Shirim Klezmer Orchestra / Naftule's Dream

Album cover: Surreal, almost Escher-like, but in color and, then again, definitely not Escher. Shirim Klezmer Orchestra
Naftule's Dream

Northeastern Records, NR-5014, 1993
PO Box 3589
Saxonville, MA 01701-0605

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.

Personnel this recording:

Glenn Dickson: clarinet
Betty Silberman: vocals
David Harris: trombone, dumbek
Maury Rosenberg: piano, accordion
James Gray: tuba
Alan Hall: drums

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

Yiddish Voice
Sound files hosted by The Yiddish Voice.
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Wednesdays, 7:30 - 8:30 pm


Album cover: Everyone is so young then!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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