Klezmer Music: A Marriage of Heaven & Earth

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Organized like a Jewish wedding, this smartly compiled, fascinatingly annotated, and handsomely packaged album of living klezmer music is equally spiritual and celebratory, expressing a richness of feeling that ranges from clarinetist Andy Statman's Coltrane-esque explorations of deep Hasidic liturgical music to Brave Old World's rendition of the high-spirited procession leading from the wedding couple's homes to the ceremony. The beauty of contemporary klezmer lies in the sly melding of old European roots to progressive traditionalism. Groups like the Klezmatics (who here join their clarinet mentor Ray Musiker) and Naftule's Dream not only reflect klezmer's old-school expressionism, but extend it well beyond good-old-fashioned free jazz. Full of beautiful surprises, Klezmer Music also includes examples of "chamber" klezmer, rough-edged Gypsy klezmer from Hungary, high-spirited dance music, and much more. --Richard Gehr

Tracks:

Gasn Nign - Alicia Svigals
Mazltov - The Chicago Klezmer Ensemble
Podoloy: Hongu/Freylekhs - Di Naye Kapelye
A Glezele Vayn - La'om
Badekns Nign - Andy Statman
Behusher Khusid - Budowitz
Wedding Suite - Deborah Strauss And Jeff Warschauer
Nokh An Anderer Alter ulgar/The In-Laws - Ray Musiker And The Klazmatics
Dveykus Nign - Andy Statman
Patsh Tants - The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band
The Black Wedding - Naftule's Dream
Rufn Di Kinder Aheym - Brave Old World

Amazon.com

Organized like a Jewish wedding, this smartly compiled, fascinatingly annotated, and handsomely packaged album of living klezmer music is equally spiritual and celebratory, expressing a richness of feeling that ranges from clarinetist Andy Statman's Coltrane-esque explorations of deep Hasidic liturgical music to Brave Old World's rendition of the high-spirited procession leading from the wedding couple's homes to the ceremony. The beauty of contemporary klezmer lies in the sly melding of old European roots to progressive traditionalism. Groups like the Klezmatics (who here join their clarinet mentor Ray Musiker) and Naftule's Dream not only reflect klezmer's old-school expressionism, but extend it well beyond good-old-fashioned free jazz. Full of beautiful surprises, Klezmer Music also includes examples of "chamber" klezmer, rough-edged Gypsy klezmer from Hungary, high-spirited dance music, and much more. --Richard Gehr

Customer Reviews:

A begining..............2004-02-03

This was my first purchase of Klezmer(though it would be an excellent wedding gift to any of your Jewish friends), and it ended up being a great guide to the field. It comes with a well produced book that explains the basic lingo of Klezmer(lots of pictures!) and introduces you to the diverse artists that recorded these tracks. After listening, I could spring-off and focus on the various artists of the collection that I liked the best... Mixing traditional sounds and new, including strong steps toward Jazz-Klez, I found many of these cuts to continue for years to be my favorites. #1 is a good begining that eases you into the flow of whats to come. #2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 I find to be good basic examples of the genre that you would expect to fill your interest scholarly or your heart inspirationally. #5 by Andy Statman shows why he is famous for his instrumentations. But its #8,10,11, and 12 that ROCKS! If 10 doesnt put you straight to the study of the Kabbalah with its mysterious percussions and angelic like horn, your heart will swell with joy to the borders of Shamayim by listening to #11. Feverishly building and building, with a few small breaks to catch ones breath, this collection takes you from tradition to "NOW-TRADITION" in a prosaic and well demonstrative pattern of Klezmers history(and diversitive roots).
Perhaps its fitting that the last cut is a "lost cut", for #13 is neither documented in the books credits, nor on the disc itself(apparently not Amazons info either). How appropriate that this ethereal and meditative piece has no credit, could some Seraphim have broken from Heavenly duties of chanting the Trisagion to sneak this soothing jam onto the disc without Michal Shapiros knowledge?

A Good Survey of Contemporary Klezmer.......2003-09-21

Michal Shapiro's anthology presents a very telling survey of American neo-klezmer music that includes some of the best traditional interpreters as well as the more eclectic groups. There is a lot of talent on this CD -- but overall the music lacks the natural folk qualities and expressive power of the likes of Naftule Brandwein and Dave Tarras. Still, the Budowitz esthetic appealed to me: Horowitz and company are trying to recreate an older, less extroverted sound than klezmer fans usually hear. And Andy Statman is incredible on both his clarinet doina and the mandolin piece. The CD is worth the money for these two tracks alone.

I mainly wish to make a correction........1999-02-13

The artists of the third piece on the compilation go by the name of Di Naye Kapelye, not Ki Naye Kapelye.

Music Album:

Music Album