New Klez-Edge CD: “The Struggle Can Be Enobling” Just out!
Klezmer/Balkan/Jazz
Klez-Edge is:
- Alex Coke (Texas/Amsterdam) Saxes & Flute
- Larry Fishkind (New York/Amsterdam) Tuba
- Roberto Haliffi (Libya/Amsterdam) Drums & Percussion
- Burton Greene (Chicago/Amsterdam) Piano, Compositions,
The new CD covers a wide variety of source material: from the earliest 20th century great Klezmer pieces, to great standards by Jewish and non-Jewish jazz and popular music composers, to originals by Burton Greene. Great “Old Wine in New Bottles”.. Multifaceted musical colors.. A kaleidoscopic treat for this time! Produced on our new label: Disk Respect 01.
Special Introduction Price: €10. + 2. for mailing. See purchase info below.
As mentioned earlier Klez-Edge is focussed on Jewish and balkan folk musics mixed with contemporary jazz. More recently I've discovered that many jazz and "standard" composers have used Jewish (or Arabic modes and scales which are quite similar) in creating their music. Inspired by this I've made some contemporary arrangements and extensions of this music added to the mix.. e.g. pieces with these modes by jazz greats: John Lewis, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley's brother Nat who did great arrangements of " Fiddler On the Roof", etc. In fact I discovered a beautiful synchronicity of the music of both black and Jewish composers which goes back at least 100 years or more..! Our latest repertoire and CD "The Struggle Can Be Enobling" contains several pieces of the above including my contemporary arrangement of such klezmer classics as "Yikhes" (circa 1911), "Yiddish Blues" ( circa 1919), "Bay a Glezele Mashke" (1920's), etc. As with our parent band Klezmokum we search out great, timeless music deserving of much wider hearing, recognition, and appreciation! (notes by Burton Greene)
The musicians of Klez-Edge are:
⦁ Alex Coke - (Austin, Texas), saxophones and flute
⦁ Roberto Haliffi - (Tripoli, Libya), drums and N. African percussion
⦁ Larry Fishkind - (New York), tuba
⦁ Burton Greene - (Chicago), piano or keyboard
⦁ Perry Robinson - (New York), clarinets (Guest artist)
Larry Fishkind, and Roberto Haliffi have been mainstays of Klezmokum and Klez-Edge for almost 25 years..! (I call them a “Rolls Royce rhythm section”.) Alex Coke is our newest addition to Klez-Edge and Klezmokum. (As you can see in Biographies), he has an extensive professional background in all kinds of music and brings new and welcome impulses and creative energy to our music! Perry Robinson and Burton Greene are original members of the downtown New York avant garde jazz scene since the mid 60’s. They have played together at different times and in all kinds of combinations since 1965. They are each on over 80 recordings of their music, with performances all over Europe and the USA during the past 50 years plus!
In addition to our new Klez-Edge CD there's another one on the Tzadik label of John Zorn entitled: “Ancestors, Mindreles, NaGila Monsters". It combines the best of traditional klezmer and other Jewish and Balkan musics with avant jazz improvisations, the classics, and with a strong dose of whacky humor as well! See Klezmokum Discography.
"The music on Ancestors, Mindreles, NaGila Monsters radiates out of the mindful integration of several identifiable musical idioms within the same performance spectrum... This music is a densely comprehensive expression of a belief in peace and blessings. Greene's bold statements are not growing any less iconoclastic, just more powerful."
CD Review in All About Jazz by Lyn Horton
Klez-Edge Booking Information:
Antonet Kooi p.kooi5@chello.nl tel. 31 (0)55-5416422 or
Burton Greene burtgreene@gmail.com tel. +31 (0)20 6250087
Westerdok 5
1013 AZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands