Analog Impressions

(Originally published in October 2007)

I think I already mentioned the amusing circumstances in which I was made aware of the existence of the Amsterdam Klezmer Band: when French comic writer Joann Sfar released his first journal entitled Harmonica, I got in touch with him and we had a nice lunch near Beaubourg. There he mentioned his relative distaste for musics that had to be appreciated with the brain rather than the heart or the guts. We discussed various ethnic musics and he said that the ultimate klezmer band for him was the AKB. Joann has since gone on and published a superb series of comic books entitled Klezmer which I reviewed here and encourage you to read.

Fast forward a few years, I finally managed to locate some of the Amsterdam Klezmer Band albums including the one I want to tell you about, entitled Son. I must preface this review by insisting on the fact that I have practically no other knowledge of Klezmer as a genre, so I can’t review this record by comparing it to any given musical tradition. It seems to me that Son travels a little beyond the shores of Klezmer to integrate elements of various eastern european musical traditions and even a litte jazz , but I could be wrong. Consider this as an honest rendition of what I hear and what it does to me, untainted by any intellectual analysis.

The Amsterdam Klezmer Band is a lot of horns and woodwind (I don’t think the clarinet qualifies as a horn ;) backed by double bass, accordion and percussions, with the occasional vocals.  Seven musicians altogether, sharing the limelight with various instruments highlighted in the different pieces presented here.

Son opens with a raucous gets-your-feet-tapping instrumental called Opa D. In the first few seconds you realise that there is something absolutely infectious about this music. It makes you want to dance and/or shake your head. The clarinet often soars above the rest, it’s just pure joy. It’s followed by the slightly less crazy Son, with percussionist Alec Kopyt singing - in Russian - and the whole band joining for the chorus. Spaghetti is another fast instrumental reminiscent of some of the movie musics of Sergio Leone, but with a klezmer bend. With Der Fryske Bulgar, we’re back in wild and foot-tapping territory, with the alto sax and trombone playing super fast improvisations.

But it’s not just joy all the way, the record shows a more somber side as well. Blue Hora is a slow, dirge-like song, with slow rhythm, the bass and accordion laying down the ponderous rhythm for the clarinet to explore the more tearful aspects that the instrument can evoke. The record also ends on a sad, but quite different, tune called Trieste Droman.

Ethnic musics, whether it be Musette, Fado or even early blues, are often considered repetitive by the casual listeners, requiring a certain depth of understanding to perceive the nuances and variety. Not so with this record. While the stylistic constraints are evident, there’s a lot of variety in Son, in terms of mood, instrumentation, singing styles and arrangements. This makes for a great listening experience even if, like me, you have no prior bagage with Klezmer.

Overall, Son is a festive record with a few medidative passages, and I recommend it highly. It wasn’t my first Amsterdam Klezmer Band record, but it’s one of my favourite. I now hope that the AKB will come through Paris soon so that I can experience these guys live, I suspect it’s well worth it!

Click on the photo for a full-sized view, EXIF and context.

Fillin’ the Bellows by Benoît Felten

Click on the photo for a full-sized view!

Slide that ‘Bone! by Benoît Felten

Gijs Levelt (Alternate Take) by Benoît Felten

Limonchiki was the first Amsterdam Klezmer Band album I purchased after seeing the reference in Joann Sfar’s wonderful graphic novel Klezmer. I now own most of their discography (including some pretty weird collaborations!) but Limonchiki remains my favourite record of theirs. It’s sadly out of print, but still worth a review just so you know to grab it if you find it.

Klezmer, like all folkloric music styles can be played respectfully or it can be played street style. In a sense it’s the classic opposition of letter and intent. The AKB is definitely in the intent camp and I think that’s what I like about them. They have no excessive respect for the source material, they’re always willing to experiment with jazz and groove beats, but more importantly perhaps, their music projects fun and emotion. Don’t get me wrong, some of their music - like Klezmer in general - can exude absolute sadness, but it’s the kind of sadness you get after a night of drinking Vodka and reminiscing. It’s not calculated. And it’s just a likely to be followed by a round of the deep friendly laughter.

That’s why Limonchiki is at the pantheon of my favourite records. From the first track you’re grabbed into a whirlwing of clarinet and horn-laden fun. Di Naie Chuppe is a slow minor tune with the four “horns” (clarinet, trumpet, trombone and sax) playing around the theme and around each other. It’s like an introduction to the dancing material that will follow. It’s just in the middle between joy and sadness as mentioned above. The second track, Nadja is definitely the fun one, with a really cool lopsided B section. The rest of the album alternates between these extremes of joy and melancholy, but it’s always wonderfully musical and real.

A couple of tracks really stand out. The title track Limonchiki is a whimsical song with Alec Kopyt’s great vocals, reminiscent of his home town of Odessa. Der Mama ist Gegangen is a yiddish tune that starts as a dirge and ends in a frenzy. It’s a particularly powerful intro with Kopyt weeping the lyrics until he suddenly counts the beat, and the fun begins. Finally, the exhilarating A Chassid in Amsterdam which is a kind of klezmerish hip-hop with Job Chajes on vocals (in Dutch).

If you like any kind of ethnic music, especially if you’re after something that conveys atmosphere as opposed to literal renditions, then any AKB albums will bring you lots of joy, and Limonchiki (if you can find it) is a great place to start!