezmer Brass AllStars at the Lowell Folk Festival. Man, two years ago it was Stephen Greenman. This year, Frank London. That festival is doing well at scoring Jewish performers worth seeing. So, where was I … Itzik Gottesman sent Mark this VHS tape about 15 years ago. It's from a conference in 1986. It's just a fragment, but a long enough fragment that you get a sense of why Michael Alpert and so many others credit her with being a primary influence on learning Yiddish song. It matters a lot, now that she's gone, to have something online that helps memorialize her and helps convey at least this couple of songs.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 1:38 PM | Permalink

Posted by Ari Davidow at 5:51 PM | Permalink

So, a while back, someone clueless in the UK wrote about how only jerks ignorant of "current" Jewish culture would be caught up in lifeless klezmer concerts vs., say, the Ramones or Leonard Cohen. Personally, I dig both, but don't actually think of their work as "Jewish" or substitute for same.

Ruth Ellen Gruber, in this article that I should have posted ages ago, counters indirectly by reporting the energy and crowds appearing to hear Daniel Kahn's "Painted Bird" ensemble. Of course, if you've been listening to "Partisans and Parasites" or have seen Kahn and Painted Bird, this will not be news. In all events, the article is fun to read:

Ruthless Cosmopolitan: Klezmer and the ghost of Germany past, by Ruth Ellen Gruber, February 25, 2009

Read that, and then look at Turn off the klezmer and turn up the Ramones. Shades of Heeb magazine! Another person confused about the difference between "Jewy" and "Jewish".

Posted by Ari Davidow at 4:09 PM | Permalink

Israeli radio interviewer Binyomin Bresky writes:

Interview with Jewish singer and guitarist Wolf Krakowski on his remakes of classic Yiddish songs from the Holocaust as blues, world beat, folk and reggae. Wolf describes how his personal history infused these melodies in him and his desire to "give the audio finger" to the Nazis.

To download the podcast click here: www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/693

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:26 AM | Permalink

While my back was turned, Keith Wolzinger has zipped out three more reviews which are now copied here to the KlezmerShack. First, he beat me to the punch and reviewed the most recent Metropolitan Klezmer CD, the deliciously live, "Traveling Show." For hard-driving, enormously fun, American-style klezmer, this band cannot be beat (nor, given Eve at the drumkit, can they lose the beat!)

Next up is singer Lori Cahan-Simon's latest collection of lesser-known Yiddish songs that, had we been luckier, our bubbies would have taught us. When Chanukah rolls around again this winter, we'll be ready, because she has assembled her usual amazing team and recorded some very special songs in Chanukah is Freylekh! A Yiddish Chanukah Celebration. Songs My Bubbe Should Have Taught Me: Volume Two

Finally, what Keith calls "neo-klezmer," Toronto's klez-jazz fusion band, Klezfactor releases its second smash album, Klezmachine.

Enjoy! And many thanks to Keith.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:10 PM | Permalink

Songlines Magazine, one of the remaining primarily-print music magazines (the refusal to get all content online and accessible is all the more puzzling with the announcement this week that No Depression is giving up the print ghost), gives The Polina Shepherd Vocal Experience / Baym Taykh a "4 star" review, in an article by Helen Beer. This is frustrating, of course, because we can only link to the magazine and encourage you to find a copy. But here is a paragraph from the review:

Polina Shepherd is a formidable all-round musician: a composer, pianist, singer and Yiddish choir leader from the former Soviet Union, who now resides in the UK. Baym Taykh (By the River), featuring the vocal quartet Ashkenazim, is innovative in its enormous range of musical expression. This CD explores tightly arranged four-part singing, voice styles which mirror instrumental ornamentation alongside more fluid choral experimentation. Solo voices and vocal duos weave in and out of the quartet, with or without accompaniment (piano, saxophone, clarinet, guitar, double-bass). Shepherd's compositions are highly original and sensitive musical settings of interesting, lesser- known Yiddish poems.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 7:38 PM | Permalink

The indefatigable Helen Winkler posted this announcements to the Jewish-Music mailing list:

Cantor Joseph Levine has translated excerpts from Cahan's Yiddish articles about the Yiddish dance songs and you can read the English translation at:

www.yiddishdance.com/cahan%20dancesong%20english%20art.pdf

or via the dance-song page, www.yiddishdance.com/tantslieder.html (original Yiddish can be accessed from this page).

Posted by Ari Davidow at 7:33 PM | Permalink

I have been slowly gathering in reviews written by Keith Wolzinger over the last few months. There are many more to come, but in the meantime, check out his wide-ranging examination of the post-klezmer sounds of The Lithuanian Empire, country-Jewish Mare Winningham / Refugee Rock Sublime, Yiddish folk and theatre songs from Hy Wolfe / Yiddish Songs for the Soul, world Jewish music by Montrealer Hélène Engel Trio / Voyage, and new Jewish sounds of another Montrealer, Shelley Posen / Menorah.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 8:37 AM | Permalink

Along with Elliott Simon, George Robinson is the one other reviewer of new Jewish music who continues to publish about a wonderful gamut from the avant garde to klezmer to music from the newer Orthodox-based jam band sounds. Catching up to links that ya'll should have seen months ago, I present: Chanukah: For listening, for giving—klezmer and its cousins, by George Robinson. There are video clips from several bands, as well as reviews. Enjoy!

Posted by Ari Davidow at 11:37 AM | Permalink

With great frustration, I look at reviews and tips that I wanted to get online two months ago. Hold them for next year? Present them now? The latter wins. After all, these are great CDs, reviewed by Elliott Simon, which means that the reviews are thoughtful, insightful, and intelligent. So, travel back a skip in time and consider Simon's article, Happy Chanukah 2007, from All About Jazz, Dec 8, 2007.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 11:29 AM | Permalink

Once of the things I miss most from my years in California is Gerry Tenney's wonderful Yiddish rock 'n' roll. Someone (maybe Gerry, himself) has taking his version of "hard day's night" (in Yiddish) and synced it to the original video. Priceless:

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:40 PM | Permalink

From Israel: Check out new cd "From Grey To Blue With Itzik Manger" with Yiddish Songs and Klezmer music!

Tapuach B'dvash And Marina Yakubovich / From Grey To Blue With Itzik Manger

Israeli folk-group Tapuach b'Dvash (Apple in Honey) was created in 2002. It is comprised of musicians from Ukraine and Russia, that immigrated to Israel. The ensemble presents Jewish music from all parts of the world where Jewish culture has existed and mixes various musical influences. A specialty of the band is authentic sounds and using of interesting ethnic instruments, including kaval, nei, Russian spoons, and darbuka. The experiments of sound combinations form original style of the band.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 8:44 PM | Permalink

The Weimar Yiddish Summer, runs this year from July 9 through August 9 in Weimar, Germany.

• Jul 9–15: Concert Project DIASPORA REDUX
• Jul 14–15: Symposium: Klezmer and other "other" musics
• Jul 18–25: Instrumental Workshop: Tradition & New Impulses
• Jul 27–31: Yiddish Dance Music for Musicians Workshop
  July 28–31Yiddish Dance Workshop
• Aug 2–Aug 9: Beginning and Intermediate Yiddish Language Course
• Aug 2–Aug 9: Yiddish Song Workshop

For further information, www.yiddish-summer-weimar.de

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:54 AM | Permalink

Dennis Wilen, of the Jewish Journal of LA spotted this one: the amazing Danish Yiddish pop star, Channe Nussbaum:

Posted by Ari Davidow at 11:01 AM | Permalink

The Paris Yiddish Center-Medem Library has recently published three books (two song collections and a book of short stories):

The catalogue of the "Medem-Bibliotek" Publishing House includes 12 titles to date. Full details at: www.yiddishweb.com/medem/Publications.html

Continue reading "Three new Yiddish publications—two songbooks—from Medem, France" »

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:39 PM | Permalink

Living Traditions has just released a new CD anthology of the beloved Yiddish actor Zvee Scooler's selected radio performances, poetry, and even commercials. This is the first in a series in Living Traditions' releases—in the original Yiddish—of rare selections from the Yiddish Radio Project archives.

Continue reading "Living Tradiitons releases Zeev Scooler CD" »

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:53 PM | Permalink

ZINGT! A CELEBRATION OF YIDDISH CHORAL MUSIC the brand new CD with mainly never-before-recorded Yiddish choral music, is available!

Recorded by the
Jewish People's Philharmonic Chorus
with Binyumen Schaechter, Conductor
**Full text and translations included in booklet.**
A great Chanukah gift!

For more info (and to order), go to www.thejppc.org and click
on "Our CD".

Posted by Ari Davidow at 7:38 AM | Permalink

While I am busy reviewing a few favorites from the huge piles around the CD changer, Inna Barmash writes in from a visit to Eastern Europe:

Just wanted to share the website for a wonderful new CD "Oyfn Veg" by the Russian-based duo *Igor Beliy* and *Yevgeniya Slavina* - some fresh executions of old chestnuts, some originals, and some more rare numbers. I don't know the performers personally, but I do love their style, and hopefully will see them perform live one day (meanwhile, there are several mp3s on the site under the "Music in Mp3" section.

The website for the recording/duo is: oyfnveg.ru/index_e.htm

Posted by Ari Davidow at 11:14 PM | Permalink

From Joel Rubin:

We are pleased to announce the US release today (Feb. 14, 2006) of "Shalom Comrade!: Yiddish Music in the Soviet Union 1928-1961" (Schott Wergo SM 1627-2), the 10th production in the Jewish Music Series of CDs edited by ethnomusicologists Joel Rubin and Rita Ottens. "Shalom Comrade" and other productions of the Jewish Music Series are distributed by Harmonia Mundi USA.

For more information:
www.wergo.de

Continue reading ""Shalom Comrade" CD release - Yiddish music in the USSR, 1928-1961" »

Posted by Ari Davidow at 8:03 AM | Permalink

I don't know how many times I have seen Deborah Strauss* and Jeff Warschauer. As often as possible, as it happens, and it adds up. Tonight's show at Workmen's Circle in Brookline, though, was the rockingest show I've ever seen them do. It was like a cross between a chassidic revival and a bluegrass show, except for the lack of chassidim and bluegrass.

Continue reading "Deborah Strauss and Jeff Warschauer ROCK" »

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:42 PM | Permalink

Dancin' Steve Weintraub found this and posted it to the Jewish-Music mailing list:

Perhaps everyone knows about this site except me, but I just ran across the collection of rare 78 recordings you can listen to on RealPlayer: yiddishsong.org/html/rare_78s.html

Including is a very nice bit of badkhones, lyrics to Rayze nokh Amerika, which I had previously only known as an instrumental, and an english language foxtrot version of di mezinke oysgegeben, titled "Titina" (rhymes with Palestina and farina) recorded, no less, by the Bar Harbor Society Orchestra!

Happy listening.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:44 PM | Permalink

Brave Old World
Song of the Lodz Ghetto
In Yiddish, with English Supertitles

Saturday, October 15, 8:00 pm
JCCSF, 3200 California St. at Presidio Ave.
Tickets: Members $20 | Public $25 | Students $15
Box Office: (415) 292-1233
Box Office hours: Monday - Friday, 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm; Saturday, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm.
Click here to purchase tickets online.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 8:50 AM | Permalink

Itzik Gottesman reports on a new CD by his mother (I hope to start work on typesetting a new CD by Hy Wolfe for Itzik's Yiddishland label very soon):

Hi. I am happy to report that a new CD of Yiddish folksongs sung by Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman has just come out.

"Bay mayn mames shtibele" (At my mother's house) is a great recording and includes a studio session from 1994 with Lorin Sklamberg on accordion and Alicia Svigals on violin; and a live concert from the Cactus Cafe in Austin, TX from 1993. The website on Yiddishland Records (www.yiddishlandrecords.com) has not caught up to the latest news yet which will include all the words to the songs, but in a few weeks it will all be there. In the meantime, the CD is availaable for purchase at:

www.cdbaby.com/cd/bsgottesman3

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:46 PM | Permalink

Announcing a new CD by Rebecca Kaplan & Pete Rushefsky:

Oyf di vegelekh / On the Paths: Yiddish Songs with Tsimbl

a Yiddishland Records release www.yiddishlandrecords.com

Available from: www.hatikvahmusic.com
www.cdbaby.com
www.amazon.com

Beautiful and haunting Yiddish folk songs accompanied by the tsimbl (cimbalom), a harp-like hammered dulcimer. In "On the Paths," Rebecca Kaplan & Pete Rushefsky have brought to life rarely-heard gems of Yiddish music from collections by Moshe Beregovski, the Mloteks, Mariam Nirenberg, Joseph Moskowitz and Ruth Rubin, as well as materials learned from Soviet-born folk singer Larisa Novicheva and her mother Anna. Both artists additionally contribute original works, including "Shoyn fir yor," a new Yiddish song by Rebecca Kaplan. The CD includes a 20-page booklet that presents all lyrics in Yiddish/transliteration/English translation.

Contact:
Pete Rushefsky: prushefsky@yahoo.com
Rebecca Kaplan: rivkele@juno.com

[Disclaimer: Ari Davidow typeset the liner notes and thinks they look almost as good as the music sounds. Signed, Ari Davidow]

Continue reading "New Yiddish+Tsimbl album by Kaplan and Rushefsky" »

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:51 AM | Permalink

The new Brave Old World album, Bless the Fire, doesn't seem to be getting the kind of press it deserves. Granted, that would involve a ticker tape parade and mention on every streetcorner - this is the sort of music that reminds me of why I maintain these pages and why I love to listen to new Jewish music. In my minor worshipful way, I try to remedy the situation.

Shtreiml just gets better. For an outstanding band, that is no small feat. This Montreal-based klezmer band mixed Yiddish song with new and old klezmer instrumentals on "Spicy Paprikash" in a way that makes everything feel fresh and wonderful. Just because they aren't an American band shouldn't get in the way of discovering how good this new recording is. Besides, the band includes Josh "SoCalled" Dolgin, klezmer scion Rachel Lemish, along with Jason Rosenblatt on Harmonica and more.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 12:18 PM | Permalink

Michael Fein writes about Lori Cahan-Simon's recent tribute to the music of Mikhl Gelbart on his "Gantseh Megillah" website (the website looks like it has some interesting content, but may not be generally accessible to people not most comfortable playing video games):

Vessel of Song: The Music of Mikhl Gelbart, Lori Cahan-Simon Ensemble

Posted by Ari Davidow at 11:29 AM | Permalink

Four new reviews on the KlezmerShack:

Freylach Time!, based in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina is a tradtional klezmer gem. It is also a community treasure. Now that the band has finally recorded, you can hear for yourself: Freylach Time! / The Klezmer Dance Band

London's Oi Va Voi has been impressing audiences from the UK to KlezKamp and everywhere in between for years. Whatever they are playing, it isn't klezmer any more, except insofar as it gets people up to dance. This new album, "Laughter Through Tears" just made the New York Time's "10 Best" list for 2003. For a change, I agree!: Oi Va Voi / Laughter Through Tears

César Lerner and Marcelo Moguilevsky are two amazing musicians from Argentina. I've seen them perform in the UK and Canada. Now you can year why audiences love them and their brand of passionate klezmer infused with South American jazz. The new album, Sobreviviente, is live: Lerner Moguilevsky Duo / Sobreviviente

A year with a new release from the Klezmer Conservatory Band is a good year. This latest contains many new gems - more than a taste of paradise: Klezmer Conservatory Band / A Taste of Paradise

Posted by Ari Davidow at 8:13 AM | Permalink

There never seems to be time to review everything I'd like to write about. When music this good arises, I find myself listening over and over and forgetting to move on. That's okay. That's why I listen and write in the first place. So, from Australia to Ireland via California and Salonika via NYC, here are the latest. If you are getting an early start on your Chanuka shopping this coming weekend, pay good attention - these are the new musics that folks will be wanting:

The Fig Tree, 2003
This is a delightful collection of Greek, Jewish, and other music, accompanying a book on immigrants to Australia by Arnold Zable. Don't let the distance from Australia stop you from listening to this, hearing the latest from our favorite Australian klezmer bands, and hearing some wonderful other music, as well.

CeiliZemer / Shalom Ireland, 2003
Continuing the international tour, this soundtrack to a documentary about Jews in Ireland fuses the two musics delightfully. Yes, indeed, think of what hasidic music (and klezmer) might have been like if the uillean pipes had been available in Eastern Europe. There's still time to add them here.

David Chevan / Days of Awe, 2003
Chevan has gathered his Afro-Semitic Experience, including guitar wizzard Stacy Phillips, and added Frank London. The result is exquisite jazz versions of music from the High Holy Days. If you like this sort of thing (I do), this is definitely the sort of thing that you will like.

Margot Leverett & the Klezmer Mountain Boys, 2003
Today's theme seems to be fusion music. You got yer Greeks and Klezmers; you got yer Irish and Klezmers. And when you're especially lucky, you got your bluegrass klezmers. But, it's a Margot Leverett album, so you already knew that it would be on your "essential klezmer" list, anyway. I think of Leverett the way I think of Jeff Warschauer and Deborah Strauss - if she's involved, it's not only amazing, but it's comfort music - the perfect accompaniment for when you feel great, and an even better accompaniment for when you need a lift.

Sarah Aroeste / A la una, 2003
Mobius, of my favorite Jewish weblog, Jew*School suggested that I write something about these new Sephardic artists. Some I knew. Aroeste's name was unfamiliar. It shouldn't be. This is extraordinary Ladino music, set with contemporary instrumentation and sounds by someone who has worked with good avant garde musicians and knows what good music should sound like. But the critical part is how seamlessly she has kept the feel of traditional Ladino song. This is one of our favorite albums this year. Who knew?

Solomon & Socalled / HipHopKhasene, 2003
As much fun as I had writing about everything else, this is my favorite of the bunch. Witty, brilliant, funny, and great music. The album features not only the amazing Socalled, but Oi Va Voi's Sophie Solomon. Guests include David Krakauer, Zev Feldman, Frank London, Michael Alpert, Elaine Hoffman-Watts and daughter Susan... even Jewish-music mailing list regular, Cantor Sam Weiss. Essential for all but the humor-impaired.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:19 PM | Permalink

George Robinson announces a slew of new music columns published almost all together in New York's Jewish Week:

Five-Star Klez: From New Orleans and Odessa, fusion and traditional approaches.

A Fall Sampler: From Solomon Rossi to Michael Strassfeld.

Heard Around The World: From Turkey to London to the Lower East Side.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:23 AM | Permalink

On Dec. 20, The Klezmatics and special guest vocalists will present a special holiday concert featuring the world premiere of Woody Guthrie's Hanukkah songs, translated into Yiddish. Called The Yiddish Woody Guthrie, it will take place at 1395 Lexington Ave, New York City. The Klezmatics have been working with Nora Guthrie and the Woody Guthrie Archives to uncover Guthrie's unknown Jewish holiday songs. Also featured will be songs by Guthrie's mother-in-law and famous New York Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt. Presented by the Y's MAKOR program.

I'll post more to the calendar for that date as I know it, but if you think of how amazing the recent Woody Guthrie music done by Billy Bragg was, and you think of the Klezmatics and what they added to their collaboration with Chava Alberstein, you can see why being in New York this Hanukkah may seem essential.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 6:39 PM | Permalink

I got carried away. CDs were falling off the shelf, so I sat down this weekend and stayed sat down until I got several reviewed. We've got some great new Jewish music, some avant garde and jazz, some klezmer (lots of klezmer), some Sephardic and Mizrahi music, more klezmer and Yiddish folk.... That's not the whole gamut, but odds are that something in this weekend's stack will be just what you were looking for:

• Aufwind / Inejnem, 2002, Yiddish folk/theatre/klezmer
• Gilad Atzmon & Orient House Ensemble / Exile, 2003, jazz w/Middle Eastern influences, political
• Koby Israelite / Dance of the Idiots, 2003, cholent--just about everything
• Metropolitan Klezmer / Surprising Finds, 2003, klezmer, yiddish folk, theatre, more
• Den Flygande Bokrullen / Tarrschwein, 2002, headbanger klezmer
• Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band / Sweet Return, 2003, klezmer, yiddish, new Jewish music
• Divahn, 2002, Sephardic, Mizrahi
• Massel-Tov / Vas iz vikhtik..., 2002, klezmer, Yiddish

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:43 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

As I try to catch up, I am happily snowed under by even more incredible music. Here is a taste:

Italy's Klezroym have put together an incredibly powerful album, "Yankele nel Ghetto," based on Gila Flam's collection of songs from the Lodz Ghetto. Notes in Italian and English.

Rob Burger's recent Tzadik release, "Lost Photograph," combines lounge and exotica with South American and Jewish styles.

Wholesale Klezmer's new "Sing for Peace, Dance for Joy" shows why I think of the band as "Comfort Klezmer".

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:42 PM | Permalink

There are a very few new Jewish music bands: Brave Old World, say, or the Klezmatics, who consistently push the envelope and take my breath away like the Flying Bulgars. I have arranged work schedules so that I can stop off in Toronto to see them perform. It is therefore with great excitement that I present the following:

The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band
presents a CD Release Celebration Concert for their new recording,
Sweet Return
Saturday, May 10, 8:30pm; Sunday, May 11, 2pm
Hugh's Room, 2261 Dundas St W, Toronto
Tickets: Sat. $15/Sun. $12 BOX OFFICE: 416-531-6604

Continue reading "New Flying Bulgars; Album Release May 10,11" »

Posted by Ari Davidow at 5:15 PM | Permalink

Jeanette Lewicki is better known to many of us as the accordion and voice of San Francisco's anarcho-klezmer street trio, "The Gonifs," or from her work with the San Francsico Klezmer Experience. Now, paired with Matthew Fass as "Max and Minka" the duo have produced one of the loveliest klezmer/accordion/everything music CDs to have arrived in recent years. The first half of the CD consists of (mostly) Yiddish songs and klezmer. The second half, though, is an enormously inventive, wonderful "patchwork suite."

The cover is an amazing print of rather delightful artwork. Open up the CD and see the accordion fold connecting the duo. The lyrics are printed (albeit at leading that is a trifle tight) in a prime unreadable Yiddish typeface nicely matched to English.

This is the sort of CD that you purchase because it is a work of art, and then you discover that there is some great music on it, as well!

www.maxminka.com, while they last.

Continue reading "Max and Minka accordion duo release" »

Posted by Ari Davidow at 12:27 PM | Permalink

We'd like to invite you to visit the new English version of the site of the Popular Jewish Choir "Mordje Guebirtig"

The Choir was created in 1995 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and it's integrated for 175 singers between women and men.

Inside the site you can find the complete Choir history, songs, pictures and many others interesting things.

Well, we'll very pleased with your visit in elcoro.com.ar

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:26 AM | Permalink

A most fascinating concert is coming up on Mar 26th at UConn/Storrs. Yiddish folk-rocker Wolf Krakowski headlines, backed with the Lonesome Brothers. Also on the bill is Mawwal, described as a "Middle Eastern roots music" with violin wizard Alicia Svigals making a guest appearance.

The idea of bringing Yiddish music together with Middle Eastern music suggests not only a fascinating fusion (especially given Krakowski's country-rockish leanings), but makes it's own rather nice statement.

More information is available on Krakowski's Kamea Media site, www.kamea.com, and from an online PDF

Posted by Ari Davidow at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Michael Alpert has teamed up with the irrepressible duo of Sruli Dresder and Lisa Mayer to present a program of nigunim (hasidic "hums", as it were). It is an amazing performance, by all accounts. Here is an account from the Forverts, spotted by Jewish-Music mailing list member, Sandra Layman:

Posted by Ari Davidow at 7:23 AM | Permalink

It's about time, but we finally have a short review up of the marvellous recent CD by Laura Wetzler, Kabbalah Music

Posted by Ari Davidow at 5:37 PM | Permalink

Every year, George Robinson pegs the best of the albums that he has reviewed. The Klezmershack is months behind, so I'm just getting this up now. Still, the choices are excellent, so any time is the right time to read them:

www.klezmershack.com/articles/robinson/021125.sounds.html

Posted by Ari Davidow at 7:13 PM | Permalink

Hosted by Michael Alpert, in the first set, he will perform and talk about his personal history and connection to Eastern European klezmer music. He will also answer questions from the audience. In the second half, he will host a klezmer jam. All instruments (including voice) at all levels are welcome. For further info: please contact The Workmen's Circle at 617-566-6281 or email at: wcircle@gis.net

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:09 PM | Permalink

The latest reviews include Byrd/Chevan / This is the Afro-Semitic Experience, 2002; Tim Sparks / At the Rebbe's Table, 2002;Yankele / L'Esprit du klezmer, 2001; Howard Leshaw / Bronx Volume II: Yiddish on the Edge, 2001; Klezmaniacs (MA) / Sveet like herring vit potatoes, 2001; Amsterdam Klezmer Band / Limonchiki, 2001; Alain Chekroun & Taouifik Bestandji / Chants des Synagogues du Maghreb, 2000; Mark Levy / Bin ikhmir a shnayderl (I'm a little Tailor), 1999; Roy Nathanson & Anthony Coleman / I could've been a drum, 1997; Rabson, Mimi / Music, 2002.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:59 PM | Permalink

The latest reviews include Lori Cahan-Simon's secular Yiddish Passover song, a SoCalled Hip Hop seder, Nefesh' debut album, 'unplucked,' a delightful album by Israeli band, Tea Packs, 'your life in a lafa,' and Jewlia Eisenberg's latest effort, an avant gardeish, mostly a capella piece based on the writings and diaries of Walter Benjamin and Asja Lacis. A mediation by singer between two lovers. A 'Trilectic.'

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:13 PM | Permalink

reviews of great new releases of music by Mikis Theodorakis, Zakarya, Naftule's Dream, Chava Alberstein, and Monsieur Camembert.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 10:05 AM | Permalink

Continue reading "New Yiddish Passover CD - Songs My Bubbe Should Have Taught Me, Volume One: Passover" »

Posted by Ari Davidow at 3:28 PM | Permalink

Continue reading "Arkady Gendler: "My Hometown Soroke, Yiddish Songs of the Ukraine"" »

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