Klarinet Archive - Posting 000090.txt from 2004/09
From: fred jacobowitz <fbjacobo@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Klezmer info
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2004 23:45:54 -0400
Andy,
A good place to start is the old recordings of the master: Dave Tarras, Naftule Brandwein, the old bands such as Harry Kandel's Band, etc. Then you can listen to the more modern people playing in the old style: Chicago Klezmer Ens., Joel Rubin, Machaya Klezmer Band, Alicia Svigals (NOT with the Klezmatics), to name a few.
Klezmer is THE WEDDING MUSIC/PARTY MUSIC OF THE EASTERN-EUROPEAN ASHKENAZI JEWS. Klezmer is a style just like Dixieland or Baroque music. It CAN be learned if you are intuitive but usually it must be taught by the practitioner. Klez-kamp is indeed a great place to learn it. It can be played on ANY kind of clarinet but the old guys (and a fair amount of newer guys/gals) use a C clarinet for the bright, shrill tone. I myself can't afford a C so I just use my trusty Bb. Sometimes you have to play in unusual keys but usually it's only a few sharps or flats.
There is a fair amount of printed music but all of it has little or no ornamentation written in. Performance practice is EVERYTHING, just like in early music, etc.
There are alot of folx who play the tunes but have no concept of the style or are not interested in the style but want to create their own sound/style. These folx are NOT klezmer musicians any more than Placido Domingo is a broadway singer in his recording of West Side Story. Let me reiteate: Klezmer is a specific style, not a catch-all phrase denoting Jewish Music. Think of it like this: If you speak pidgeon-english with a heavy foreign accent and use non-english syntax (like Yoda), you are not a real English speaker any more than a person playing Klezmer music without the right style is a Klezmer Musician. You might be understood by English speakers but you wouldn't be respected as a English-speaker.
Fred Jacobowitz
Kol Haruakh Klezmer Band
Ebony and Ivory Duo
-----Original Message-----
From: Andy Jablonski <ajablons@-----.org>
Sent: Sep 3, 2004 5:50 PM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] Klezmer info
Hello everyone:
Does anyone know a good place to go to find out more info on playing Klezmer
music? The stuff sounds fun to play but I have no idea where to even start.
Is it normally played on a Bb?
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