The Sy Kushner Jewish Music Ensemble

KlezSqueeze!


Sy Kushner is back, reads the inlet of Sy Kushner´s latest CD "KlezSqueeze!" And we got to know, that Sy´s last recording dates from 30 years ago - "The New Jewish Sound" with The Mark 3 Orchestra, whose musical director and accordionist he was. And we learn, that he has been the first to combine the Jewish music of the New World with the traditional klezmer music of the Old World in a way, nobody has heard before in Jewish music. And, that he has been a star of Jewish music in the Catskills (and probably still is), that he played on weddings and Bar Mizvahs, and that sometimes they called him "Eric Clapton of the accordion" - a comparison, I myself can understand very well, and which is suitable pretty well. Not only, because Sy is nearly of the same age as Eric... Effortlessly his fingers are gliding over the keys, like Eric´s are gliding over the strings.
And now he´s back, with traditional pieces of music, having been recorded before sometimes somewhere - by Abe Schwartz, Naftule Brantwein, Yenkowitz & Goldberg, Dave Tarras and others. Contrary to the - nowadays, especially in American Klezmer groups - normal orchestration clarinet-violin-piano-bass, backed up occasionally by banjo/mandoline and brass, he uses a very traditional east European orchestration: accordion, tsimbl (in the alpine folk music scene known as "Hackbrett") and string bass, giving his music a nearly Hungarian sound, even if it is sometimes very American, like "Philadelphia Sher" and "Di Rayze nukh Amerike". Sy gives us with "KlezSqueeze!" a very peaceful and restful music, with many Khusedls (a slow Bulgar) and Horas. Fans of the wild Freilakhs may won´t get their worth - but for that there are other recordings. This is the right music to calm down from the allday trouble. Sit down, lean back, close your eyes and take this wonderful music in - again and again. And if you ever should have the desire for something else - then Ken Maltz joins the trio with his unique clarinet sound. I´d like to close with that word, the inlet text and Ari Davidow´s review are also closed with: Enjoy!
KlezSqueeze! - The Sy Kushner Jewish Music Ensemble
  1. Sadegurer Khusedl (Hasidic Dance from Sadegur) (mpeg3, 230 KB, 30 sec)
  2. Drohobitsher Khusid (A Hasidic Jew from the Town of Drohobitsh)
  3. Der Heisser-Tartar Dance (The Hot One)
  4. Philadelphia Sher
  5. Lustige Khasidim (Happy Hasidic Jews)
  6. Shulem´s Bulgarish
  7. Odessa Bulgar
  8. Di Rayze Nukh Amerike (The Trip to America)
  9. Fun Tashlikh (Jewish New Year Prayer)
  10. Dovid´l Bazetzt Di Kale (David Seats the Bride)
  11. Tants a Freilach (Dance a Freilach)
  12. Baym Shotzer Rebbe Oyf Shabes (Sabbath at the Shotzer Rebbe´s)
  13. Naftule Shpilt Far Dem Rebn (Naftule Plays for the Rabbi)
  14. Nor Gelebt, Nor Gelacht (Living and Laughing)
  15. Zeydn´s Tants (Grandfather´s Dance)
  16. Russian Sher

The musicians
Also available:
TitlePrice (US$)
The Klezmer Music Fake Book Vol.1 with CD (C instruments)29.95
The Klezmer Music Fake Book Vol.1 with CD (Bb Instruments)29.95
The Klezmer Music Fake Book Vol.2 with CD (C instruments)29.95
The Klezmer Music Fake Book Vol.2 with CD (Bb instruments)29.95
KlezSqueeze! The Sy Kushner Jewish Music Ensemble (CD)17.98
KlezSqueeze! The Sy Kushner Jewish Music Ensemble (Cass.)10.98
Shipment fee: US$ 4.-- for one item, US$ 3.-- each additional.
Shipment feeoutside of U.S.: add US$ 3.-- per item to shipping charges above.

Orders to:
Kush Publications
61 Bon Air Ave.
New Rochelle, N.Y.10804
Include check, made payable to Kush Publications.
Allow 2 weeks for delivery
EMail: sykushner@aol.com
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