Trio Carpion - Ashkenazi roots music

Anyone who's read Teruah for a while knows that I have a fondness for music that is cranky, squawky, and a bit discombobulated. Hence my love of punk music and street corner klezmer. Imagine my delight when I whacked "Tsip-Tsapikl," one of the MP3's on the Trio Carpion's website, and was rewarded with one of the most delightful bits of kersplattery I've heard in a while. Off-kilter Yiddish vocals stuttering over a languid violin, a bumping euphonium supporting a swirly-twirly accordion. What a glorious mess. And the other tracks are just as lovely (to my ears). De Geneyve has a grinding, lurching, pulse and that counterbalancing lovely violin. 10 seconds into the song and I'm in a dark noisy bar in pre-war Prague raising a glass to someone at the next table. Hoy! L'Chaim! Another song. It's not late yet.

De Geneyve


Tsip-Tsapikl


Dortn, Dortn

Ok. I'm an excitable guy, I'll admit it. But this is great stuff. Trio Carpion is an Israeli group made up of vocalist and accordionist Avishai Fisz, violinist Daniel Hoffman, and multi-instrumentalist and euphonium player Gershon Waiserfirer. Here's how they describe themselves

Taking its name from the talking carp of Jewish folk legend, Trio Carpion is Ashkenazi roots music at its best- a new Israeli ensemble performing the lush and evocative early 20th century repertoire from the Eastern European Jewish world as well as new compositions. Trio Carpion specializes in pre-war Yiddish and Romanian songs and the Eastern style of klezmer music rarely heard in Israel.

I did a bit of a doubletake when I saw the band list. Fisz and Waiserfirer are new to me. I don't think I've heard them before, though I'll be keeping my ears out for them. Daniel Hoffman, though, I'm very familiar with. He's the band-leader for Davka, one of my favorite Jewish music groups and the composer of the recent Theatre J musical "David in Shadow and Light". I love Hoffman's playing and am delighted to find another one of his projects.

The Trio is touring and working on their first recording. If you're a festival promoter, give them a yell. They'd love to play in your city.

See relate posts: Davka & Kitka, David in Shadow and Light, a new musical, More on David in Shadow and Light.