.Zoyres Eastern European Wild Ferment

Biserka!

Klezmer has enjoyed cachet in the jazz world since clarinetist Don
Byron’s 1993 album Plays the Music of Mickey Katz. The
centuries-old Eastern European form is, after all, incredibly catchy
— a fact one might attribute to the up-tempo rhythms and Middle
Eastern harmonic scales, which are, apparently, the bedrock of
everything funky. Five Bay Area musicians took this idea to heart when
forming their own Eastern European ensemble, Zoyres East European Wild
Ferment. Set up as a folk band but equally influenced by jazz, Zoryes
offers fascinating interpretations of ancient Balkan and klezmer songs,
plus some original material that adds weird meters and jazzy horn solos
to the old song structures. Zoyres advertises itself as a dance band,
partly because of the tautness of its rhythms, and partly because it
sounds a lot bigger than it actually is. But the band’s real selling
point is that its members have real chops.

Zoyres’ second album, Biserka! features eleven tracks,
including five traditional folk songs, two minute-long improvisations,
and five new compositions by saxophonist Mike Perlmutter, Boston-based
accordionist Michael McLaughlin, and the band’s original clarinetist,
Olivier Hamant. Perlmutter’s two songs are interesting in that they
draw heavily on old traditions. “12 Bonds” is the jazzier of the two;
“Papa’s Dance” sounds almost indistinguishable from its 16th-century
precursors. Hamant’s “Rue St. Jean,” takes more liberties with the
form, particularly in the romantic, dissonant harmonies that comprise
its middle section.

But the real payoff comes with McLaughlins’ dirge-like “Afterwards,”
which pairs a convulsive drum rhythm with a horn line that sounds
almost like a chorale. It’s simply wonderful. (Zoyres)

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

East Bay Express E-edition East Bay Express E-edition
19,045FansLike
14,611FollowersFollow
61,790FollowersFollow
spot_img