Lyrad's Random 10

Frank London is an amazing trumpet player but, more importantly, London helped greatly in revitalizing the klezmer scene in New York (such as it is). His arrangements are fantastic combinations of traditional klezmer melodies with jazz improvisation that will sometimes also include metal guitars and latin rhythms. This album is called Di Shikere Kapelye, which appropriately stands for Band of Drunks, is just about the finest concept for a klezmer album. All brass and drums, they recorded the album at the Knitting Factory in one session after a night of drinking. They play their asses off and Di Shikere Kapelye is pure drunken Jewish fun. Countless glasses must have been smashed during its recording.

1. Frank London's Klezmer Brass All-Stars--Ot Azoy, Dovidl
2. Melvins--Oven
3. Handsome Boy Modeling School--The Hours
4. Bonnie Prince Billy--Another Day Full of Bread
5. Townes Van Zandt--You Are Not Needed Now
6. Ludwig van Beethoven--Sonata No.31 in A-Flat for Piano, Op.110; III. 2.Adagio ma non troppo (Stephen Kovacevich, Pn)
7. Merle Haggard--Sing a Sad Song
8. Old 97's--Por Favor
9. Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant--An Attempt at Jealousy
10. Dead Prez--50 in the Clip

Lyrad's Random 10

Composer, bandleader and trumpet player Frank London has been at the center of the melding of Jewish music, jazz and avant garde for 30 years. A founding member of both The Klezmatics and Hasidic New Wave, he has been a fantastic contributor to every musical realm he's approached. "Bucket Cue" is the opening to his soundtrack for Jonathan Berman's 1993 documentary The Shvitz, a piece apparently on the New York Jewish steambath scene, which I have not seen. I am completely ignorant of the subject but, if the music reflects the movie, I'd say it was a pretty wild time. The music goes back and forth between jazz and punk, and all of it has a deep klezmer influence. It's a great score, as is much of his other music. London has appeared on some 200 recordings over the years and the one thing I know for sure is that I don't know what I'll get when I hear something new.

1. Frank London--Bucket Cue [from the soundtrack to The Shvitz]
2. Soulfly--The Song Remains Insane
3. Siegel-Schwall Band--I'll Be the Man
4. Sergei Prokofiev--Cinderella (Ballet in 3 Acts); 2. The Veil Dance [Cologne WDR SO; Michail Jurowski, cond.]
5. Duke Ellington--Lover Man
6. Fossil Fuel--I Hate To Take a Bath
7. Mose Allison--Puttin' up with Me
8. Mr. Bungle--Violenza Domestica
9. Booker T. Laury--I Done You Wrong
10. Bryan Redding--Spoken