As the Borscht Belt master Shecky Greene used to say, if you’ve got a good schtick, keep playing it. The Klezmatics, consisting of Frank London/horn-harm-voc, Lisa Gutkin/vi-voc, Lorin Silamberg/voc-acc-g-p, Matt Darriau/reeds-voc, Paul Morrissett/b-g and Richie Barshay/perc-voc have been shvinging for years by mixing the sounds of the shtetl with modern jazz. It works, and works well, simply because the roots of jazz from the likes of Ziggy Elman and Benny Goodman have roots from the “other” American tribe.
As they so easily demonstrate, music was made for dancing, and two steppers like “Der Yokgh,” Apikorsim” and the peppy “Shushan” mix rousing vocals with wailing clarinet, trumpet and infectious stomps. Cabaret moods with voice and piano sing together on”Der Yokh” while melancholia is milked with schmaltz on “Ver Firt Di Ale Shifn?” Minor moods with strings resonate on “Di Nakht” and as with all things Jewish, there’s always a story to tell, and its done gloriously on”Vi Lang” “ but you don’t need words to understand the feel as the reeds and brass cries lout like a shofar on “ThreeRing Sirba.” The shtetl is still bopping with this album taking modern music back to its Old Testament roots, with extra Talmudic interpretations and improvisations.