Re: Odessa music

[Paul M. Gifford <PGIFFORD...>]

Judy Fertig <fertig (at) brandeis(dot)edu> wrote:

> I had  a bit of a stumper question yesterday and hope someone on 
the list
> can help. A person is looking for music he called "Jewish Music from
> Odessa", purportedly by Jewish criminals.(??)  He said it was circulating
> in Europe some time ago and would like to get a copy of this. Does anyone
> know of it and how to obtain a copy? 
> 
I don't know anything about that, but I have a 4-record set issued by
Melodiya in the '70s, "Ukrainska troista muzyka," with instrumental 
music from different parts of the Ukraine.  Representing Odessa was a 
violin/accordion duet (names were Benzar and Faler), playing 
something translated as "At the Smithy."  The tune mixed a Jewish 
doina with a tune related to the Romanian "Ceashornicul," with the
violin tuned AEAC#, I think.  Whether this is "Odessa style" or not, 
the Jewish-style doina makes it klezmer in my book.  Was other 
klezmer music recorded in the Soviet Union in the postwar period, 
perhaps under a different category, such as this?

Paul Gifford