Mmm, what have we

    here? A couple of new entries on the klezmer revival shelf,

    including one from Bellingham; a new disc from Neshama

    Carlebach; the Temple Beth Am Choir’s latest; something

    yeshivish. In a class by itself: “Voices for Israel” (see

    sidebar). Shall we dip in? A couple of local discs, to start

    with:

   

    Millie and the

    Mentschen: Homeland to Heartland, The Journey

   

   

    (www.holdthatthought.ws)

   

   

    Recorded live at

    the Whatcom Museum of History and Art in Bellingham, June

    17, 2003.

   

    Singer and

    storyteller Millie Johnson anchors a performance based on

    the diary of her grandfather’s cousin, Morris Tenenbaum,

    born in 1896 in Lithuania. The late Mr. Tenenbaum left quite

    a cache of stories for soprano Millie and her four

    supporting mentschen (Eric Kean, viola; Lou Lippman, piano;

    Warren L. Palken, drums and percussion; and Ken Bronstein,

    oboe).

   

    Ten tunes glue

    together the story of a shtetl childhood, the pogrom

    that made emigration a priority, and the resettling in

    America. The accomplished musicians call their style

    “chamber klezmer.” The project is intriguing; perhaps it

    could inspire others.

   

    Temple Beth Am

    Choir: The Still, Clear Voice

   

    (www.templebetham.org)

   

   

    What a pretty

    album! The multi-talented music director Wendy Marcus has

    put together a thoughtful combination of volunteer and

    professional voices and musicians. Their ensemble work is a

    fine tribute to the environment she describes in her notes

    as “the musical bounty available” at the temple.

   

    Part of that

    bounty reflects the American musical diaspora, a melodic

    world unafraid to find comfort in major keys. In addition to

    a generous offering of prayers, the disc includes a couple

    of instrumental tracks: “Papirosn” and “Grandma’s

    Dreidel” (klezmerish) and “Ashokan Farewell” (countryish),

    featuring violinist Marcus and an ensemble of her favorite

    fine musicians. The choir sounds just great: they’re

    obviously glad to be singing together.

   

    Celebrate Yiddish

   

   

    (www.celebrateseries.com).

   

   

    Way more than

    just klezmer lurks on the new disc from the “Celebrate”

    series. Two big names from New York’s sophisticated neo-klezmer

    scene — the Klezmatics’ Frank London and Lorin Sklamber —

    produced this wonderful album for the California-based Craig

    & Co. (singer Craig Taubman is executive producer).

   

   

    Truly a

    first-class compilation of original cuts from other

    collections, it’s one classic performance after another,

    from 1950s Theodore Bikel to Chava Alberstein in 2001,

    Hasidic rockster Avraham Fried to the earthy Isa Kremer

    (1887–1956), Dave Tarras’s clarinet to (they should resist?)

    the Klezmatics. Twelve different artists are featured, with

    original release info and sources for more background.

   

   

    Everything’s

    authentic, from the clean-as-possible sound of the earlier

    recordings, to the just-right arrangements, to the

    satisfying order in which they’re presented. “Celebrate

    Yiddish” balances surprise and gravity, like the best jester

    at the wedding.

   

    Golem: Homesick

    Songs

   

    (www.golemrocks.com)

   

   

    Meanwhile, back

    in New York, this band is busy playing the hip-klez clubs,

    including the Knitting Factory and Makor. For this brash and

    brassy album, they do 12 tunes identified with 12 different

    towns or regions of the Europe that sprouted klezmer in the

    first place.

   

    It’s chutzpadik

    party music: watch out for any alert children who may

    wander through with big ears, unless you want them singing

    back to you some of what these folks have lustily translated

    into English.

   

    Neshama Carlebach:

    Journey

   

    (www.jewishjukebox.com)

   

    Her father’s

    tunes — loved and sung, arranged and hummed in “Carlebach”

    services at shuls and temples and summer camps around the

    world — are hers to sing and arrange, and that she does in

    this polished production. Sultry and breathy, Neshama’s

    voice goes for something like R&B, whether she’s singing “Adon

    Olam” or “Return Again.”

   

    She writes a note

    about finding “Niggun Neshama” among her father’s

    unpublished things: it’s vintage Reb Shlomo, and she treats

    it well, backup singers, hard strumming and all. Supporting

    musicians include saxophonist Greg Wall of Hasidic New Wave

    and vocalist Noah Solomon of Soul Farm, with first-rate

    guitar work from album producer David Morgan.

   

    Simcha Kanter:

    Wellsprings

   

    (www.IgraRama.com)

   

    Yeshivish soul

    music from a gutsy voice. It’s not a pretty voice, but

    neither is Rod Stewart’s, with which Kanter’s shares an

    edge. The cover photo of a grotto (at Rosh Hanikra, I’ll

    bet) suggests that this is an album for contemplation and

    spirituality. Wordless niggunim alternate with

    settings of texts from the Chumash, siddur,

    Psalms, and Talmud.

   

    With just his

    voice, harmonizing on a second track or alone, on his

    folk-style strumming and the simple drum, Kanter’s spirited

    “Ki Anu Amecho” — the traditional Yom Kippur

    Amidah prayer tune — comes alive. The extra drummer,

    violist, and trumpeter really weren’t necessary, but there

    they are, anyway. Texts printed in Hebrew and English travel

    across the page from right to left. I’ll bet the Va’ad would

    approve of this one.