klezmer.us.1986

[Ari Davidow <jmusic...>]

This was put in the Jewish library on the WELL back in early 
1986. I had only recently discovered klez, so my ignorance 
occasionally runs rampant. I have edited out some local 
references. Some of my opinions have changed radically in the 
last six years (and some of this is just bad writing), but 
without doing an honest and extensive update, it doesn't seem 
right to anything but present what is. Anyone want to add to 
it? update it? Send e-mail to: jmusic (at) israel(dot)nysernet(dot)org and 
let's talk!

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KLEZ.  IT'S BACK.  AND IT SOUNDS GOOD.
A Short Description of Jewish Musics and Who's Playing It
[commentary and listings by Ari Davidow. ]

Klezmer, Ladino music, Yiddish Theatre tunes, and even 
contemporary pieces in similar spirit are finally popular 
again. (Or as I once stated in an ill-conceived promotion 
piece: "Klez. The music to which the Cossacks danced off 
their socks. It's back.").  Thank G-d!  It's such wonderful 
music.  How did we make it through the Sixties without it?  
     My own active involvement with the genre began late one 
night. I had already bought a couple of Klezmorim albums, and 
been rather unimpressed, and I had the Andy Statman/Zev 
Feldman album, but it seemed like an isolated phenomenon, 
wonderful though it was.  But no one _I_ knew listened to the 
stuff, much less played it, and it still felt like history.  
Then my friend Elissa came to town.  One night, while I 
worked late, she headed off to check out some old friends.  
About two in the morning she showed back up at the door with 
a new friend.  "Ari," she says,"look who I found--he plays in 
a new Santa Cruz klezmer band". So this guy comes in, and he 
has all of these tapes (it turns out that the main one was 
the Klezmorim "tryout" tape--the one they had prospective new 
members listen to).  I was blown away.  Itwas two in the 
morning and I was tired and cranky and as I started dancing 
around the room, I wasn't tired at all any more. This was 
REAL stuff.  This was Jewish audial moonshine.  Rootsmusic.  
In the years since, the number of bands playing klez and 
other types of Jewish music to concert audiences (as opposed 
to weddings and Bar Mitzvahs) has exploded.  Keeping up with 
it all on a limited budget has even forced me to stop buying 
new blues albums.  We are talking serious stuff here.
     The modern "klezmer" bands tend to be a cross between 
traditional type bands and yiddish theatre tune revivalists.  
But the audiences have changed, too.  The traditional klezmer 
would play only _simchas_ (celebrations).  The concept of a 
sitdown (or even stand up and dance) concert is a new thing.  
And the burgeoning numbers of Jewish bands playing this 
music--AND WRITING NEW STUFF--is, for me, the most wondrous 
cultural achievement since the invention of pastrami and 
swiss on rye. It's important for politico-cultural reasons as 
well--this is OUR music, and we lost it.  Klez.  Now it's 
back.

*****TYPES OF JEWISH MUSIC

In keeping with my desire to get to the bands and albums 
themselves, the following thumbnail sketch is pretty sketchy. 
This is in large part due to my vast ignorance.  I have no 
intention of covering every type of Jewish music.  I really 
don't like some of this stuff!  My primary interest is in the 
recent Klez/Yiddish Theatre descended bands.  Per usual, I 
will be glad to correct any mistakes as people let me know 
where I display my ignorance most flagrantly.

KLEZMER, short for "klei zemer" (musical instruments) refers 
to the conglomeration of Greek and Central/Eastern European 
music played at Jewish celebrations.  A pure klezmer band has 
no vocalist--it just turns up the volume and swings the music 
faster.  Unlike rock, or African-influenced music, klez is 
made for dancing while holding hands, or dancing with a 
partner.  It doesn't bounce, it flows.  It swings, it cries.  
Traditionally, there wouldn't even be a drummer (and, in 
fact, the difference between a modern "Bar Mitzvah band" and 
a good band of klezmorim often relies on just that 
distinction.  Bar Mitzvah bands have drummers.  Klezmorim 
create a motion and feel that doesn't fit easily into 4/4, 
and certainly aren't comfortable with "a one and uh two".  
It's no accident that when Jewish musicians abandoned the 
"old world" music and moved into the American idiom, many of 
them (most notably Benny Goodman) moved into jazz.

Jewish music encompasses more than just wedding music. There 
is a rich folk music tradition, encompassing both European 
and northern African traditions.  EUROPEAN FOLK songs are in 
Yiddish, an amalgam of German, Hebrew, a bit of Russian and 
whatever else.  The best source for information on the 
Yiddish music is the books and records by Ruth Rubin.  Some 
well-known songs from this tradition include "Dona Dona", 
"Oifn Pfeferchik", and "The March of the Partisans".  The 
latter is part of a rich collection of music that came out of 
the Holocaust period.

The Sephardic tradition is different.  In this case 
the"lingua franca", Ladino, comes primarily from Spanish, 
with Hebrew, Arabic and whatever else thrown in where 
convenient.  And unlike the familiar sounds of guitar of 
violin, LADINO SONG is often accompanied by arabic 
instruments such as the oud (similar to the Greek bazouki).  
In fact, in many hands, Ladino song sounds very much like 
Arabic or Greek music sung in something Spanish-like.  And 
that is the sum total of my knowledge (and perhaps a bit 
more).

During the height of the Jewish immigrant period in the 
United States, a new genre arose, that of YIDDISH THEATRE.  
In it, European custom and music met America, and out of it 
came some of the liveliest and most familiar Jewish tunes--"A 
Letter to Mama", "Roumania, Roumania," "Yiddle mit dem 
Fiddle" ... even "Bei Mir Bist Du Schein" (which was actually 
written much later). Many of these songs, in fact, were 
"yiddishized" versions ofpopular American songs (Mickey 
Katz's "She'll Be Coming 'Round  The Catskills," for 
instance--actually just about anything by Mickey Katz. Sigh.)  
Stars of the Yiddish Theatre included Molly Picon, Aharon 
Lebedeff, and the already-mentioned Mickey Katz (father of 
Joel Grey, by the way).  It may not be klez, but papa, it 
sure is gut.  Or was.  By the time we got to the Fifties, 
Yiddish song meant Eddie Cantor.  A different kind of music 
entirely.  But that was at the height of "normalcy" and the 
melting pot and "being American"--attitudes that our parents 
picked up from their parents.  For many of us, our parents 
were the third generation--the ones with no memory of active 
tradition other than America.  Partly as a response to 
external antisemitism and the felt need to conform, and 
partly because the "old ways" just weren't "modern", this 
heritage went underground until recently.

Not all popular Jewish music, however, was secular.  Au 
contraire.  Especially through the fifties, some of the most 
popular records were by the great CANTORS (this is not meant 
to be a pun) of the day.  Oi Vey.  Some of the cantors were 
opera stars going to/coming from their roots.  Personally, if 
you like opera and schmaltz (which I don't) you can't go 
wrong. Otherwise, however, this stuff is like breakfast at 
the Grand Ave. Dairy Restaurant in New York--good stuff, but 
way too oily.

The newest genre of religious music is HASSIDIC MUSIC.  This 
stuff is the closest Jewish music comes to the art of the 
mantra. Hundreds of drunken Hassidim dance around singing 
"Bim Bam" for hours at a time.  Over the past decade, 
youngish folkies have taken to recording this stuff, along 
with "spiritual" Jewish folksongs.  Yukh.  With them are 
older folky types who should know better, such as the 
undeservedly and incredibly popular Shlomo Carlebach.  I 
don't want to trample on anyone's spirituality, but my 
personal feeling is that with the exception of the Fabrangen 
Fiddler crowd (a.k.a. THE COUNTRY KLEZMORIM) the stuff is as 
stale and as awful sounding as Amy Grant.

And finally, I should mention ISRAELI MUSIC, which started 
from the European folk tradition and went commercial.  Israel 
has more sensitive singer/songwriters than LA.  The "product" 
is generally very well-crafted, and the words are often well 
thought out--there are very few Israeli pop songs of the "You 
broke my heart so I busted your jaw" genre.  On the other 
hand, the prototypical Israeli folk/pop song was "A Man 
Within Himself" by Shalom Chanoch which was fairly sensitive 
for about three quarters of the song ... "a man within 
himself, lives within himself ..." and then gets to the 
bridge which summarizes to "so I'm glad you're here tonight 
baby to appreciate a sensitive,tortured guy like me."  Willie 
Nelson has got some tough competition.  Israeli music is 
seldom available in the United States.  Good Israeli music is 
almost never available here.  Good Israeli music is seldom 
available in Israel (and I was the Pop Music columnist for 
the Jerusalem Post for a blessedly short period in the 
Seventies, so I KNOW. -:)).  If KPFA ever gets a Jewish 
program, I'll dig out some of the best and then you'll know 
too).

*****THE FIRST....THE KLEZMORIM (But still a B-)

Well, the Klez revival started out here in the Bay Area when 
David Gray and Lev Liverman put together the KLEZMORIM.  The 
first two albums, "East Side Wedding" and the one with the R. 
Crumb cover were klezish, and in fact, pretty good.  
Gradually they got their schtik down to an entertaining stage 
show and now tour all over the world with such routines as 
"Russian Break-Dancing".  It's not great theatre, and it's 
not great music, but, yeah, it's pretty good.  Without the 
KLEZMORIM I don't know if there would have BEEN a Klezmer 
revival.  I'm not sure that gratitude is sufficient excuse to 
be a fan, however.  The two recent albums are okay if you 
like Sidney Bechet and early Ellington, but not particularly 
notable for klez fans.  Truth to tell, I can't remember the 
last time I listened to an entire KLEZMORIM album.  David 
Gray recently left the group, and even more recently has 
formed a new band called ZEITGEIST. 

*****THE CURRENT BEST RECORDS.... [A+] (I've loved these ever 
since they were first released, and still do.)

ANDY STATMAN.  Andy is a mandolin/clarinet player who put in 
some good years with the likes of Dave Grisman and the new 
bluegrass crowd.  In fact, his first(?) solo album included 
the incomparable "Flatbush Waltz"--one of the few klez 
revival songs to make it into _everybody's_ repertoire.  Over 
the last few years he has had a group called the "Andy 
Statman Orchestra" which has put out a couple of good albums, 
but the best, absolutely one of the best klez albums EVER, 
was an acoustic album he did featuring himself on clarinet, 
with Z'ev Feldman on Tzimbalom (an Eastern European hammer 
dulcimer), and some occasional acoustic bass by Marty 
Confurious.  The album gave rise to an entire new genre (and 
remains the only entry worthy of mention) ... JEWGRASS.  
Andy, by the way, was a student of the great clarinetist Dave 
Tarras (see later), along with Naftuli Brandwine one of the 
great stars of the original klez explosion.

THE KLEZMER CONSERVATORY BAND.  Okay, dig.  It's a group from 
Boston.  Until very recently, the lead clarinet was this 
black guy who looked like he should have been playing with 
Charlie Parker (until he started to play--then everything was 
perfect klez).  The bandleader is a preppie.  The lead 
singer, his wife, dresses like a Brooklyn hooker.  But their 
first albumblew _everyone_ away.  No one had a right to sound 
this good.  At the time, the klezmer revival bands were all 
resurrecting Brandwine tunes.  Judy Breslow, the lead singer, 
was out to give Molly Picon a run for her money.  She even 
recorded a version of the Yiddish Theatre tour de force 
"Roumania Roumania" that approached Lebedeff quality.  The 
next two albums, "Klez" and "A Touch of Klez In the Night" 
are good, but not as good [B) each]. Or maybe it was just the 
time and the daring of the first album that were impossible 
to follow up.  Their current album is from a radio broadcast 
and is called "Hanukka" [B+].  Predictably, perhaps, the 
highlights of the current album are NOT the music, but the 
story of Hanukka, and the reminisces of the two older 
participants.  As a Hanukka album, or even as a quick primer 
on Hanukka, or as a folklore document, this is good.  The 
music didn't move me.  And I don't want to hear "Doina Doina" 
again.

MIRIAM DVORIM.  Miriam lives in Petaluma, where she hosts a 
Jewish music show on one of the local stations.  Plays a mean 
violin.  Appeared briefly on one of the early Klezmorim 
albums. A couple of years ago she recorded an album for 
Arhoolie called "Grandma Soup".  Unusual for Arhoolie, it is 
well recorded.

When I first heard it, I was offended.  This wasn't REALLY 
klez.  It was too, uh, too modern California folkie (my least 
favorite tradition).  But it isn't.  And unlike twenty other 
bands on record, she knows how to sing "Doina Doina" and get 
away with it.  She also reintroduced the wonderful Yiddish 
rent protest song "Dire Gelt" (now also over-recorded).  
Listening to Miriam is similar to listening to Aharon 
Lebedeff.  No matter how often or how badly these songs are 
covered by other people, her versions, on this album, set the 
standard.

AHARON LEBEDEFF.  One of the stars of Yiddish theatre, I know 
of one Lebedeff album in print, on some obscure label, 
available occasionally at Down Home Records.  The first track 
is "Roumania Roumania" a theatre song about the fleshpots of 
Roumania.  As he describes what a wonderful place it was, and 
especially the amazing delicious foods, he does things with 
his voice that would put Ella Fitzgerald to shame, finally 
ending up in a blast of pre-scat singing that is nothing but 
human voice played at its best.  There are some other good 
songs, too.


*****RECENT RELEASES (All ratings in this section are 
temporary. I reserve final judgement for the time when I put 
the albums away, out of the "current listening" pile.)

MAXWELL ST. KLEZMER BAND [A].  This Chicago-based ensemble 
has put out the nicest album I have heard in years, perhaps 
the best since the ground-breaking first by the Klezmer 
Conservatory Band.  As has become customary, this "Klez 
revival" band is more a "Jewish music revival" group, with a 
well-selected group of songs from klez, yiddish, and Israeli 
folk traditions.  The vocals are excellent, including an 
awkwardly sung yiddish tune featuring the male vocalist 
(believe me! it's good).  Openingwith a soft flute version of 
the Hanukka tune "Mi Yimalel", the Maxwell Streeters are 
clearly not trying to blast the listener away (a welcome 
change from the usual klez revival fare).  The mood is 
slightly quieter, slightly more serious than the average. The 
musicianship, which tends to the jazzier (as opposed to the 
klez bombast), is also on a higher level than one would 
expect. Easily the best from the huge group of albums 
released over the last year by Global Village Music.

EMIL BRUH "Klezmer Violinist and Instrumental Ensemble". [B-] 
The packaging of this cassette set a new low for Global 
Village Music.  There are no liner notes whatsoever, no 
personnel listed. Nada.  Who is Emil Bruh and where does he 
come from?  The cassette didn't even have a label.  The music 
is definitely not current--it may have been recorded recently 
(the copyright is from 1985), but it sounds like old Tarras 
records.  In fact, it sounds like gypsy music, but a cut 
above your average B movie soundtrack.  My guess is the Emil 
is an old-timer who got together with the band and made a new 
cassette.  On the other hand, he is a good, occasionally 
inspired violin player.  The material is relatively typical, 
but not deadingly so.  In a lot of nice ways, this is a 
"blast from the past" recording--music played in a style and 
steadiness of beat that is seldom heard in the young bands.  
If I had to pick between one of the retread compilations or 
this album, I'd pick this one.  If nothing else, production 
and sound quality are better.

MAZELTONES. [C+] "Seattle Roumania".  An okay album with an 
awful version of one of my least favorite songs, "Tzena 
Tzena" and a wonderful new set of words to "Roumania 
Roumania" ....Seattle Seattle Seattle Seaaaaaaaatllle... Side 
two, apparently recorded in a studio (the first side is live 
at some folk festival) is a bit more lively, but if Down Home 
is out, I don't know that I'd bother to special order it from 
Global Village (distributor of many recent Klez recordings--
see address below).

KLEZMER V'OD "Klez Encounters of the Yiddish Kind".  [A-] 
This Colorado band gets my vote for both worst name of a klez 
band AND worst album title.  Surprisingly, the contents are a 
cut above.  In fact, for a band that is trying to be a local 
Klezmer Conservatory Band, and that dares to take on Molly 
Picon, these people aren't bad at all.  Pretty good.  A lot 
of credit goes to the band for choosing songs that HAVEN'T 
been over-recorded, and for doing many types of material 
ranging from vintage Tarras and Brandwine to Ladino to that 
Israeli Folk Chestnut "Dodi Li")--which they do surprisingly 
well for a folk chestnut. Some of the instrumental klez/jazz 
piano is rather well done, too.  Although the musicianship is 
not quite top-rate--the lead singer is no Judy Breslow (much 
less Molly Picon), for instance, it definitely "approaches" 
that level.  In fact, the piano is quite extraordinary (and 
an unusual instrument for a klez band).  The selection of 
material, the new instrumental compositions written by 
members of the band, the translated verses of the Yiddish 
songs, I dunno.  I'm listening to it for the fourth time 
tonight, and I'm not even remotely tired of it.  In fact, 
each time it comes around, I up the grade a notch.

ALHAMBRA "Performs Judeo-Spanish Songs" [B-].  Neither 
understanding Ladino, nor knowing much of the culture, I have 
a lot of trouble evaluating this album.  What is striking is 
the use of Arabic instrumentation throughout, including the 
oud. There is a violin-like instrument called a _vielle_ 
(which may just be Ladino for violin--what do I know) and 
frequent use of something called a _dumbek_.  The music bears 
more resemblance to Oum Khultum and other Arabic music to my 
ears than anything with which I am familiar.  But it sounds 
pretty good, and I DO like Arabic music.  I may raise the 
grade once I've listened to this for a while.  On the other 
hand, this may turn out to be one of those albums fun to 
listen to every so often, but of which none of the songs 
stick in my memory.

*****WORTH MENTIONING (This category will grow)

THE ORIGINAL KLEZMER JAZZ BAND. [A-]  I don't know why I 
don't come right out and give this album a full "A".  I guess 
because you don't rate a funky, fun-filled "Dixieland-klez" 
album that high.  It's too embarrassing.  But I sure do enjoy 
this album.  The personnel are from around the New York Klez 
scene, and this is clearly something put together on the 
side, to have fun.  Every Klez cliche in the book is on this 
album, and I love them all.  "Palesteena", "Egyptian Ella", 
"Bagle Call Rag", "Yiddishe Charleston".  You know what, this 
is the Henry Sapoznik gang recording all of the songs that 
aren't dignified enough to fit on a Kapelye album.  Actually, 
there isn't any Dixieland on the album, I just always think 
of the genre when I play this. Which is often.

KAPELYE "Levine and His Flying Machine" [B+].  My friend 
Laurie, who nit picks each new klez album with me, considers 
Kapelye a great band.  To me, they lack a certain excitement. 
The band was possibly formed around Henry Sapoznik, who is 
the East Coast equivalent of the Klezmorim's Lev Liverman--
except that Henry is much more dry and less interesting in 
concert. This is their second album.  I like it marginally 
better than thefirst, but I refuse to get excited.  Hey, guys 
just like to have fun, but these guys seem to feel that 
having to much fun on a record wouldn't be quite, kosher.  
The title song is a fun novelty item, however, and most of 
the other cuts are interesting and worth hearing at least 
once or twice.

NEW YORK KLEZMER ENSEMBLE  [B].  Every few months I drag this 
one out of the racks and play it off and on for a few weeks. 
It's good solid klez.  It's a set organized by another old-
time klezmer musician, put together now that klez is sellable 
again. Unfortunately, as I become more enamored of the newer 
bands, I am less interested in hearing an instrumental album 
of old-timey klez.  I enjoy the variety of the current bands. 
Still, the musicianship is excellent, and these guys will 
always be worth a listen.

THE RETREADS:  "Jakie Jazz 'Em Up", "Klezmer Music: 1910-
1942", etc. There are at least four re-issues of original 
78's. I don't like any of them.  I just don't like old 78's.  
I even have trouble pulling out my old Bessie Smith albums. 
The music sounds dead to me, even when I recognize musical 
brilliance in there somewhere.  As an aside, the album covers 
are often interesting. The truth is, I don't want to listen 
to the originals.  I want to dance to that music NOW, played 
in a contemporary fashion.  If anyone wants to tackle these 
differently, I'll stand aside.  There is also a fairly recent 
DAVE TARRAS album put out by, I believe, the Balkan Cultural 
Center, in New York.  Dave is one of the outstanding 
klezmorim of all time, one of the two all-time amazing 
clarinetists, so the musicianship here is outstanding. But I 
don't find myself listening to it often.  I don't know why.  
It's probably the same problem as with the NY Klez Ensemble 
(see above)--45 minutes of nothing but old-fashioned klez can 
become a bit deadening.

ZMIROS "Huckleberries with Cholent(?)" [D-].  This band has 
recorded two albums.  The intentions are definitely good 
(which saves them from an "F" rating) but the musicianship is 
abysmal. Maybe worse.  It's worth mentioning only as a "must 
to avoid."

*****LOCAL BANDS (BAY AREA, 415 area code)--First, the ones 
with records

ELLIS ISLAND OLD WORLD FOLK BAND "Mostly Klezmer" [B+]. This 
is a good solid klez band.  The album is well-
recorded,includes some very good Greek stuff.  Has a bit of a 
lighter-weight, brightish klez sound, as opposed to effusive 
over playing on many current revival bands.  No mustiness 
here.  In concert, Ellis Island gives a great dance.  At the 
more formal events, however, when the whole dozen of them get 
together, there's a bittoo much schmaltz and "these are the 
songs our parents listened to" for my taste.  I definitely 
don't like the lead singer--her voice is too "cute"--a great 
voice for nostalgia, but not a great voice (although she does 
blow a mean flute).  For info on gigs call 524-3293.

DIRE GELT "Heart Will Carry On" [B)].  Strictly speaking,the 
cassette is Gerry Tenney and friends playing blue grass and a 
bit of klezish stuff.  Dire Gelt, on the other hand, is Gerry 
and friends playing just klez.  They are NOT outstanding 
musicians, but they give a better show than most, and Gerry 
does a version of "Hard Days Night" in yiddish (it's on the 
cassette, too) that will knock your socks off.  The cassette, 
however, palls fairly quickly.  Along with "Hard Days Night" 
there is an excellent song, "New Underground Railroad" (also 
recorded by HollyNear/Ronnie Gilbert), some ok rock 'n roll 
and bluegrass and kids songs.  I guess it was the kids songs 
that did it.  I'm an adult. And even the kid part of me gets 
very tired very quickly of folkie kid songs.  Like the 
_Mazeltones_ cassette, this one is worth getting for the two 
excellent songs, but not worth going out of your way for.  
For gigs, blue grassy, kids concerts, orklez, call Gerry at 
465-7911.

WHERE DO YOU GET RECORDINGS?

The best source, and frequently the only local source of any 
of this music is Down Home Records on San Pablo Ave. in El 
Cerrito, CA.  Since they are also the best source for general 
folk music, R&B, early jazz, world music, Country, Blues, 
etc., this should be your principal source of recorded music, 
period. Down Home also does mail order. Unfortunately, I 
don't have their mail address.

Shanachie Records, and some related labels, come out of 
upstate New York and often have good material.  Andy Statman 
either founded the company, or is an integral part, which 
means that the label is a must for blue grass fans, too.

Global Village Music is a distributorship in New York.  All I 
know about them is that virtually every obscure klez or 
Jewish cassette that I have picked up over the last six 
months has been on their label.  My suspicion is that they do 
not record any artists on their own, but rather provide 
reproduction and distribution services--the Book People of 
the "ethnic" music world.  You can send away for a catalog by 
writing to:  Global Village Music, Box 2051 Cathedral 
Station, New York, NY 10025.  I just did so myself, so I'll 
probably revise or add to this entry when I know more about 
them.