Glen Dickson: clarinet, Gary Bohan: cornet, Michael McLaughlin: accordion, Andrew Stern: guitar, Jim Gray: tuba, Eric Rosenthal: drums
(Review by Steve H.)
Naftule’s Dream evolved out of the Radical Jewish Culture movement of the ‘90s, originally recording on John Zorn’s Tzadik label.
However, this is the first album the band have recorded together since 2002. The music fuses traditional klezmer music with Eastern European folk music, rock and contemporary jazz - a veritable potpourri of styles which somehow seem to blend in with each other to produce a thoroughly interesting and entertaining piece of work.
The album must have one of the longest opening number titles in music history - Sitting in Some Train Watching the Tuscan Landscape Go Speeding Backward yet somehow it seems to fit the bill perfectly invoking the feeling of travelling and the journey that awaits us. The title track Blood is inspired by an Isaac Bashevis Singer short story about a kosher butcher who seems to get his lines blurred between carnal desire and the slitting of animal throats. As said above, the music fuses many styles but one constant throughout the album are the marvellous rhythms stamped out by tuba player Jim Gray. Some tracks have a manic raucous feel to them such as Boss Shabbos and Chasing Ivo Livi whilst others Klez Spiritual and the closing number the dreamy In Search of a Lullaby have a more gentle feel. A fascinating and uplifting album well worth a dance to.
Steve H.
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