Re: Klezmer Bluegrass Fusion

[S. Austen & B. Woods <acoustic...>]

Hi,

Glad to see dialogue on Klezmer-Bluegrass fusion. We've been drawing on our
25 year association with various folk musics including Celtic, medieval,
oldtime, delta blues, Balkan and other international folk musics with our
Klezmer explorations for some time now. Interestingly, I think that that
rhythmic drive of old time music is not all that far off from some of the
rhythms I've encountered in klezmer music. One favorite example of this
overlap is Steiner's Sirba (track #21 on Budowitz's Mother Tongue). To me,
playing this tune works as either klezmer or as a sort of slightly warped
old timey tune.

Also interesting are the Balkan-klezmer overlaps, as well as the Nordic
folk tunes that sometimes sound close to Klezmer. What seems to unite all
of these diverse musics is that all were originally for dancing, the tunes
all fit a simple AA, BB, sometimes CC, etc format that is a common thread
through all these styles.

If anyone else out there is interested in doing some sort of "Jew-Grass" or
other Klezmer-Bluegrass-old-time-Celtic fusion recording project, keep us
posted. I've produced/engineered over two dozen records (three of which
have won Indies from NAIRD) and would certainly enjoy being involved in
such a project.

Seth


>Not yet. With as many Yids as we have in the forefront of this genre, I
>tried to interest several prominent Bluegrass labels in a "JewGrass"
>concept recording. But nobody expressed any interest in it. Guess I'll have
>to do it myself.
>

>Am actively looking for a hamische Bob Dunn, however. You can't properly
>field a proper band in Texas with out fiddle AND steel.
>


By the way, I also play acoustic lap steel, wish I lived closer...

McDuffee's General Store & Recording Co.
Seth Austen & Beverly Woods
3 Pork Hill Rd Ossipee, NH 03864
(603) 539-8301
acoustic (at) landmarknet(dot)net