HASIDIC NEW WAVE

Best bands tried to find solution of this problem, Hasidic New Wave is not exception. " From The Belly Of Abraham" is illustration, and quite unusual one! Huge " fresh blood" element, added to usual band's klezmer avant rock is North African rhythms (Senegalese band Alioune Faye & Yakar Rhythms)! Not very often you can hear such Afro-Semitic sound!

As a result, klezmer became just one between few important elements. African rhythms filled the space and radically changed all the music. You can easily hear Jewish melodies and klezmer trumpet, but only between other, African components. Music became much more complex (mostly -rhythmically) and loosed its dominant rock sound. Now whole album sounds as complex world fusion / avant work with very few electric guitars soloing, etc.

I believe such music is fresh and sounds more attractive, then usual klezmer jazz-rock. Only listeners searching for David Fiuczynski guitar excellence should start from band's earlier works.

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