Momentum

“… The music is mostly high-spirited and fun, save for a couple more ruminative tracks. A couple of tracks that stood out for me were the opener, Ichmouratov’s tune Kleztory’s Freylekh with its infectious up-speed tempo and  improvised vocalizations, the melancholic Moldavian Hora, and the boisterous closer The Golden Wedding. The recorded sound is exceptionally clear and vivid throughout … All of the performers are at the top of their game… They clearly enjoy this music and their playing reflects that joy.”

“… I enjoyed Momentum very much, particularly the slower and more varied numbers, where music from other styles and genres were integrated, only to emphasize how klezmer has changed not only over decades, but even during the twenty years which Kleztory were commemorating with the issue of their latest CD. The technical prowess of each player, whether a soloist, or part of the backing, is absolutely second-to-none, and it is very impressive how they can switch so seamlessly from individual improvisation within the part, to playing with such great discipline in unison passages, or in harmony… High-spirited, thoroughly entertaining and well-recorded.”

“…Most of us have experienced klezmer music, often as vibrant dance music but klezmer is a much broader tradition that ranges from breakneck dances to poignant laments. Couple this with the Kleztory’s occasional excursions to the outer reaches of jazz and other styles and you have an album that shows this music at its finest...”