CD Review: Amsterdam Klezmer Band's 'Mokum'

Amsterdam Klezmer Band
Mokum
Essay Recordings

The brash, Balkan brass is alive on this live recording of the Amsterdam Klezmer Band in the Netherlands. Sixteen long tracks showcase the group's magnificent playing abilities, danceable tunes, and lively vocals. The brass tunes and jaunty rhythms celebrate the Klezmer musical life with equal doses of gypsy, jazz, and folk melodies. Fans of Boban, Klezmatics, and other balkan music groups will quickly identify with the band's upbeat sense of style and brassy swagger not normally observed in comparable groups. Overall, the Amsterdam Klezmer Band is ideal for fans of klezmer, yiddish, gypsy, instrumental, brass band, and party music with a folksy side. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: RotFront's 'VisaFree'

RotFront

VisaFree

Essay Recordings

Berlin-based, Gypsy/Klezmer-band RotFront, brings us a punk-driven, humorous, and carefree set of songs in various languages. The primary pulse behind RotFront's beats are inherently brassy and brashy with a good dose of colorful language, upbeat rhythms, and melodies influenced by Cape Verde, Central America, and the Balkans. The hilarious "Gay, Gypsy & Jew" is a vocal ode to the Gay-Gypsy-Jew populations. The nostalgic disco track, "Revolution Disco," is a danceable track with blaring horns, punchy rhythms, and English lyrics. The riotous, lyric-ladened "Cosmos," is something the American group Smash Mouth might have created; but didn't. The Gypsy-inspired, punk-rock is quite accessible to Balkan and European youth with a few older adults chiming-in for good measure. VisaFree is 'free' from defect in all regards. Buy it today! ~ Matthew Forss