Podcast #11 - Saz'iso

Saze hails from the beautiful wild landscapes of Southern Albania - a polyphonic music with the power to entrance any listener, even if they are strangers to the culture of this long-isolated country.This hand-picked ensemble includes some of the finest contemporary performers, opening a window into Albania's fascinating musical traditions. 

Saz'iso are on a rare UK tour from 1 - 12 November 2017. 

Debut album released by Glitterbeat. 

Podcast presented by Colin Bass.

Live Reviews: Sklamberg & The Shepherds at Sage Gateshead

The following Gateshead-based music lovers identify as 'Gadgees' - a Geordie dialect word for 'blokes', which often implies 'old blokes'. They have a music blog of the same name, which you can take a look at by going to the #Gadjees Blog

Here are two separate reviews for Sklamberg & The Shepherds, by #Gadgees @folkastro and @gerry0504:

@folkastro:

Making Tracks have now been with us for 7 years, introducing UK audiences to a season of world music at an affordable rate. #Gadgees have been to many events, and the standard is always high and the music usually a breath of fresh air. In this case the band was not entirely unknown: Lorin Sklamberg (accordionist and a classic klezmer vocalist) is a New York-based musician and a co-founder of the popular Klezmatics; the Shepherds are husband and wife (based in the UK, but both with heritage from Eastern Europe) with a wide repertoire of their own. Merlin Shepherd is a phenomenal clarinettist and super guitarist, while Polina plays piano and has the purest vocal range. As a trio, they cover a wide range of klezmer styles — from a slow-to-build ballad, mournful songs with a beautiful clarinet sound and bouncy Yiddish songs. Much of the repertoire appears to be their own, although traditionally based — this #Gadgee purchased the superb album Aheym — and could almost replay the whole concert again — such was the resonance of the recording to the live performance. This trio of hugely accomplished musicians, with a distinct and evocative klezmer style of their own, should not be missed; they are performers at the top of their game taking klezmer music to new levels.

@gerry0504:

 The #Gadgees have been regular supporters of world music events at The Sage Gateshead since it opened in 2005 but this was their first live klezmer concert experience. What a gig! Whoever thought of teaming up the Brighton-based Polina and Merlin Shepherd with New Yorker, Lorin Sklamberg (founder of the Klezmatics) deserves a medal for providing a unique showcase for modern klezmer, combining traditional Eastern European Jewish music with a transatlantic flavour.

The set list, following the running order of the album, Aheym, reflected the profound range and depth of klezmer music in general, as well as the vocal and instrumental virtuosity of this trio, typified in the beautiful lullaby, ‘Viglid’. For this #Gadgee, the highlight of the entire show was the glorious ‘Ay-yay-yay’ a wordless prayer, a lament of lyricism beyond description. In sublime contrast, this was followed by the ‘Song of a Tractor-Driver’ (A ‘gezang fun a traktorist’). The perfect harmonies of Polina and Lorin were never better displayed than in the drinking song, ’Di bekhers mit vayn’, which reminded me, strangely, of The McGarrigles in their heyday. The evening was rounded off by a pair of beautifully melodic, elegiac and complementary clarinet compositions by Merlin, ‘Sahar 1 & 2’ before we were literally sent home - ‘Aheym’ with more heavenly harmonies.

Exploring Shared Klezmer Roots: Q&A with Sklamberg & The Shepherds

Q - The three members of Sklamberg & The Shepherds hail from different parts of the world (the UK, USA and Siberia) – do you feel you are bringing together different klezmer traditions in the group?

A: That’s difficult to say because we have all learned from the same tradition - that of the Eastern European Jews. I suppose the ways that each of us interpret the music (as an Eastern European, an American and a western European) might be different, but overall we blend our personal styles together while exploring our common roots.  

Q - What is it about klezmer that has enabled it to survive and remain so popular?        

A: Klezmer is popular because it’s a music that is unpretentious, direct, easy to get to grips with, spiritual and emotional whilst retaining a certain ‘exoticism’ that really hooks people.

Q - You bring Russian and southern Mediterranean music to the mix – how does this fusion work?

A: The music is deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition and we find that there are wonderful similarities between our musical experiences … but there are also some differences, and finding ways to merge and blend these differences means that we are creating something unique. Many of the melodic forms, modes and rhythms of south Mediterranean and Eastern European musics are shared. There are some surprising similarities, although quite often the details of interpretation can change. Finding the common ground is one of the real joys of playing music with different people!

Q - Can klezmer be considered a ‘world’ music, due to its wide dissemination among the Jewish people?

A: Klezmer is not a ‘world music’. It’s a culturally-specific music that has grown from wedding music played for and by Yiddish-speaking people. Jews who moved all over the world from other places outside of Eastern Europe (Sephardim, Mizrahi, Greece, Italy, Ethiopia, China, India) all have their own music that has little to do with klezmer music apart from some of the prayer modes. The music industry created the concept of ‘world music’ in order to sell a product. I prefer to refer to culturally specific music as just that, culturally specific music. The concept of ‘world music’ often seems to be more about fusion than about specificity.

Q - You include original material in the repertoire – is this important for keeping Eastern European Jewish traditions going?

A: Absolutely. We are not a museum piece, but part of a creative, thriving and living tradition. We are members of a very large international community that is keeping this tradition alive by reinterpreting older music and by writing new music in the old style, pushing the style forwards into the modern world.

Q - Perhaps you could say a little about the instrumentation of the trio – is it unusual to have a piano in the klezmer tradition?

A: We will be playing a variety of instruments: two guitars, accordion, piano, clarinets and of course our voices! Bearing in mind that klezmer music came largely from the urban environment, it could easily have been possible for pianos to have been used in Eastern Europe. The type of small ensembles that have been stereotyped as ‘traditional’ tended to be made up of more portable instruments, so piano wouldn’t have been a part of those.

Up until 1860, it was forbidden for Jews to play their own music on ‘loud instruments’, which included clarinet. It was Tsar Nicolas who allowed a certain emancipation of the Jews and that was when louder instruments (clarinet, brass etc.) started being used. 

We are not playing strictly ‘traditional’ klezmer, and we use our own personal histories as well as our knowledge of the past to bring who we are to our performances (hence electric guitars!).

Q - Klezmer has a reputation as a party music – is there a traditional dance associated with the music, or should we just sit and listen?

A: Klezmer music developed as wedding music, so yes it definitely is party music! There are also many different genres of dance within the tradition and many different types of steps, so yes, we’re more than happy to have audiences on their feet. There is also a large part of the repertoire that is ritual music though, so that isn’t so much for dancing. We perform a number of slower songs, so these are more for listening to.

Q - Could you say something about the texts you use in the songs?

A: Looking through our songs we see a good, idiosyncratic mix of ideas and moods reflected in the pieces we’ve either written or chosen, which have now found a perfect home within our trio! The Viglid, for instance, is a beautiful Soviet-era Russian lullaby translated into Yiddish that Lorin and Polina had enjoyed playing together on several occasions before we incorporated it into our program. Polina’s romantic compositional aesthetic has led her to compose several gorgeous ballads, which, when combined with verse by some of our great Yiddish poets, inspire a subtle use of our intertwining voices in the service of lyrics both wistful and hopeful. Lorin’s work as a sound archivist at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York has led to him rediscovering historical gems, such as Song of a Tractor-Driver, a deft and witty workers’ song from 1950s Poland. We also continue to be inspired by the Jewish spiritual realm, particularly the joy and imagery of the Hasidic world, with such songs as Polina's What can we say (from the Passover cumulative song tradition) and Sankt Besht, set to a poem by the great Itzik Manger, about the founder of Hasidism himself. And no show of ours is complete without a Yiddish drinking song or an Ural Mountains folksong in both Russian and English!

Sklamberg & The Shepherds are on tour from the 22nd March - 4th April

Full tour dates: https://www.makingtrackslive.org.uk/sklamberg-and-the-shepherds

Podcast #10: Sklamberg & The Shepherds

Podcast #10 takes us to discover the soul and heart of klezmer music through this brilliant trio with 'klezmer royalty' credentials: Lorin Sklamberg, Merlin Shepherd and Polina Shepherd. Presented by Colin Bass.
Catch Sklamberg & The Shepherds live on tour across the UK from 22 March - 4 April 2017.

Live Review: Paolo Angeli & Derek Gripper at mac Birmingham

By Adele Franghiadi

The first night of Making Tracks’ latest tour was a fantastic occasion that lived up to the claim of “Solo Guitars like Never Before”! Paolo Angeli offered a non-stop performance on his 'prepared' guitar, whilst Derek Gripper showcased his multi-genre repertoire.

It would be difficult to write a review of Paolo Angeli’s performance without affording most attention to his amazing guitar. However, he shouldn’t be overlooked as a performer either. Evidently an imaginative musician, he was a pleasure to watch. He nimbly altered the guitar and its electric effects, and despite never pausing for rest, he played with ease and passion, which made for an awe-inspiring experience.

The guitar itself felt like an additional performer, with the audience watching its every “move” in an attempt to identify where each of its many different sounds were originating. I was foolish enough to believe that when Angeli returned to playing the guitar in a more conventional fashion, he’d finished showcasing his more adventurous techniques. However, he wowed the audience yet again when he made the guitar “laugh” by scraping the bow in circular motions across the various layers of strings.

I wondered how Derek Gripper was going to “top” Angeli, but soon realised the acts weren’t worth comparing - for all the right reasons. Gripper offered an entirely different experience, which was just as enjoyable and captivating. He interspersed his music with witty quips and a relaxed yet charming approach to audience engagement. He was conversational and humorous, retuning his guitar as he told stories about his broken watch, and the musicians who taught him about the various styles he presented.

Again, a musician of immense talent, he explained how the kora is a harp-like West African instrument, and demonstrated how traditional kora techniques can be re-imagined to suit guitar. His playing was incredibly virtuosic, yet it also felt unpretentious and honest, which further added to his charm. He too sang along to the music, but at a distance from the mic, which gave the effect of a secondary instrument; a beautiful and unique effect.

While Gripper and Angeli offered entirely different performances, they worked perfectly side-by-side, since both musicians are unique and innovative in contrasting ways. The tour continues around the country until the 16th February, so if you can get to any of their upcoming concerts, I thoroughly recommend it!

Remaining tour dates:
https://www.makingtrackslive.org.uk/on-tour

Discovering the Kora through Classical Guitar (and visa versa): Q & A with Derek Gripper

Q – You’re launching a new CD ‘Mali in Oak’ during this tour. Can you say a bit about the repertoire you’ll be playing?

A: I usually play whatever I am working on at that moment, plus the pieces that I still enjoy playing and reinventing from the past. So this means a selection of pieces from my albums Libraries on Fire and One Night on Earth, plus a few of the pieces from The Sound of Water, which has works by myself and the great Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti. At present I am working on a very new approach to playing solo Bach works. So I plan to give these a bit of work during the tour so I am ready to record the first collection when I get back home. I also have a few new works, one by Salif Keita and one by Fanta Sacko, a really incredible and influential Malian singer who recorded in the seventies.

Q – You have transcribed Brazilian, South African and Malian music for guitar. Where are you going next?

A: I don’t usually know beforehand, even though I try to plan it never works out ... but I suspect this Bach project will be my next recording. I am also returning to some older works from Mali, works by Toumani Diabaté’s father and his aunt, Fanta Sacko. I also have a collaboration in 2017 with north Indian slide guitarist Debashish Battacharya, so that should whip me into shape.

Q – You started playing classical violin at a young age. What was it about the guitar that attracted you to play it?

A: I started playing in a loose, crazy band with a friend when I was about fourteen. Somebody gave me a bass guitar, I borrowed a guitar and learned the chords, then I started teaching myself to read when a classical guitar teacher came to teach at my school. Eventually I managed to get him to teach me - he had just returned from studying with Carlos Bonnel in London, so it was a bit of luck really. I carried on through high school being a bass player and playing classical guitar and playing violin in the orchestra. I also learned a bout of piano but the guitar took over from that - too many buttons for me!

Q – Can you say something about the South African music scene, which seems to be vibrant at the moment?

A: We have had more vibrant moments than right now in terms of venues and opportunities. It seems to go up and down, one minute you're in a musical revolution, the next moment you can't think of a single venue that hosts live music. It goes like that because it is organic and there isn't a strong enough structure to support it. There are some great musicians around though, especially in the jazz scene, a pretty solid classical scene which tends to be a little conservative, and loads happening in other realms with younger musicians creating new things all the time. I probably should pay more attention. Maybe the most interesting music is in the electronic scene. Right now I am listening to Spiral by an incredible band called Tananas who made a big impact in the 90's. This reminds me of those gems that came out of this country. There are many.

Q – You are touring with the extraordinary ‘prepared guitar’ player, Paolo Angeli – can you introduce him for us?

A: Well I have yet to meet Paolo, so I only know him from watching his videos. He looks like he has had as much fun and applied as much creativity to creating his instrument as he has to playing it and composing for it. So really it seems he is representing all aspects of instrumental playing: composition, luthiery and performance. It’s going to be exciting to get to know more. I mean, the guy has springs and pneumatic pedals and a violin bow and God knows what else!

Q – You’re probably best known in the UK for your recent album and tour transcribing the work of the great Malian kora players. Do you think there is a common link in ‘African’ music?

A: I think of the kora players as great Classical composers that happen to live in Africa and are part of an immense and ancient African tradition. I know about as much about this tradition as I do about classical composers ... it’s all hearsay with both, because the classical composers like Bach lived a long time ago, and West African music, like all music, is always changing.

Q – Africa is known for its guitar stylists – Ali Farka Touré, Franco and many others developed styles very different from those in Europe and America. How have these players influenced you?

A: Ali Farka Touré is a huge influence for me, not necessary in his playing style, but in his approach to music. When I start thinking with too much complexity, he reminds me that very little is needed to create incredible music. He is one of the greatest musicians of our era. His work is really unbelievable. I love especially his early acoustic recordings because they speak to that realm of music which I really enjoy, the realm like Toumani Diabaté's Kaira or Egberto Gismonti's Solo, even Keith Jarret's Koln Concert ... one person with an instrument. Okay, Ali Farka Touré had Hama Sankare on calabash ... but we can't all have it all like he did.

Q – Can you describe the process of transcribing kora and other musics to classical guitar?

A: Yeah it’s pretty painstaking - especially at first. I came knowing nothing, having no background in this style of music, so I was literally land-surveying on foot, tracing the coastline with a pen and pencil, and then stepping back and seeing where I had been and what I had found. After a lot of that work I started to get an idea of the meta-structure, and now I am pretty fluent in that language. Man, it really taught me how to play the guitar!