Where does the word klezmer come from?

It comes from the Hebrew "kley zemer", meaning instruments of song. In Yiddish, the word first described the musicians themselves before it came to name the repertoire they played. The Yiddish plural is klezmorim. Today, klezmer is the standard spelling in English.

Who are the essential klezmer musicians?

For historic recordings, clarinetists Naftule Brandwein and Dave Tarras. For the revival, The Klezmatics, The Klezmorim, the Klezmer Conservatory Band and clarinetist Giora Feidman. Itzhak Perlman's "In the Fiddler's House" (1995) is also a friendly entry point. It features Perlman playing alongside leading klezmer bands.

Is klezmer the same as Yiddish music?

Not quite. Klezmer mainly means instrumental dance music played by professional musicians. Yiddish song is a vocal repertoire in the Yiddish language, from folk songs to theater. The two often overlap, and many current bands mix instrumental dances with songs.

Klezmer

Q: What is klezmer music?

Klezmer is the instrumental music of the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Eastern Europe, played at weddings and celebrations. It features clarinet, violin, accordion, cimbalom and bass, with fast dance tunes and slow, highly ornamented pieces. Its melodies often echo the ornaments of Jewish cantorial singing.

Klezmer music, inherited from Eastern European Jewish communities, brings together radiant joy and deep nostalgia. Clarinets, violins, and accordions intertwine in melodies that carry us from a dancing moment to a more intimate emotion. When we spin a klezmer record on the turntable, the sound fills our living room with an irresistible warmth: we feel transported to a lively celebration, surrounded by laughter and songs.

It's music that is experienced as much as it is heard, offering a vibrant and authentic immersion with each listen.

Newest

14 result(s)

Elo-Lodie

Ngalle Jojo

Musique du monde

Klezmer Music on Vinyl: Clarinets, Fiddles and Albums to Know

What is klezmer music?

Klezmer is the instrumental music of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe, traditionally played at weddings and celebrations. The word comes from the Hebrew "kley zemer", instruments of song, and first referred to the musicians themselves. Clarinet, violin, accordion, cimbalom and bass carry fast dances like the freylekhs and slow, ornamented pieces like the doina, with melodies that seem to cry like a cantor's voice.

This section gathers klezmer records, from traditional bands to projects that blend the style with jazz and contemporary music. The section is small but varied: it lets you compare offers on records that are often pressed in small quantities, and explore a repertoire that is still fairly rare on vinyl today.

From New York 78s to the klezmer revival

The landmark early recordings were made in the United States from the 1910s onward by immigrant players such as clarinetists Naftule Brandwein and Dave Tarras. After a long decline, the music came back from the late 1970s with the revival movement: The Klezmorim, the Klezmer Conservatory Band, Kapelye and later The Klezmatics. Clarinetist Giora Feidman brought it to wide European audiences, and Itzhak Perlman devoted "In the Fiddler's House" to it in 1995. Their albums are a good way into the revival sound.

Klezmer records: what to look for on vinyl

Recordings from the 1910s through the 1940s first came out on 78s, so any LP of that material is a compilation or reissue: check the dates and transfer sources. Many revival and contemporary albums were released mainly on CD, so vinyl is found mostly among recent releases or used copies. On the jazz side, the Radical Jewish Culture series on John Zorn's Tzadik label pushed the tradition in very free directions.