Klarinet Archive - Posting 000091.txt from 2004/09

From: Audrey Travis <vsofan@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] Klezmer info
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 02:44:15 -0400

I'd certainly listen to the heart and soul of klezmer (imo) - Giora Feidman.

Audrey

fred jacobowitz wrote:

> 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

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