Customer Reviews

Oy to the World

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OK, you're probably thinking that there can't be klezmer Christmas songs, but the Klezmonauts did it. As their liner notes say "The clash of seemingly incongruous forces can produce surprising and, sometimes brilliant results." From the Yiddish rendition of "Jingle Bells" to the surf-influenced "Little Drummer Boy" to the little bursts of Ennio Morricone in "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," this CD is wonderful! Of course fans of Klezmer and people who like fast, fun songs will like this, but so will some fans of Ska (like the Blue Meanies, who have delved into Klezmer in the past), which sometimes sounds a bit klezmer-ish.

This is such a great CD!! The songs have excellent arrangements, with top notch vocal and instrumental performances. It's so much fun to listen to! A definite holiday must for all :)

Ah, Christmas music.

It's been rocked, rolled, swinged, switched-on, bluesed, jazzed, (Mannheim) Steamrollered, Top-Fortied and Elvised within an inch of a fruitcake's life and still comes back for more. What could possibly be left after The New Christy Minstrels and the Ray Conniff Singers have had their turn at the Wassail bowl?

Enter The Klezmonauts with the answer: "OY to the World! A Klezmer Christmas."

Yeah, you hoid, uh, heard me right. Klezmer, the Jewish take on the free-form instrumentation of Dixieland with a flavor that's distinctively Kosher, not Cajun.

Paul Libman heads up a band of not-so-meshuga merry makers who pull it all together with charm and an appropriately light touch. The Klezmonauts include a few names better known for their appearances on other Christmas and non-seasonal CDs, like Mannheim Steamroller violinist Arnie Roth. Does Chip Davis know about this?

Lest you think the CD is just Christmas carols with a few hyperkinetic clarinet riffs, a violin, an accordion and a drummer, The Klezmonauts throw in a few surprises, like a mini tribute to Dick Dale and his surf guitar, a few bars from the theme to "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and an original tune about Saint Nick called "Santa Gey Gezunderheit (Santa, Go in Good Health)". I won't tell you where they pop up. Just keep an ear peeled and DON'T sip egg nog while listening. You might spray everyone else in the room.

At barely 29 minutes in length, the CD might seem short but Paul Libman knows when to leave 'em wanting more. Maybe he will or maybe he won't record a sequel to this 1998 release but like a favorite movie you've bought on DVD, "OY to the World!" contains moments you anticipate in repeated listenings. For a free sample, visit [...] and download the complete MP3 recording of "Joy to the World". And while you're there, order the CD for yourself and for friends.

Shades of Mannheim Steamroller's first Christmas CD, "OY to the World!" ends with a performance of "Away in a Manger" that at first seems out of place after all that frivolity but only reminds us that every type of music offers the same range of emotion, from silly and slapstick to tender and touching.

Oy, what a season!

This CD is great fun to listen to. With wonderful and quirky renditions of favorite and well-known Christmas carols, the Klezmonauts have created a gem! Friends and I listened to track after track with broad smiles. We were continually surprised and pleased with each new song. Many of the tracks incorporate unusual and delightful changes in rhythm and flavor. This is no traditional holiday album, and I recommend it highly to all who enjoy music that is anything but ordinary!

This is one of the most brilliant Christmas discs I have ever had the pleasure to hear. Whether your Yiddish or gentile (I am Irish). This mix of Yiddish style Christmas tunes (In minor keys no less) Is a joy to behold, it's as though the fiddler on the roof went to a bar mitzvah at Christmas and this is the result. The arrangements and the artistry that went into this is enough to make you smile let alone applaud the effort of the marriage of great musicianship and imagination. This is a must hear!