One to Remember

No one can accuse Sviraj of not offering value for money in their shows — this live CD, documenting a Philadelphia concert in November 2000, runs two hours. And One to Remember is aptly titled, since not only was it a superb gig from this trio, plus their three special guests, but it was a deliberate remembrance of music from the old country — well, old countries, since this covers plenty of ground throughout Eastern Europe and the Balkans — by this trio from Steelton, PA. Their guests, some fabulous tanburizta musicians, add plenty to the proceedings, bringing a lot of life and energy. The one thing they don't need to bring is an authentic feel: Raczar Lopatic, Danilo Yanich, and Lenny Tepisch might be Americans, but this music is their lifeblood, and they play it all over the globe. They're very much the real deal, as their signature opener, "Sviraj Ciganine," shows all too clearly. And for them to be able to appear with their mentor, cellist and singer Vlad Popovich, means there's an extra reason that this is One to Remember. But they're not only fabulous acoustic musicians, they're also good entertainers — the spoken interludes between numbers (this is a complete concert transcription) are every bit as good as the singing or playing. While there might be no electricity involved, this is a two-disc set that's liable to get you up and dancing in the living room. Add to that the fact that the second disc contains three videos and pages of notes about the songs and this isn't just an audio experience, its an immersion into the music of Eastern Europe and the Balkans.