Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi: The Absolutely Complete Introduction to Klezmer
With its companion songbook of the same title, Strom has indeed covered all the ground that he purports to, and then some. His quartet, along with clarinetist Norbert Stachel, accordionist Peter Stan and bassist Jim Whitney, creates a beautifully pure group sound to present these 36 short pieces. The absence of drums assists in allowing the music and individual instrumental colorations and ornamentations, so crucial to the overall feel of this music, to shine through in an exceedingly clean fashion.
Klezmer is dance and celebratory music, and Strom has included many examples of the major components of the core dance repertoire, over and above the more familiar freilachs and bulgars, each with its own defining rhythm and tempo. Likewise, tunes used in the various stages of a traditional Jewish wedding, such as the seating of the bride and march to the canopy, are well represented. In addition to Strom's own collected tunes, the Beregovski archives (discovered in Kiev in the '80s) and Wolff Kostakowsky's International Hebrew Wedding Music (published in 1917) are much in evidence.
One disappointment, especially given that Strom is such a scholar of this music, is the lack of any in-depth explanatory CD notes, but for the person in search of a comprehensive musical introduction to the underpinnings of traditional klezmer or the jazz musician looking for unique improvisatory opportunities, Strom's package is exceptional.
Visit Yale Strom on the web.
Track Listing
Karahod Fun Varshe (Karahod from Warsaw); Ki Anu Amecha (We Have Sinned); Besarabish Bulgar; Mitn Fidle (With My Fiddle); Der Sarver's Sher; Rumeynish Serba; Bosnian Vals (Bosnian Waltz); Anshel Shachnai's Freylekhs; Makonovetski's Zok; Arader Khosedl; Gulerman's Doyne; Khupe Marsh (Wedding Canopy March); Mazl Tov (Good Luck); Fun Der Khupe (From the Wedding Canopy); Beregovski's Bulgar; Beygele; Rotenberg's Mitsve Tentsl (Rotenberg's Good Deed Dance); Rabinovitch's Dobranotsh (Rabinovitch's Good Night); Koydinover Nign; Bazetsn Di Kale (The Seating of the Bride); Tsu Der Khupe Marsh (To the Wedding Canopy March); Boyberiker Wedding Bulgar; Dubosaary Bulgar; Ropshitser Nign; Sakhnovski's Zhok; Berditshever Khosed; Buhusher Nign; Vals Fun Varshe (Waltz from Warsaw); Sher; Karliner Dveykes Nign (Karliner Adhesion Melody); Ukraynish Kek-Vok (Ukranian Cakewalk); Boogich Bulgar; Dunlitski's Skotshne; Bulgar; Rumeynish Serba; Kolomeyke.
Personnel
Norbert Stachel: clarinet; Peter Stan: accordion; Yale Strom: violin; Jim Whitney: bass.
Album information
Title: The Absolutely Complete Introduction to Klezmer | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Transcontinental Music
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