Track Listing

1. Unzer Toirele - Abe Schwartz's Orchestra, Dave Tarras
2. Yiddisher March - Joseph Cherniavsky, Dave Tarras,
3. Good Luck - Dave Tarras
4. Polka "Strelotchek" - Russkyj "Moskva" Orkestr, Dave Tarras
5. Chasidic in America - Florence, Moishe Oysher, Dave Tarras, Weiss
6. Yid Bin Ich Gegboiren - Dave Tarras
7. Dem Monastrishter Rebin's Chosid'l - Abe Schwartz's Orchestra, Dave Tarras
8. Hopkele - Seymour Rechtzeit, Dave Tarras
9. Bridegroom Special - Dave Tarras, Yiddish Swing Orchestra
10. Die Goldene Chasene - Dave Tarras
11. Pas d'Espan - Russkyj "Moskva" Orkestr, Dave Tarras
12. Mazel in Liebe - Alexander Olshanetsky, Dave Tarras
13. Vaibele a Tsnien - Dave Tarras
14. Zum Gali Gali - Dave Tarras, Yiddish Swingtette
15. Die Reize Nuch Amerkia - Abe Schwartz's Orchestra, Dave Tarras
16. Branan Hassene - Dave Tarras Trio
17. Kinos, Tkios un Ashrei - Boibriker Kapelle, Dave Tarras
18. What Can You Mach? S'is America - Aaron Lebedeff, Dave Tarras
19. Oriental Hora - Dave Tarras, Yiddish Swingtette
20. Second Avenue Square Dance - Dave Tarras
21. Freilachs - Dave Tarras
22. Dayeynu - Dave Tarras, Yiddish Swingtette
23. Rumanian Fantasy - Dave Tarras

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #58224 in Music
• Released on: 1992-02-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Amazon.com
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

Customer Reviews

When swing and klezmer meet
In these recordings Dave Tarras plays with several orchestras in the span of about 30 years. If you are looking for a collection of clarinet solos, for which Tarras became a legend, then this is not the right cd, but rather you should get the two cd's titled "Dave Tarras - Master of Klezmer Music" (Global Village). On the other hand, here you can find a colorful and heterogeneous collection of tunes, some of which traditional (doynas, freilekhs, horas...), others more strongly influenced by the musical trends of the thirties. In several cases Jewish traditional tunes blend gracefully with swing and jazz. Some tracks are introduced by the original radio broadcastings, which make this album even more precious. There is also an unusually long and informative booklet on Tarras. Considering that most of the original recordings date back to more than 70 years ago, the technical quality is remarkably fine.

A true virtuoso...
You have to bear in mind thatI know little about Klezmer, and recordings are not always easy to find in the UK. So when I saw this in our local Virgin store, I bought it as much out of curiosity as anything else.

I went home a few days later, picked up a book, put the CD on - and I didn't even LOOK at the book! The music demands attention and it's now one of my favourite CDs. History, technique, fabulous musicianship - it's all there. Of course, now I'm prejudiced in favour of Tarras as opposed to Brandwein ....

Thank you, Henry Sapoznik, for such a fascinating and comprehensive introduction - don't you think Dave Tarras' life story would make a brilliant film? Or has it happened and I've missed it?

Thank you again.

Fascinating and precious
In these recordings Dave Tarras plays with several orchestras in the span of about 30 years. If you are looking for a collection of clarinet solos, for which Tarras became a legend, then this is not the right cd, but rather you should better get the cd titled "Dave Tarras - Master of Klezmer Music vol.2" (Global Village). On the other hand, here you can find a colorful and heterogeneous collection of tunes, some of which traditional (doynas, freilekhs, horas...), others more strongly influenced by the musical trends of the thirties. In several cases Jewish traditional tunes blend gracefully with swing and jazz. Some tracks are introduced by the original radio broadcastings, which make this album even more precious. There is also a long and very informative booklet on Tarras. Considering that most of the original recordings date back to more than 70 years ago, the technical quality is remarkably fine.