Butcher's Share, The

Berlin-based, Detroit-born Daniel Kahn brings klezmer into the 21st century with echoes of Kurt Weill and centuries of Yiddish-tinged social protest; powerful fiery lyrics and musical virtuosity to back it up; lessons for our own time from the past; beautiful earthy Yiddish lyrics with translations

NO FCC's: Favorite tracks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

1-- Shimke Khazar –:28 – passionate Yiddish intro

*2—The Butcher's Sher – 4:59 – pointed and descriptive English lyrics; brisk beat, great accordion, etc.

*3—Freedom is a verb –3:21 – current events and American militarism pitted against the ideology of freedom in the klezmer idiom

*4—Arbeter Froyen-- Working Women –3:22 – Yiddish and English lyrics for a traditional organizing song celebrating the role of women; powerful waltz rhythm

*5—Sheyres Hora –2:00 – vivid and poetic song in both Yiddish and English for the survivors of the Holocaust

*6 –The Ballad of How The Jews Got to Europe -3:10 –centuries of dark history in a powerful nutshell; English and Yiddish interwoven with verses; powerful words and music

7—Children in the Woods –2:02 – dark song about the remains of Jewish children who went into hiding

**8 – Shtil Di Nakht Iz Oysgeshternt – amazing version of anthem about the Jewish partisans who fought the Nazis – Yiddish and English-- updated with wailing harmonica

9 –99%--Nayn-Un-Nayntsik –5:30 –warning to the economic one percent in Yiddish and English

10—Tzivkever Nign –2:58 – down tempo instrumental with accordion, trumpet, guitar, clarinet

11- No one Survives –3:00 – message reminiscent of the Fugs' song “Nothing” but more poetic and much more musical; all English

12-- Two Brothers –5:36 – Isaac and Ishmael reminisce about their father Abraham/Ibrahim as they bury him; from a different POV than Leonard Cohen's or Bob Dylan's treatment of the same material

13—Avrom Ovinu Sharft Dos Meser—3:25 – “Abraham The Patriarch Sharpens the Knife –3:25 –Yiddish version from Sarah's point of view