V.A. - The Rough Guide To Klezmer Revolution (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 In a lot of ways, the spread of klezmer has mirrored the Jewish diaspora. It started out in Europe, village music for poor folk, then once in America it took on a new life, fitted out in new clothes and (literally) jazzed up. Then, in the decades since the end of World War II, it's taken on a fresh, much more urban profile back in Europe. Klezmer is global -- the only place it doesn't seem to have a hold of some sort is Israel, perhaps because it's music that goes along with the Yiddish language, not Hebrew. This quick survey of people operating near the musical frontiers of klezmer is illuminating. The Klezmatics, major architects of the klezmer revival, are shown here in a multi-faith gospel context that isn't perhaps the most illustrative, while elsewhere the music moves from near blues ("Friling") to a hip-hop version of a Jewish wedding ("Kaze Bazetsn"), and from the relatively bland (the much-praised Oi Va Voi, who fail to satisfy, or even sound especially klezmer-ish on "Yuri") to the aural richness of Mikveh's "Vos Vet Zayn." At times it goes into overdrive, as on the track by original Klezmatics' member David Krakauer, where the music heads of towards the avant-garde, and the following, wonderful cut by pianist (not an instrument associated with klezmer by any means) Marilyn Lerner lands it squarely on the musical front line -- then she reappears on the next track as a very accomplished accompanist on "Tati und Mami Tanz." There's the venerable (Theodore Bikel) and the unusual, like the mandolin that brings in "Nayer Khusid Tanz," but there's something for every new strand of klezmer -- and even a touch of the more mainstream to finish things off. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1 The Klezmatics – I Ain't Afraid 4:21
Written-By – Holly Near
2 Amsterdam Klezmer Band – Sadagora Hot Dub 5:21
Music By – Gijs Levelt, S. Hantel
Producer, Remix – Shantel
Words By – A. Kopyt
3 Solomon and Socalled Feat. Michael Alpert – Alt.Shul Kale Bazetsn 3:58
Music By – David Krakauer, Sophie Solomon
Music By, Words By – Josh Dolgin, Michael Alpert
4 Daniel Kahn, Psoy Korolenko, Oy Division – Rakhmones Afn Tayvl 5:38
Written-By – Daniel Kahn, Oy Division, Psoy Korolenko
5 Wolf Krakowski – Friling (Springtime) 7:59
Music By – Abraham Brudno
Text By – Shmerke Kaczerginski
6 The Flying Bulgars – Shivering 3:11
Written-By – David Wall
7 Theodore Bikel & Socalled – (Rock The) Belz 5:11
Arranged By – SoCalled
8 Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars – In Your Garden Twenty Fecund Fruit Trees 3:51
Arranged By – Frank London
Lyrics By – Marianna Sadowska
Music By – Traditional
9 Oi Va Voi – Yuri 4:32
Written-By – Oi Va Voi
10 Michael Winograd – Nayer Khusid Tanz 3:38
Written-By – Michael Winograd
11 David Krakauer – Moscovitz & Loops Of It 5:09
Traditional
12 Marilyn Lerner – Fun Tashlikh / Throw Your Sins To The Wind 4:33
Arranged By – Marilyn Lerner
Traditional
13 Moguilevsky & Lerner – Tati Und Mami Tanz 2:33
Traditional
14 Polina Shepherd Vocal Experience Feat. Quartet Ashkenazim – A Nigndl 3:02
Music By – Polina Shepherd
Words By – Shike Driz
15 Shtreiml – Uncle Tibor's Spicy Paprikash 1:57
Written-By – Jason Rosenblatt
16 Mikveh – Vos Vet Zayn 4:41
Traditional
Arranged By – Svigals, Sklamberg
17 Margot Leverett & The Klezmer Mountain Boys feat. Michael Alpert – Leibes Tanz 3:35
Traditional
Arranged By – Leverett