David Krakauer - Klezmer Madness! (1995)

David Krakauer - Klezmer Madness! (1995)

klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 295MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness sits on the edge of the Klezmer tradition and is always jabbing at its boundaries. The music is always a little bit more unbridled, a bit more passionate, and a tad more discordant than your bubbe's klezmer records, which is not to say that it falls into the same camp as other punk, pop, or jazz-oriented groups that treat klezmer like a quaint novelty. Krakauer, with his virtuoso clarinet playing and incredibly tight and talented backing band, always shows respect for the heart of klezmer music -- these songs orbit around a pure core. The only tune which truly journeys out into left field is "Living With the H," which deconstructs and reassembles the ubiquitous classic "Hava Nagila," a song which almost begs to be messed with. The effect is not unlike a jazz band who can tip their hats to tradition without having to hash out another tired version of "My Foolish Heart." Krakauer has accepted that klezmer has never been a static form of music and has no problem imbuing his own sense of creativity into Klezmer Madness within the constraints of this classic style.

Tracks
-01. "Africa Bulgar" - Traditional - 3:43
-02. "Bogota Bulgar" - Traditional - 4:06
-03. "A Few Bowls Terkish" - Traditional - 4:37
-04. "At the Rabbit's Table" - Traditional - 5:14
-05. "Doina/Death March Suite" - Traditional - 10:32
-06. "Funky Dave" - Traditional - 5:53
-07. "The Ballad of Chernobyl" - Traditional - 5:19
-08. "Gong Doina" - Traditional - 2:19
-09. "Living With the H Tune" - Traditional - 6:03
-10. "Rachab" - Zorn - 1:27

Personnel
* David Krakauer (clarinet, bass clarinet)
* Michael Alpert (vocals, accordion)
* David Licht (percussion)
* & guests

 sample & buy: Klezmer Madness