Re: What is Klezmer ?

[Seth Rogovoy <rogovoy...>]

On Wed, 17 Sep 1997, Ari Davidow wrote:

> Um, yes, that was my point--my original note was in satiric 
> reference to some comment that implied that only in our age, 
> post klezmer-revival, could klezmer influence popular music.
> 
> Of course, I think we'd all be thrilled to hear something
> new in pop as wonderful as "... and the angels sing". We're
> more likely to get rap klez, but times have changed.

it may be here sooner than later. While it's unlikely to be a "pop" hit,
and not quite Klezmer (Yiddish folk/pop is more like it), folksinger June
Tabor (I use the term "folksinger" loosely -- calling June Tabor a
"folksinger" is like calling Mother Teresa a social worker) has a new
album out called "Aleyn" (Green Linnet). While it mostly consists of
Tabor's versions of traditional folk ballads, the title track is "Di Nakht
Nor Aleyn Iz Mit Mir," written in New York in 1929 by Aaron Domnits and
Mikhl Gelbart. Sung by Tabor in Yiddish, it is, to say the least, a very
unusual cut on a contemporary folk album. 

--Seth Rogovoy