Klezmer Karma

Lakatos, Roby & Ensemble
Avanti Classic
World | Mar 2007

Reviews

MichaS
Reviewed 2007-03-12
For fans of the Jewish fiddle. This guy is the real thing (maybe in an exaggerated way). A virtuoso gypsy violinist from Hungary, who plays with his ensemble (Romanian/Hungarian kind of gypsy) Yiddish music, using Tango styling here and there. It’s says Klezmer, but it’s more Yiddish. Sentimental, cinematic, and in many tracks orchestral, with the Liszt chamber orchestra adding in. Other tracks, some of my favorite in this CD, feature an old female singer. Special stuff. Extra sentimental, but if you get into the mood, it’s damn good. No FCCs
1. Fast and happy. Dominant violin and gypsy cimbalom.
*2. Old-time sentimental Yiddish song , Tango style.
3. Slow, orchestral. Think romantic dinner, white linen and a band of gypsy violinists playing in your ear (sort of a Walt Disney movie).
4. Oy, the schmaltz! Way too sentimental. Violin and piano.
*5. Yiddish Tango song. Nice violin and accordion additions.
6. Very sentimental and slow, 3:30 min into the track the pace picks up with some nice virtuosic violin playing accompanied by cimbalom and piano.
7. A suite. From slow and sad to a cinematic form of Jewish wedding music.
8. A sad violin.
9. A traditional gloomy song.
*10. cinematic, jazzy (40’s(?)-style), virtuosic piece, with female background vocals.
**11. A virtuosic rendition of a gypsy classic. So fast, you have to move.
12. A horrible, saccharinic, guitar-accompanied, version of the Israeli anthem, Hatikvah.
*13. An opening that sounds like the soundtrack of Exodus, but a very nice happy Yiddish song coming later (it says: play your violin, gypsy! or something like that).
**14. A Yiddish classic played on the violin with jazzy female background vocals… and turns halfway into a total Funk/Jazz piece- wah-wah guitar and a Hammond! You have to listen to this.
15. Cinematic Hungarian gypsy music. Some nice playing.

Recent airplay

Hatikvah
MelangeSep 01, 2016
Romania
Aug-21-3013Aug 21, 2013
Klezmer Csardas
Klezmer Suite #1
The Songsmith ShowOct 16, 2009
Yiddishe Hassene
the jewish alternativeMay 04, 2007
Budapest
Memory SelectApr 27, 2007

Charting

2007-03-11 — 2007-05-13 Reggae/World
Week EndingAirplays
May 6 1
Apr 29 2
Apr 22 1
Apr 15 1
Apr 8 1
Mar 25 1
Mar 18 5

Track listing

1. Klezmer Suite #1
2. Yiddishe Mame
3. Glick
4. A-10450
5. Neshumele
6. Papirossen Suite
7. Klezmer Suite #2
8. Empty Pictures
9. Ani Maamin
10. Dizzy Fingers
11. Romania
12. Hatikvah
13. Budapest
14. Yiddishe Hassene
15. Klezmer Csardas