Amsterdam Klezmer Band
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands | INDIE
Music
Press
”This group has very little to offer to ‘Klezmer-purists’ since Klezmer was never meant to be polished and perfected for concert halls. With their exuberant approach they take the music out of the conservatory corridors into the street.” - Dutch daily paper NRC
Out of all the myriad groups taking apart and then rebuilding new repertoire out of klezmer and Balkan music, there can be no doubt that the Amsterdam Klezmer Band are one of the most accomplished bands around. Famed for their cooking live shows and ultra-tight horn section, it was 2007’s Remixed album that really set them apart, pairing their dance floor-friendly licks with top DJs and producers, and allowing Yiddish music to really let loose in the global Gypsy club revolution.
Now they are back with Zaraza, their fifth original studio album and the second for groundbreaking Frankfurt label Essay. Their recipe of new compositions with sparkling clarinet, sax and brass melodies, and infectious accordion-propelled grooves, is as tasty as ever. The ace in their pack is undoubtedly singer Alec Kopyt – an iconic Odessa-born raconteur whose early recordings as Poza are essential. Here, his trademark sweet-as-sugar but rough-as-sandpaper voice is on typically fine form, lamenting about life on ‘Takaj Zhizn’ – although on the intricate, Balkan-sounding ‘Gde’, the vocals feel like something of an afterthought, for Kopyt’s voice isn’t allowed enough space to shine above the densely layered instrumentation. There’s a plethora of action-packed instrumentals, but the best track on the album is ‘Op Een Goppe’, sung in Dutch. I have no idea what it means, but the rhythm of the language works a treat, somehow giving the band a lighter, more organic feel. All in all, this is another solid, impressive release from one of the best in the business.
Lemez Lovas
- Songlines 2009-03
Discography
Amsterdam Klezmer Band: Remixed (AY CD 10)
Amsterdam Klezmer Band: Zaraza (AY CD 19)
Amsterdam Klezmer Band: Katla (AY CD 28)
p+c Essay Recordings
Photos
Bio
"Now here's a group I won't easily forget. Their extraordinary skills combined with their sense of composition stands for a sound unmatched by any other group I know. I'll vouch for them any day, AKB for life!"
Colin Benders/Kyteman (actually the most promising new talent from the Netherlands)
The story started in 1996. A few Amsterdam boys with a Jewish background got inspired by the catchy sounds of Klezmer and Balkan music and started busking. Since that time the band has evolved into a seven-strong line-up, representing one of the finest among the Klezmer and Balkan music scene in Europe. It is 2011 and the AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND is blessed with an enthusiastic following in the Netherlands, the whole of Europe and even in Brazil! Their refreshing approach to Klezmer and Balkan music transcends the traditional aspects of this music and results in a very lively mix of Eastern-European sound. Their strength lies in their ability to appeal to a remarkably broad audience across all age groups; they play clubs or theatres, festivals, parties, weddings or formal functions. AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND can both fire up a crowd and create pure listening pleasure with the vibrancy of their playing.
Popular AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND tunes are being covered and AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND remixes are found in many clubs from Berlin to Sydney. Over the past few years the band has performed all around the world. Their years on the road have shaped this band into a strong and highly prolific collective.
Two statements sum up their undogmatic approach to the Klezmer genre:
This group has very little to offer to Klezmer-purists since Klezmer was never meant to be polished and perfected for concert halls. With their exuberant approach they take the music out of the conservatory corridors into the street. (from renowned Dutch daily paper NRC)
Amsterdam Klezmer Band are my favourite group. They know what it's like to play in bars. They sound like a Klezmer version of The Pogues. They are giving Klezmer music street credibility". (Joann Sfar, French comic star, who recently invited them to perform the soundtrack for his animated movie The Cat of the Rabbi).
Now the unmistakeable AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND sound is optimally encapsulated once again in 14 brand new tracks which are all original compositions written by the band members themselves. Katla is their 9th album. Sirba, Turbo Polka and booty shaking Cocek, Oompah and motley rhythms, all with the characteristic and inimitable AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND virtuosity, are to be found on this album. Of course no AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND album without front men Alec Kopyt (a cult singer from Odessa, whos a renowned specialist of prison songs) and Job Chajes, singing and rapping their way through this new treasure trove of highly infectious and original Amsterdam Klezmer style repertoire.
"KATLA" is the name of the biggest volcano in Iceland. This title possibly implies this new albums explosive character. We all know that volcanoes are usually not to be messed with. But no worries: listening to AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND's Katla will just cause uncontrollable eruptions of joy!
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