Klezmer

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I've seen a couple of articles lately about Klezmer, mostly to do with the London Klezfest which has been happening recently. I had never heard of it before, although I probably should have, considering the bit of North London I live in. So, is it any good? And if I wanted to buy a CD or two, where would be a good place to start?

― Madchen, Friday, 6 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm assuming everyone else is as clueless as me. What on earth are you talking about, woman?!

― Ally C, Saturday, 7 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Possessed by the Klezmatics is a pretty decent album - the singer has a lovely voice. Plus the unlisted last song sounds exactly like a Québec folk singalong :). Besides that, I must confess total ignorance.

― Patrick, Saturday, 7 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Is that the stuff on Zorn's label? I think he's got some Klezmer as part of his radical Jewish culture thing, unless I'm thinking of something else. I'd love to know what's out there, too. Excellent party music that has stood the test of time.

― Mark, Saturday, 7 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Klezmer=Yiddish polka.

That definition is, admittedly, overbroad and slightly inaccurate (inasmuch as klezmer is a little more musically variegated than polka). But I think it's generally accurate.

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Saturday, 7 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hmm, I probably have a poor understanding of polka, but I'd say it's a bit different though related to what you said, T. The Klezmer Shack is a very good site covering klezmer, including trad stuff, klezmer-jazz like that of Zorn's Masada group et al, stuff like Hasidic New Wave, the Klezmatics, all KINDS of stuff.

Sorry, can't give you a good rec., Madchen, aside from one Hasidic New wave CD I don't like that much, I only own Masada CDs (which may have too much other stuff going on for you, if you just want to hear what klezmer is like by itself).

Uh. Also Firewater, especially their first album, do a nice bit of melodic NYC-lower-east-side-meets-klez-and-other-Eastern-European rocknroll.

― Josh, Sunday, 8 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

who has heard "rise up," the latest klezmatics cd? it's good!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 17 January 2004 00:37 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.firewater.tv/

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 17 January 2004 00:40 (twenty-one years ago)

that doesn't answer my question, unless you're meaning to imply that the members of firewater have heard the latest klezmatics cd.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 17 January 2004 00:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I can play a little klezmer, it's just about the hardest thing you can play on clarinet. Go trad. not modern. Nigun by The Brandeis-Bardin Quartet is a good starting place just to get a sense of what Klezmer is all about I spose.

― ipsofacto (ipsofacto), Saturday, 17 January 2004 01:43 (twenty-one years ago)

ipsofacto: are you a beautiful canadian woman? I met a beautiful canadian clarinetist once; she's friends with my klezmer-loving roommate.

Dave Tarras is good. I don't really know any other Klezmer names.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 17 January 2004 02:18 (twenty-one years ago)

dave tarras is terrific, also try his "rival" naftule brandwein, or abe schwartz, or or or...

trad stuff is of course great but there's lots of terrific revivalist stuff too.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 17 January 2004 02:21 (twenty-one years ago)

ipsofacto: are you a beautiful canadian woman? I met a beautiful canadian clarinetist once; she's friends with my klezmer-loving roommate.

-- (johni72...), January 17th, 2004 1:18 PM. (orion)

No i'm a rather frumpy australian woman.

― ipsofacto (ipsofacto), Saturday, 17 January 2004 03:43 (twenty-one years ago)

alas. my dreams shattered and my heart broken.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 17 January 2004 04:12 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah i seem to be good at that.

― ipsofacto (ipsofacto), Saturday, 17 January 2004 04:44 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

Does anyone have any more trad klezmer recommendations? Now that I, um, have a klezmer band of sorts, I realized I really really have to listen to some stuff that's not on Tzadik.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 14:43 (twenty-one years ago)

cool!

naftule brandwein - the king of the klezmer clarinet
dave tarras - tanz!
abe schwartz - the klezmer king

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

(those are all newish re-releases that should be easy to find)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Awesome, thanks Slocki. Are any of those recent enough to have percussion, btw?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

the brandwein and schwartz stuff is 20s-40s, I think, and tanz! (which was made as a proper album, interestingly enough) is from the late 50s.

(if that answers your question)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Cool. I'll probably get Tanz, since I want something trad but it would be nice if there was a drummer and decent recording quality.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

well the quality on the early recordings isn't so hot--the comps are all done from old 78s i think. tanz! sounds quite nice though. all these have good liner notes too.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

also if you want to hear something new and totally different and brilliant, check out my friend's album here:

http://www.piranha.de/records/english/all_1789.htm

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh yeah, I saw your post about that on the Kanye thread. I was thinking about checking it out, and I've heard David Krakauer on some Zorn-related stuff.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

krakauer's last solo alb is also really good. and HEY HEY HEY you're a brass guy right? you gotta check out frank london's klezmer brass all-stars' "brotherhood of brass" album--it's him & crew + boban markovic orkestar (AMAZING serbian brass band, also check out their live disc) + a cairo brass band whose name escapes me. amazing amazing amazing. and my buddy has a remix on it!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

i have a feeling i may have already reccomended that to you, if so, please excuse me.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, that looks GREAT. If you've recommended it before, I've forgotten. It doesn't look like it's on Amazon, do you happen to know where I could get it online?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

The best band in the fucking universe:

http://www.tzadik.com/CDSections/RadicalJewishCulture/rabbinical.html

And I haven't even heard them.

― David Allen (David Allen), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

here's the boban markovic album:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006I9FS/qid=1077050289/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-2925665-1860839?v=glance&s=music

but yeah, I can't find the london one! I hope it hasn't been deleted! will search further...

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 20:39 (twenty-one years ago)

and here's piranha's mp3 page, where you can download samples of brotherhood of brass, socalled, and boban...

http://www.piranha.de/records/english/download/download.htm

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 20:41 (twenty-one years ago)

found it! it was in the classical music section for some reason:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006317T/qid=1077050752/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-2925665-1860839?v=glance&s=classical

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm, I don't know how reputable or up-to-date this is, but it looks like it's available here.

Also, since I kind of hear klezmer drumming from a New Orleans angle anyway, I figure I'll pick up a New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars cd or two when I'm there this weekend.

(x-post - SWEET, thanks)

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha, I just ordered Tanz and Brotherhood of Brass, despite having blown my budget on a Masada cd (to replace one I lost) and a New Klezmer Trio one yesterday. Amazon is both wonderful and horrible.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

haha! klezmer korrupts! which masada cd?

are you a fan of the bar kokhba double-discs?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I ordered Live in Sevilla, which is my favorite Masada record. Live at Tonic is great too, but Sevilla has a few simpler tunes that I've been wanting to do for years (esp. the first track and the uptempo third or fourth one).

The Circle Maker is pretty fantastic, I think I like the full band side more. Haven't heard the other one.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

you should definitely check out the first one, it's really beautiful. and a rockist favourite because zorn actually writes his own tunes!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 21:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Aren't all the tunes on Circle Maker Zorn originals as well?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 21:46 (twenty-one years ago)

oh yeah, they are

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

another great album to check out is the khevrisa one, here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004RJX3/qid=1077217752//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl15/002-2925665-1860839?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846

this is more string-heavy stuff, very arranged, almost chamber-like klezmer with lots of cymbalom (one of my favourite instruments).

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 19 February 2004 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Cool, maybe I'll point that out to our violin player, who has also never played klezmer.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 19 February 2004 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I've been listening to Brotherhood of Brass and Tanz! for a couple of days now. BoB was initially a bit disappointing because my expectations were so high, but it's growing on me. Actually I've just been spoiled by New Orleans brass bands, and I liked it much better after I stopped comparing. It doesn't groove like that, and the volume seems to come from numbers rather than anyone really putting a lot of air through the horn.

As far as klez albums I've heard though, it is really good. I like the droney rubato tracks the best, I think.

I fell asleep to Tanz! yesterday, in a good way. Some of it is REALLY repetitious, like they just loop the form and play it the same way each time, but hey, I guess that's what you have to do to keep the Bar Mitzvah floor rockin'. A lot of it is beautiful though.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 27 February 2004 17:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm glad you like. you should give boban markovic's live joint a tree--it's REALLY intense. i can shoot you some mp3s if you like.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 27 February 2004 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I would love to check that out. Are you on AIM?

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 27 February 2004 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, but not often! i'm saltykmurks - hit me up if you see me!

(by the way I just re-read my last post and am appalled. "give his live joint a 'tree'?" "REALLY intense"?!?!?

what the fuck is the matter with me?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 27 February 2004 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

REVIVE.

Partially because I was babbling on about Charming Hostess on another thread, and then searched for Klezmer and found, well, not a lot (I'll blame this on the fauz-nu-ilx search function, I suppose).

So. Modern or traditional Klezmer reccomendations - go.

― John Justen says Toonces was one of the most talented cats on televison (johnjus, Tuesday, 16 January 2007 06:47 (eighteen years ago)

Woah. You were babbling on about Charming Hostess? Without even realizing - I mentioned them on the Voice, Voice, Voice thread. Coooool.

Anyway, recommendations:
Golem
Kletka Red
The Klezmatics (esp. that new Woodie Guthrie album)
Jewlia Eisenberg (not really klezmer at all, but some klez influences)
Tim Sparks - At the Rebbe's Table
And for something completely different: Socalled + Solomon - Hiphopkhasene

― Mordechai Shinefield (Mordy), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 06:53 (eighteen years ago)

Actually, I was babbling on about Charming Hostess in response to you on the Voice, Voice, Voice thread.

― John Justen says Toonces was one of the most talented cats on televison (johnjus, Tuesday, 16 January 2007 06:55 (eighteen years ago)

Hahaha. Ok. I should start reading these things in correct order. I'm sure I've got a much bigger list of klezmer recommendations - but those are a good bunch to start with. I'll find more later.

― Mordechai Shinefield (Mordy), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 07:05 (eighteen years ago)

Also, thing about Golem is - they aren't really klezmer. They aren't really punk either (the other thing they advertise as). But they have klezmer influences. It's just that they might be closer to Devotchka or... Balkan Beat Box -- with those influences. Even the Hora is superficially a Hora - he's really making a joke about Hora and Simcha music (wedding music, basically) using the structure of a Hora song. But of the list I just put up - they are probably the most klezmer band (except for Klezmatics). Which means - my recommendations are a failure at answering the question.

― Mordechai Shinefield (Mordy), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 07:08 (eighteen years ago)

Not a problem, my delving into Klezmer (traditional) was spawned from the outside (Firewater, various Tzadik stuff, etc.).

That being said, I've been listening to a lot of "The Klezmer Conservatory Band" as of late, particularly "Old World Beat".

― John Justen says Toonces was one of the most talented cats on televison (johnjus, Tuesday, 16 January 2007 07:13 (eighteen years ago)

At one point I listened to a lot of klezmer music. But I really don't find it very satisfying. It works best as social music - for which it was initially intended. So at a wedding, where I'm not analyzing the music, klezmer is perfect. But listening to a CD of it always feels unfulfilling. It doesn't speak to me - and it really shouldn't. It was born out a period of time where it was commenting on the uncertainty of home and violence (galut, pogroms, etc), inspired by lăutari... think the wedding scene in Fiddler on the Roof right before the Cossacks march in. Charging the lyrics to reference the L train doesn't really update the sound enough for me. Which is probably why I can only recommend klezmer influenced music.

― Mordechai Shinefield (Mordy), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 07:18 (eighteen years ago)

Betsuni Nanmo Klezmer - the only Japanese Klezmer band in the world - as well as being the largest Klezmer in the world. Not very active right now though.

― danzig (danzig), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 21:42 (eighteen years ago)

the only Japanese Klezmer band in the world

apart from cicala mvta...?

― mister the guanoman (mister the guanoman), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 23:00 (eighteen years ago)

two months pass...

Anyone heard the new Cracow Klezmer Band album yet? Remembrance?

― Mordechai Shinefield, Sunday, 15 April 2007 21:32 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

One day this thread will be Rolling 200x. But until that day, Klezmer (or klezmer-derivative) I've been listening to lately:

Sarah Aroeste (I'm seeing her live on Wednesday)
Yidcore's They Tried to Kill Us. They Failed. Let's Eat. single and music video, which despite being overtly punk has an obvious klezmer influence.
and Nehedar's debut album.

― Mordechai Shinefield, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:59 (eighteen years ago)

The DC JCC is sponsoring a big fest in early June w/ the Klezmatics and more obscure outfits.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:57 (eighteen years ago)

They Tried to Kill Us. They Failed. Let's Eat.

Best title. . .

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 14:08 (eighteen years ago)

I haven't listened to any klezmer since the Klezbian Wedding Band broke up, unless you count Slavic Soul Party.

― Jordan, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 14:55 (eighteen years ago)

A publicist wants me to write about the Bester Quartet, Duo 46 and SoCalled among others who are appearing at the DC JCC Fest:

Composed of four classically trained musicians, Poland’s Bester Quartet integrates elements of klezmer, classical, jazz and vanguard music, to create exquisite improvisations. Founded ten years ago in Krakow, Poland as The Cracow Klezmer Band,

Inspired by a visit to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, and the vibrant flamenco dancing and music of Seville, Argentine-born composer Jorge Liderman has adapted centuries-old Sephardic melodies into a fiery, evocative contemporary song cycle. The resulting Aires de Sefarad sparkles and soars on Duo46’s bow and frets, reflecting Spain’s past and present, its vast and varied culture. The recording has garnered praise as “one of the most gorgeous releases of the year” by the Cincinnati Enquirer and made the 2007 GRAMMY entry list for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. One of the leading violin and guitar duos in contemporary classical music, Duo46 embraces music by living composers, most often music composed specifically for them. Since 1994, guitarist Matt Gould and violinist Beth Ilana Schneider have commissioned, recorded and performed new music and conducted ensemble and composition residencies all over the world. www.duo46.com

Welcome to the eclectic world of master mixer SoCalled, a.k.a. Josh Dolgin. Searching beyond the usual pantheon of samples for hip hop artists, SoCalled explores the shtetls of Eastern Europe and the Yiddish vaudeville stages of Second Avenue for inspiration. A whiz on the accordion, SoCalled performs and records widely with a motley crew, including C Rayz Walz, Killah Priest, Matisyahu, Fred Wesley, Susan Hoffman-Watts, Frank London and Irving Fields.

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 05:36 (eighteen years ago)

The People's Republic of Klezmerica is pretty great Klezmer band...They're from Columbia, MO.

― Tape Store, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 06:14 (eighteen years ago)

Someone upthread mentioned New Klezmer Trio. Great group. Crackow Klezmer band is pretty amazing, too. Local group here in Eugene (sadly disbanded, I think) by the name of the Klezmonauts put out a fun album too. If you can find it, I'd recommend it.

And all Masada stuff, too, though some of the newer spinoff projects like "Masada Rock" leave something to be desired...

― novaheat, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 06:21 (eighteen years ago)

Would Masada be considered Klezmer?

I just found the Rough Guide to Klezmer used this past weekend, been enjoying it. I was not aware how close this music came to disappearing after WWII. Very few practitioners survived the Holocaust, apparently, and it was rarely heard until being revived in the 1970s.

― Mark Rich@rdson, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 12:18 (eighteen years ago)

I don't really consider Masada to be klezmer, though a lot of the songs are definitely influenced by klezmer and I can see fans of "traditional" klezmer finding a lot to like about what they do, especially the "Bar Kokbha" and "Circle Maker" re-workings.

I found a used CD a few years ago called "Klezmer Music: A Marriage of Heaven and Earth". If you can find a copy of it, I'd recommend it. Nice booklet, and a decent mix of different klezmer artists that are a lot more "traditional" than some of the stuff like New Klezmer Trio and so forth.

On something of a tangent, I read that Secret Chiefs 3 will be doing one of the installments of the Masada "Book of Angels" series later this year. I've got the one performed by the Jamie Saft Trio, and it's pretty good.

Also, if you dig the Bar Kokbha stuff, check out Zorn's "Filmworks IX: Trembling Before G-d". It's mostly piano/organ & clarinet music very much in the vein of the Masada chamber music. There're two absolutely gorgeous versions of the song "Mahshav" on there.

― novaheat, Thursday, 17 May 2007 03:17 (eighteen years ago)

six months pass...

Happy Chanukah tonight. The Sinai Mountain Boys who play Jewgrass more than klezmer are performing for free at the Kennedy Center in DC at 6 tonight.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 4 December 2007 15:36 (eighteen years ago)

seven months pass...

Has anyone heard the new Jewlia project (The Bowls Project) yet? The stuff on her website sounds really amazing. I hope she does some recording soon.

― Mordy, Monday, 21 July 2008 08:39 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

http://www.bolingo.org/audio/texts/fr127_128_3.JPG

― ian, Friday, 31 October 2008 19:00 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

― Mordy, Thursday, 25 December 2008 18:26 (seventeen years ago)

Happy chanukah. Lots of folks touring this time of the year.

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 25 December 2008 19:05 (seventeen years ago)

Chock full of info, this thread! I'd never seen it before. I love all the Klezmatics I've heard, and several of Frank London's other projects, but was mostly frustrated by an NPR concert this week. It was centered around new settings for Woody Guthrie lyrics about Chanukah: some good imagery flashing by (more glimpses of Mermaid Avenue in the winter mist, for inst), but Klezmatics now seem like Frank London and Friends, no great chemistry overall, and apparently they've seized on some lyric fragments, and you get this semi-Cooder blandness bobbing in place, and the main (male) vocalist has this really doughy voice--even though they had Susan McKeown on hand, her sultry/forthright alto only got a lead, or even a very audible backup vocal spot, on a few numbers. But they did get a good klez-cajun thing going a couple of times (more of that fiddle, please! Why was that rationed too? Didn't even hear London that much--it was mostly the doughboy vocal show)But I'm very glad to have the few numbers that did work (taped it all)

― dow, Saturday, 27 December 2008 01:26 (seventeen years ago)

"Love all the Klezmatics" albums, that is (and some old live sets on tape)

― dow, Saturday, 27 December 2008 01:27 (seventeen years ago)

The video of Golem's live show (that was free) earlier tonight in DC should be on the Kennedy Center Milennium Stage website shortly

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 27 December 2008 04:59 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

I just heard the new Golem album today (Citizen Boris). I think it's a lot more interesting than the last album, and makes a much stronger argument for their kind of music (klezmer punk, whatever). Whereas with Off the Boat I always felt like it was a little nostalgic and a little shticky, with Citizen Boris it sounds like a totally original thing and really brilliant.

― Mordy, Friday, 13 February 2009 00:45 (sixteen years ago)

Klezmerquerque:

http://209.62.39.19/~nahalats/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=54

(I'm not going--unless I win tickets or something--but I don't go to anything these days. I'm not really as interested in klezmer as I was at one time, but for the name alone, I thought I would post this link.)

― _Rockist__Scientist_, Friday, 13 February 2009 20:48 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

This band is dope: http://www.myspace.com/yiddishprincess

― Mordy, Monday, 21 June 2010 23:40 (fifteen years ago)

one month passes...

Not klezmer, but chazzanis: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/nyregion/21cantor.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

― Mordy, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 11:14 (fifteen years ago)

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