KABALOGY

Fourth Hasidic new wave album is great one. Grew up on the wave of Klezmer -avant wave , band's music is strongly influenced by NY downtown avant-jazz (John Zorn) from one side, and Jewish Eastern European legacy from another.

One of band's founder Frank London played with John Zorn on some his early albums. Then he continued as NY klezmer /avant jazz trumpeter (I saw him playing solo on one of Jewish culture festivals there in Vilnius few years ago). His trumpet on this album is excellent mix of Jewish folklore and Miles Davis sound.

Differently from Zorn's Masada projects, Hasidic New Wave sound is based not fully on trumpet soloing, but more on balanced sound ,often with dominance of quite heavy guitar and bass sound.

Guitarist David Fiuczynski is well-know figure in jazz fusion circles. Besides of all line of his solo (and with own band) successful albums, he is respectable session musician (one time Hiromi Uehara's band member). He plays energetic complex electric guitar, melting jazz and big doze of rock. His guitar sound gave strong rock element in Hasidic New Wave music. In combination with London-born Fima Ephron bass, it makes music quite different from Masada's sound.

Being melodic, catchy ,soulful (all that comes from klezmer roots), this album by it's atmosphere and sound is more avant-kletzmer rock, than usual avant-kletzmer jazz. What doesn't means there is no place for improvisation and jazzy technique in music.

Pleasant and easy accessible listening, this album is one of great entries to klezmer-avant world for newcomers, especially with prog rock background.

My rating is 3,5,rounded to 4