I’m not sure when I first heard klezmer music but it was probably excerpts from The Fiddler on the Roof with Zero Mostel on The Ed Sullivan Show. I’m pretty sure I thought it was lame. I lived in villages in Northern Ontario and there weren’t any Jewish families; so much for hearing a band at a Jewish wedding. Thankfully, over the years jazz festivals that I’ve attended have incorporated klezmer into their programs and they have received great response, especially in venues that have dance areas. Many of these bands play a fusion of klezmer and jazz with the clarinet and keyboards as the “bridge” instruments. This brings us to the new CD by a band from the Toronto area called KlezFactor. It’s called Klezmachine it borrows from every genre imaginable and gets away with it. The title cut seems to have the bass and drum line from KC and the Sunshine Band’s hit “That’s the Way I Like It” throughout the track and there are great jazzy passages provided by guitarist Jaro Dabrowski and keyboards from Ali Berkok. He provides more of that in “Greenhouse Effect,” too. Yet, in my mind, what really ferments the klezmer fusion is the string section which includes violin, viola, cello and to some extent bass. The same section consisting of bassist Michael Smith, violinist/violist Ben Plotnick and cellist Erika Nielsen contribute greatly (in whole or in part) to “The Jewce (Manischewitz)”—a very funky tune about Jewish wine and the violinist can bring tears of sadness in the more traditional ‘Waltz for Ronit.” That brings me to the horn section and according to the credits it is a section of one! Mike Anklewicz must have more than an acquaintance with the jazz world and he plays soprano, alto and tenor saxes along with clarinet and his playing is outstanding; particularly his sax solo on “The Jewce” and the clarinet on the dreamy “Chalom.” The rhythm section of David McDougall on drums and percussion and bassist Michael Smith lay down great beats throughout. Klezmachine has a variety of traditional tracks representing Bulgaria, Rumania and the Middle East. The fusiony selections borrow from disco, r&b, funk and rock. The second track, “Golden Medine,” is the only track I didn’t enjoy. Somehow the reeds and strings don’t work for me and it brings about a medieval music feel that doesn’t fit with the rest of the CD. Overall, Klezmachine is a very enjoyable CD which would appeal to fans of jazz, klezmer and other world music.

By Jim Dupuis
May 18, 2009