Klezmer Madness at the Tonic

[elliott_simon <elliott_simon...>]

I try to get up to the Tonic on Norfolk Street in Lower Manhattan at least once
a month to see some Klez. The Klezmer brunch on Sundays is the only place you
can hear Klezmer on a scheduled basis in New York City. Although, over the last
year, the quality of bands has been somewhat uneven, on this unseasonably warm
Sunday in January I eagerly anticipated Klezmer Madness who were scheduled to
do two sets. My daughter and her friend came down from Poughkeepsie for the
show and I journeyed from outside Philadelphia. We were not disappointed. 
Krakauer
was clearly on and the band was tight. David Krakauer never seems to disappoint
in concert, he is posessed by the spirits of Coltrane, Bechet and Brandwein
and his circular breathing and clarinet pyrotechnics are unworldly. The punky
atmosphere of the Tonic with its interesting crowd mix of 3 generations of Klez
fans were hanging on every note. Opening with the signature Klezdrix set the
tone for a set that rocked. Nicky Parrott on bass was gorgeous as usual, as
she switched from stand up to bass guitar and her shawl fell from her shoulder,
the sweat flew from her face and she drove the band to heights that the small
Tonic venue had not seen for awhile.  Several new tunes bear special mention,
Another New Year, written post 911 is eerie with its New Year Shofar beginning
and end, the clarinet doubles as Rams horn and David chants the Hebrew. To 
experience
this piece so close to Ground Zero was memorable. Thirteen Tribes showcases
the bands jazz influence and is apparently featured on a CD that is only 
available
in Europe. A new addition to the Klezmer Madness lineup is Sheryl Bailey on
guitar. She is a fairly well known jazz guitarist in New York circles and she
showcased her nimble fretwork on several tunes. Her work on an old piece for
tsimble brought back the atmosphere of long gone Klez bands from the Lower East
Side?s past with a 21st century twist. Apparently this set was a kick off for
a US tour by the band. Although some traditionalists may be put off by some
of the avant garde influenced klez that the band is into these days; they are
worth seeing by anyone who appreciates professional Klezmer jazz playing.

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