Re: Help with an intro to klezmer

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

>I have received a cry for help from Maine: ideas appreciated:
>"I was introduced to klezmer by my father who
>supplied me with the wonderful book on tape "The Fool and the Flying Ship"
>(narrated by Robin Williams :-).  Since then I've found some other stuff,
>none of it truly excellent.  I've found that I enjoy the fast and loud type
>of Klezmer the best, but I don't really know where to start looking.  Any
>suggestions of places to look/bands that play that type of Klezmer?  Also,
>where can I find: Klezmer Music: Early Yiddish Instrumental Music: The
>First Recordings 1910- 1927?  Thanks for your time."

My standard suggestion is that a person browse recent reviews 
on my klezmer shack:
   http://www.well.com/user/ari/klez/klezlist.html
or look at what I've said about albums/bands that he or she
knows, and use that as a way of judging what he'll like. In common
with many people, I don't know that "fast and loud" are the words
to describe the traditional bands that feature the best musicianship,
but there are certainly bands that are best described in that way.
The New Orleans Klezmer AllStars could be said to exemplify those
words, for example, and they are quite interesting.

The compilation of early klezmer mentioned is the wonderful
Martin Schwartz collection that came out 15 or 20 years ago.
When the CD version was made, a few songs were added and/or
dropped, notes were updated, and the new album is called:
   Klezmer Music: Early Yiddish Instrumental Music / 
   The first recordings: 1908-1927, still on Arhoolie.
I have a review and some sound clips at:
   
http://www.well.com/user/ari/klez/bands/schwartz/earlyklez/schwartz.earlyklez.html

ari


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