Traktorist

Di Naye Kapelye are among the best of the traditional klezmer revivalists, and this set takes them back to days of Yiddish glory all across Europe, sometimes wildly joyful, as on the opener, "Nit Bay Motyen," and sometimes tragic in the way that only Yiddish music can really manage, as with "Az Nisht Keyn Emine," which also features a wonderful high teenage voice. The music is both rugged and graceful, klezmer the way it must have sounded before it moved to America and took on the overtones of jazz. Bringing in the Técso Village Band works wonderfully, especially on "Hutsul Medley." But even alone, the band does wonderfully well instrumentally — witness the speeding train of "7:40," for instance. It's a slightly different take on klezmer than most heard in the U.S., but it's wonderfully colorful, emotive, and — above all — passionate.