The Whole Music Experience

Bratsch Urban Bratsch World Village I was in the mood for gypsy jazz just when the French group Bratsch’s new recording Urban Bratsch arrived in my mailbox.   A delicious mix of klezmer, gypsy jazz, German theater (Brecht/Weill), and Eastern European music, this quintet delivers a whopper of a recording. It is as eclectic as Lo-Jo, and as rousing as Les Yeux Noirs (also from France).   These guys show what passions are possible played on acoustic instruments (guitar, accordion, violin, double bass, and clarinet). The opener Sirba Din Joc De Constanca/Hora certainly starts off a rousing listening experience with its gypsy violin.   I expect to hear one of those wild and crazy Eastern European zithers conversing with the violin, but in all honesty, this music fills the space just fine.   Francois Castiello’s accordion resembles a harmonium on the ballad Scetate with Nano Peylet’s klezmer clarinet singing mournfully along with the raspy vocals...

Caspian Hat Dance We Say No Talk Fishbowl Studios I’ll admit on days like today when I find it challenging to crawl out of bed, I need rousing-kick-me-in-the-butt music. And if the band Caspian Hat Dance’s klezmer-Balkan-Russian extravaganza can’t do it, I don’t know what can. These days, dealing with a high degree of stress and time constraints, I regret that I don’t have time to visit a band’s website, read other reviews, and indulge in those luxuries of the past. Fortunately, this music on the recording, We Say No Talk speaks for itself—a bit wacko, but played with great finesse and enthusiasm. Darn, if these musicians aren’t in love with Eastern European gypsy and Jewish music. The only other band I can think of while listening to this recording is Les Yeux Noirs, though you would need to subtract the French gypsy swing element to get a taste of Caspian Hat Dance. If Fiddler on the Roof meets Romanian gypsies is your thing, then you’d enjoy Caspian Hat Dance’s r...

Anat Cohen Notes from the Village Anzic Records Not long ago, reed woman Anat Cohen was in Seattle. I missed her show. Then a few days ago I found her delightful recording Notes from the Village at my local library. And these notes from Manhattan’s East Village, I’m guessing, provide a global sound with everything from klezmer clarinet runs that bring pleasurable chills to my spine to Afro-Latin rhythms which kick into action halfway through the song Siboney . Cohen also pays respect to the late John Coltrane on her interpretation of After the Rain and to Fats Waller and Sam Cooke ( A Change is Gonna Come ). I admit that I check recordings out from the library and then most of them are only played once and just sit on the shelf next to my player. But with Notes from the Village , I’ve listened to this recording while catching up on my work, upon waking in the morning (before I meditate), and at various times throughout the day. I’m impressed with Cohen’s talent as a jazz-...