Editorial Reviews

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Known bizarrely for a time as the Jewish Benny Goodman, Ukrainian-born klezmer clarinetist Dave Tarras was the relatively reliable and refined answer to the wickeder Naftule Brandwein. Born in 1897, Tarras emigrated to the United States in 1921. He quickly rose through the ranks of Jewish musicians, first as a dependable sideman and later as a composer and band leader himself. Consisting mainly of skillfully remastered 78s, this diverse anthology collects two-dozen Tarras performances in a wide variety of settings (including samples of Jewish radio circa 1940). Tarras was a nimble wonder, with a singing tone and a seemingly endless stream of musical ideas. This album both captures Tarras's brilliance and preserves a form of music poised between the live-wire "crudeness" of European klezmer and the cool pop swing of the '50s. --Richard Gehr

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Wisdom and humor, August 10, 2002
By Alyssa A. Lappen (Earth)

This selection of 23 virtuoso cuts **s five repeats from the enchanting Music from the Yiddish Radio Project, on which Dave Tarras figures a large role.
The repeats ** Moishe Oysher's classic nigun, Chasidic in America (1958), Dayenu (1950), Bridegroom Special (1940), Die Golden Chasene (1945), and my favorite, Abe Ellstein's rendition of Second Avenue Square Dance (1950).

The music is ** as wonderful a second time, even if you already own the Radio Project. Aside from the repeats, this collection offers some extremely worthy numbers of its own--which unlike the former **s a few advertisements within the cuts, not as separate ones. There's no arguing with these gorgeous renditions, complete with the tinny sound of ancient 78s. Some of the best music is in the opening number, Abe Schwartz Orchestra's 1928 version of Unzer Toirele, and the last, Rumanian Fantasy (1956).

In between you'll get Alexander Olshanetsky's violin-laden Mazel in Leibe (1929) and Seymour Rechtzeit's magnificent Hopkele (1941), the Bagelman Sisters in A Vaibele A Tsenien (1942) and the Yiddish Swingette's version of Zum Gali Gali. In 1950, as it is repeated here, the number was announced on air as a "Palestinian work song," meaning of course the work of Israel's Jewish inhabitants.

Tarras' doleful Branas Hassene (1941) **s the Rosh Hashonah Shofar as well as some rich brassy tones.

You know Chochme (Wisdom/Humor)? That's what this recording is--both kinds.