Review- Traktorist

Traktorist
Di Naye Kapelye

I’ve been listening to Traktorist from Di Naye Kapelye for quite a while now, and I’ve become quite a fan of the group. The album embodies all the best parts of what we think of as traditional Klezmer village (or shtetl) music. While the musicianship of the group is outstanding in its own right, the collaboration with the village band from Tjaciv lends a special quality that brings us right to the heart of the Hungarian Jewish musical tradition. This music grabs you and doesn’t let go until the very end.

The vocal selections immediately transport you to the local village hangout, and you feel as though you’re spending the evening with a group of really close friends, having a great time, just singing. Try listening to this album without trying to join in the fun. I bet you can’t do it.

The album features some unusual instruments. When was the last time you heard solos on the Caval and Cimpoi, as well as the Vioara Cu Goarna? Well, they are featured here, and give the album a little something extra that not only adds to the authenticity, but also introduces us to a new sound that is interesting and joyful in this age of electronic instrumentation. Listen to Pastekhl/Moldavian Caval and Hamanut from Dragomiresti to hear these instruments.

Uncle Arpi’s Nokh a Bisl is a Tsimbl (Cimbalom) feature, and shows what the instrument is capable of in the hands of a master. Sadegurer Hosid is another feature, one that may be familiar to many listeners.

Yankl Falk does a terrific job on both Clarinet and Vocals. Listen to his Hasisic-inspired vocal on Hoaderes and contrast that with some nimble Clarinet work on the opener Nit Bay Motyen and also on the lively tune Pirim.

The village band from Tjaciv lends a lively folk style to the album. There is nothing quite like the village sound this group puts out. These musicians have soul to spare and it shows through on this recording. The performance is completely genuine, with some wandering intonation. But this is a window into village life, and this is the gift they give to the listener, whether a serious student of Carpathian music or a casual listener. You cannot help but let yourself be transported to Tjaciv and see with your ears what life is like there. Listen to Baj Van Medley, Hutsul Medley, 7:40, and Chernobyl. I’ve heard 7:40 many times before, and even played it quite a bit myself, but it never sounded like this. See for yourself. Chernobyl has a Russian feel to it, and Falk is featured again on the Yiddish lyrics.

Michael Alpert is one of my favorite musicians on the planet, and makes a guest appearance here with DNK. Mashke is my favorite among his tracks. Trading verses with Falk, he blends well with the group. He has a story to tell, and he gets his point across, even if you don’t understand Yiddish.

Bob Cohen has a wonderful way of interpreting this material on Violin. Listen to his emotional intro to Moldvai Zhok. When he’s not soloing he blends with the rhythm instruments to give us that village vibe that makes this album so memorable.

As an extra surprise we get to hear Josh Dolgin on two tracks, playing Accordion and Piano. It’s rare to hear him play the traditional folk style, but he is a serious musician and he brings his love and dedication to the art to DNK and does an admirable job.

The recording quality is very good and the album sounds great on computer speakers and earbuds, but really opens up when I listened on my home theater system. There is a nice balance between the instruments and vocals and the mix sounds very even throughout. I couldn’t find any engineering/mixing/mastering credits for the album, except that it was produced by Yankl Falk. But I have an idea that Bob Cohen had a hand in the recording process.

The 20-page CD booklet is quite good. It contains information about each track, some very good quality photos of the band, tracks, personnel, and some additional info.

I like the fact that DNK takes such care to find the music, bands like Tjaciv, and then pulls off an album of village music like this. They’ve been at it for a long time, and they are true masters. Listen for yourself and see if you don’t agree that DNK is one of the best bands around.

Traktorist
Di Naye Kapelye
Oriente Musik RIEN CD 69
2008

Tracks:
1. Nit Bay Motyen (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 3:12
2. Traktorist (Trad./lyrics by Emil Saculets, arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 2:07 

3. Pastekh / Moldavian Caval (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 5:55

4. Schwartz's Sirba / A Briv Fun Yisroel (Trad./lyrics by I.Schwartzmann, arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 2:53

5. Baj Van Medley (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 2:51
6. 
Az Nisht Keyn Emine (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 4:58

7. Hamanul from Dragomiresti (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 2:22

8. Uncle Arpi's Nokh a Bisl (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 1:49

9. HoAderes (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 3:05

10. Sadegurer Hosid (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 1:41

11. Hutsul Medley (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 3:51

12. Mashke (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 5:47
13. 
Pirim (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 2:50
14. 
Moldvai Zhok (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 2:38

15. “7:40” (Trad. arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 4:02
16. 
Chernobyl (Trad./lyrics by Michael Alpert, arr. Cohen/ Técsö) 3:29

total time 53:30

Di Naye Kapelye:

Bob Cohen – violin, vocals, koboz, Carpathian drum, vioara cu goarna (Stroh fiddle), cimpoi (Moldavian bagpipe) 

Yankl Falk – vocals, clarinet

Antal (Puma) Fekete – kontra, Carpathian drum

Gyula (Kosztya) Kozma – bass 

Ferenc Pribojszki – cimbalom, caval, Carpathian drum



Special guests:

Michael Alpert (vocals, violin, percussion) – 3, 4, 6, 12

Aron Cohen (vocals) – 6

Josh Dolgin (accordion, piano) – 4, 10

The village band from Tjaciv (Técsö), Carpatho-Ukraine – 5, 11, 15, 16:
Joska Csernavec (bayan accordion),
Misu Csernavec (tsymbaly),
Jura Csernavec (drum, plonka, voice),
Ivan Popovics (violin)

Tom Popper and Imre “Kutyuli” Keszthelyi (chorus vocals)

Links:
Di Naye Kapelye
Oriente Misik

Review: Trafik

Review: Trafik
Veretski Pass

There are times when a musical performance completely transcends our notions of what we think of as “good” music, regardless of the genre. Such is the case with Trafik, the new release from the trio Veretski Pass. When you are presented with such distinctive material, virtuosic musicianship, and excellent engineering, you have the ingredients for an amazing album.

The music originates from Eastern Europe in the Carpathian region, where the real Veretski Pass is located. The traffic referred to in the album title is the transiting of various peoples through the area. Musical styles from the neighboring cultures in the region are blended together and transformed into a sound that is unique to this group.

Trafik consists of nine suites, each with its own thematic idea. Some of the suite or track titles are slang phrases from the cultures represented; others are more descriptive. One of my favorites is Zero Dark Hundred, a beautiful Violin doina. Others, such as the suite Full Bow of Horse have the titles Dov the Cow Swimmer and Noisy Dog. There is also the lovely Tango Under the Influence, an accordion feature, with a steady rhythmic Bass line underneath. If you are curious about these titles go to the Veretski Pass website and Klezmer Podcast 18.

The trio consists of highly talented musicians Cookie Segelstein (Violin); Joshua Horowitz (Button Accordion, Tsimbl); and Stuart Brotman (Cello, Tilinca, Baraban). They have a communal approach to arranging their music, combining traditional melodies with original compositions in such a way that the line is blurred between the two. They have a way of making original works sound just like a traditional village melody. And it works the other way around, too. As Segelstein says: “We decided to just play music we like, and if we didn’t like it we’d rewrite it.” They also blend their own compositions with improvisations to come up with some very interesting musical forms.

One of the suites that I like a lot is The Pass, consisting of Red Mist and Risen Ground, with Brotman playing the Tilinca, or Carpathian Flute, a simple village instrument that seems to have a life of its own. We hear a Tilinca doina, followed by a lively dance. The last section, Klyucharkier Kolomeyke and Hutzulka is a fast dance with Brotman switching to Balaban (or Poik, a drum/cymbal setup) and Horowitz on Tsimbl.

But the music is more that just dances. The slower songs, like the Hora tracks are moving, but not in a sentimental way. They simply reflect the feeling of the music from this region. And the folk fiddle style is in high gear on Three Wheels Czardas. Segelstein is just as much a master of the folk fiddle as she is of the doina, and everything in between.

Now, just a bit about the engineering of Trafik. From a technical point of view, this album is a finely crafted work of art. The album was recorded “live” with very little editing. There are no overdubs or reverb. It was recorded in a recital hall with great natural acoustics. The only editing was to combine the best “takes” together. In fact, only 15 edits were made on the album. For a more in-depth look at the recording process look at Recording Trafik with Veretski Pass by Yves Feder, recording master for Tiny Radio
Productions on the Veretski Pass website.

The CD package has a minimum of information. Only track title information, credits, and special thanks are included. The group’s website has some additional information, such as a Glossary for both the Suite and Track Titles, bios, instrument information, photos, and the aforementioned look at the recording process.

I find Trafik to be a great look into the world of Eastern European village music. I highly recommend this album to anyone who has an interest in the Carpathian klezmer style, or who just appreciates a masterful performance of this deep and meaningful music. It is a celebration fit for the young and old alike. Don’t “Pass” this album up!

Keith Wolzinger
Klezmer Podcast

Trafik
Veretski Pass
Golden Horn Records
2008

Links:
Veretski Pass
Golden Horn Records
VP At Sacramento
VP On Focus580