Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars
"Di Shikere Kapelye"
![[album cover]](klezmerbrassallstars.gif)
Piranha Musik, 2000
Frank London trumpet, alto horn
Matt Darriau clarinet, sax
Susan Sandler trumpet
David Harris trombone
Mark Hamilton trombone
Stuart Brotman tuba
David Licht drums, etc
Jerry Kisslinger pookListen to a sample (Piranha)
I couldn't find this CD on Tara, Amazon or Hatikvah... you can, however, find it at KBA concerts and at KlezKamp. Even if it could be found online, it probably would be really expensive anyway.16 tracks, time 52:07
"Before there was a klezmer revival and 'world music,' before the cultural assimilation of American Jews and the rebirth of the state of Israel with its modern Hebrew, before the dvastation and destruction of East European Jews and Yiddish culture, before the massive waves of emigration to the new worlds, before there were recordings, before modernity itself, there was Di Shikere Kapelye....
"Their style... had been considered impossible to replicate until a group of the greatest living klezmorim gathered together to create, based on extensive research, a heavy dose of guess work and a few smudged sheets of music found in the cellar of a tavern in Pinsk (Minsk?), an aural docu-drama of Di Shikere Kapelye and evoke what Hijaz Mustapha calls 'the echt, wine-soaked, raucous, out-in-the-rain, brass-necked, shirt-button-popping stinky earthiness of the tough way of life of old-country klezmers.' "
The liner notes for this release could probably win an award for hitting on every ridiculous stereotype of klezmer and klezmer music. Perhaps on purpose, because Di Shikere Kapelye is a legend.
Of course, there's no way to know if this CD sounds like the original group. For one thing, nowhere in the liner notes does it say anything about DSK being primarily brass. But no matter, because this is the hardest-grooving traditional klezmer CD I've ever heard. The tempos and playing style are totally laid-back, not too fast. True to claim, these players are the best klezmers around, and the ensemble works beautifully. Klezmershack called it one of the ten best recordings of the year, and I couldn't agree more! Get this disc!