Blood Oranges

Brave Old World | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 20, 1999)
• Original Release Date: July 20, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Red House
• ASIN: B00000JIMS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,076 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is Not Your Zaide's Klezmer!, November 24, 1999

By 

Peter Just (Williamstown, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blood Oranges (Audio CD)

The musicians of Brave Old World describe their work as "New Jewish Music," and wonderful music it is. Although deeply rooted in the traditions of Eastern European klezmer, BOW refuses to limit themselves to an archaeological revival style. Instead they treat the idiom as part of an evolving musical form, open to influences from other traditions. The result is exciting, crisply executed, musically sophisticated stuff that is unmistakably Jewish, but joyfully embraces jazz ballads, salsa, and other genres as well. This is no recap of tradition, it's the next step.

Michael Alpert's performance as the group's vocalist and badchen (a kind of klezmic m.c.)shows great range and depth. BOW's muscianship is impeccable and they meld together in a way that seems to show deep mutual respect. Of the cuts on this album I thought "Homeland" -- the only vocal piece performed in English -- a little pretentious. Everything else was simply wonderful. "Uncle Elya" should become a jazz standard (I can imagine it sung by Billie Holiday) and if "The Band" doesn't get your foot tapping, nothing will.

In the fast-growing genre of klezmer-rooted new music, Brave Old World really stands out as innovators and this album shows them off at their best.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars these guys know what they're doing, February 22, 2001

By 

"fredlandes" (Pittsfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Oranges (Audio CD)

If you can imagine this, combine wonderful neo-klezmer, Coltrane and Tyner, with a concept album akin to Seargent Pepper and you get Blood Oranges. The four musicians are incredibly talented, and play beautifully together. My 12 year old son loves this album-he is a jazz/rock bass player and had to show his (Daoist) teacher how cool this is. These guys are as good or better than the Klezmatics.