Isle of Klezbos & Friends – Yiddish Silver Screen (Rhythm Media Records, 2024)
Yiddish Silver Screen marks the third full-length album release by Isle of Klezbos, a New York City-based ensemble. This album commemorates the group’s silver (25th) anniversary and brings attention to their focus on adapting music from vintage Yiddish soundtracks, with over half of the 20 tracks dedicated to this theme.
The album features collaborations with prominent figures from the Yiddish music scene. It also includes bonus tracks contributed by Metropolitan Klezmer, a related klezmer music ensemble. Eve Sicular, the band’s leader and drummer, brings her expertise as a film scholar specializing in Music from Yiddish Cinema and the Yiddish Celluloid Closet.
In addition to engaging, vintage and dynamic interpretations of instrumental pieces, the album features several original compositions. A bonus track presents an original vocal tune in English, originating from Eve’s Off-Off-Broadway production “J.Edgar Klezmer: Songs from My Grandmother’s FBI Files,” featuring fellow Isle of Klezbos band members.
Musicians: Debra Kreisberg on clarinet & alto saxophone; Pam Fleming on trumpet & flugelhorn; Melissa Fogarty on vocals; Shoko Nagai on piano & accordion; Saskia Lane on double bass; and Eve Sicular on drums.
Friends: Reut Regev on trombone; Natalia Zukerman on guitar & dobro; Ismail Butera on accordion; Rachelle Garniez on accordion; Zoe Aqua on violin; Karen Waltuch on viola; Yelena Shmulenson on vocals; Mikhl Yashinsky on vocals; Annie Cohen & Rachel Weston on duo vocals; Rachel Weston on piano ; Dave Hofstra on double bass & tuba.
The cover art for the album is created by graphic novelist Anya Ulinich. The accompanying 20-page booklet provides translations, transliterations, and original Yiddish lyrics for the vocal tracks.
Author: Douglas Sanders
