Brave Old World Klezmer Music CD

Brave Old World: Michael Alpert (vocals, violin); Joel Rubin (clarinet); Alan Bern (piano, accordion); Stuart Brotman (acoustic bass, cimbalom, tuba, balalaikas, percussion).
Recorded at Indian Hill Audio and Video, Claremont, California from September to October 1989 and August 1990.
Personnel: Michael Alpert (vocals, violin); Ben Bazler (vocals, bass drum, snare drum, tambourine); Stuart Brotman (balalaika, cimbalom, tuba, bass drum, sleigh bell); Alan Bern (accordion, piano); Joel Rubin (clarinet).
Liner Note Author: Brave Old World.
Recording information: Indian Hill Audio And Video, Claremont, CA (09/1989-08/1990).
Photographer: Rita Ottens.
Unknown Contributor Role: Stuart Brotman.
Arranger: Brave Old World.
Klezmer, an extremely infectious style of music that Jews brought to the U.S., comes in many forms -- some more Americanized than others. On Klezmer Music, the band Brave Old World emphasizes klezmer's Euro-Jewish roots. But while this CD is a throwback to the years before klezmer came under jazz's influence, this band does have a looseness, an element of spontaneity and a sense of improvisation that jazz musicians can admire. One may notice the similarity these songs (some of them instrumental, some with vocals) have to Arab, Greek, Armenian and Turkish music. But whatever comparisons are made, klezmer has a distinctive sound that Brave Old World has clearly mastered. ~ Alex Henderson