KLEZMER-ish - 'Dusty
Road' New Album Tour \*\*\*Booking Now for 2020 Festivals plus dates
May/June/July 2020\*\*\* From rip-roaring klezmer and dynam
New album out on World Music Network Record
Label
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From rip-roaring klezmer and dynamic tango, to their self-penned
gypsy- jazz, Klezmer-ish bring a trademark twist to whatever genre takes their
fancy. Drawing inspiration from the music of bygone travellers. Four incredibly
outward-looking classically trained musicians who met whilst playing with the
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Their fittingly titled new album ‘Dusty
Road’ sees the band freeing themselves from the "shackles" of the rigid
hierarchy of the orchestra as they explore the music of immigrants from various
cultural backgrounds who left their homelands in pursuit of a better life.
As their name implies, Klezmer-ish cannot simply be pigeonholed as a
straight-ahead Klezmer act, but rather a band with an incredibly diverse and
forever expanding repertoire, built up over the three years that they've been
performing. Bound together in the true spirit of intercultural exchange, their
music is always on the move, like the travelling peoples that it reflects. As
Connie, the bands accordionist and violinist, points out, "These peoples took their musical traditions with
them and as much as they influenced the music scene wherever they settled, so
was their music influenced by the cultures they encountered in their new-found
homes. Klezmer music of Jewish immigrants, tangos by Piazzolla (who grew up in
Argentina as a son of Italian immigrants) or the gypsy jazz of Stéphane
Grappelli & Django Reinhardt (the fantastic collaboration of a classically
trained French/Italian violinist with a self-taught gypsy guitarist) are all
examples of amazing musical fusions."
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Klezmer-ish (new album out on World Music Network in
2020)
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Like their music, the band's approach is incredibly flexible and
democratic, as guitarist and vocalist Rob acknowledges, "We all play equal parts in the quartet. No one is
purely accompaniment or the main voice, but we constantly swap roles. Even
Marcel on the bass very often takes the leading part and plays the melody rather
than just sticking to the bass line as you would expect. This certainly
introduces an unusual sound world." It's an approach very much in evidence
on the classic album opener 'Klezmer's Freilach' where the band bring in and out
of focus each instrumental element to the music. This gives the music a fluidity
and constantly changing dynamism unto its own, as the album takes you on a
wide-ranging journey of musical styles from Klezmer, tango, gypsy- jazz and
beyond.
What makes Klezmer-ish so special is their passion for exploring
exciting new areas whilst retaining the grounded excellence of their rigorous
training as classical musicians. The band however play with a palpable sense of
freedom and are not aiming for perfect renditions of the originals or trying to
play in an 'authentic' style, but rather to tailor these pieces to their own
personal taste and give them their own unique twist. Whether it be the re-
interpreting of tango pieces 'Volver' and 'Kicho' by the genres most famous sons
Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla, or letting loose on multi- instrumentalist
Rob's two self-penned gypsy- jazz inspired compositions 'September Sun' and
'Dusty Road', their approach is always true and respectful to the genre whilst
at the same time offering a distinctly fresh approach.
From the deeply moving Hebrew song by Shem Tov Levi 'Amud Ha'Esh',
which was used for the documentary television series of the Israel Broadcasting
Authority "Pillar Of Fire" in 1981, to the greatly contrasting Romanian tunes
'Pendelasul Fetelor' and 'Doina And Street Melody', this collection of a dozen
pieces demonstrates the bands outward looking approach and desire to challenge
themselves outside of the hierarchical structure and strict rules of the
symphony orchestra. In the words of the band "There is no such thing with Klezmer- ish. No boss!
All equals. No rules or regulations. It is all led by the music, and by the
mutual respect we have for each other's talent."
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For all booking enquiries and
details on availability please contact:
11 / 23 / 24 / 25 MAY
7 / 8 JUNE
15 JUNE - 6 JULY
13 / 18
/ 27 - 31 JULY
1 - 25 + 29 / 30 AUGUST
GAIL COOKE
LAUGHING DOG MUSIC
gail@laughingdogmusic.co.uk
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Klezmer-ish
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