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:
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.
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.
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