Songs of Our Fathers

by

Andy Statman & David Grisman

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I bought this CD on the high recommendations of a thread in an email discussion group, and was definitely not disappointed. This is Jewish music at it's very best. I especially like the fact that it is 100% acoustical, with none of the ear-splitting electronic sounds that have crept into "modern" klezmer lately. This album evokes the spiritual intimacy of the Melavah Malkah (Saturday night post-Sabbath gathering) around the woodstove in Old Russia. There are pieces from a number of different Hasidic groups, a lively Russian kazatski that is "fueled with Kentucky sour mash instead of potato vodka" (according to the album insert), plus an original Sephardic dance called "Bashi's Bounce," written by Andy Staman in honor of his wife, Barbara ("Bashi" in Hebrew.)

Also included are several tunes written by the late Shlomo Carlebach, a 20th-century Hasidic folksinger whose music has become so integrated into the Jewish world that it is often assumed to be "ancient" liturgy. (Carlebach's 1960's album "At the Village Gate" has been re-released on CD and is available here at Amazon). Statman and Grisman are obviously having a great time improvising on these familiar tunes!

"Songs of Our Fathers" comes boxed with a very nice, slick-print booklet on the history of the album, Jewish music in general, and the background of each of the pieces. The booklet includes color photos and brief bios of Statman and Grisman, along with plenty of B&W pics of the traditional Jews who originally played this music. Ten stars!