Re: Bluegrass Klez

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

>>Several years ago I saw a film on Klez where one of the revivalists spoke
>>about coming to the music out of a bluegrass career.  Since then I've heard
>>that others also started out that way.
>
>
>You are probably talking about Andy Statman who started with groups like
>Breakfast Special. He played mandolin and sax with that group prior to his
>becoming a klezmer clarinet player after studying with Dave Taras.

Henry Sapoznik comes from either a bluegrass or American traditonal
music background, as well. 

Fabrengen Fiddlers, as already mentioned, do some bluegrass-influenced
stuff, but they are mostly a fun mishmash, not a klezmer band.

Finjan, from Winnipeg, do a delightful bluegrass piece, which
they try to get around by calling it something like "Greenhorn Blues"
on their "Crossing Selkirk" CD
  http://www.well.com/user/ari/klez/bands/finjan/selkirk/finjan.selkirk.html

Also, bluegrass is clearly one of many influences (grunge rock
clearly being another) on the delightful Cayuga Klezmer recording
   /user/ari/klez/bands/cayuga/klezmology/cayuga.klezmology.html

But for all that, as many people have pointed out, they are
not music styles that really intersect meaningfully. It is
more likely that people who enjoy traditional music of many
kinds will enjoy both klezmer and bluegrass, but separately.

ari
   


Ari Davidow
ari (at) ivritype(dot)com
http://www.ivritype.com/