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Smash, Clap!

The contemporary Klezmer renaissance has triggered a rush of innovation, as creative musicians find a new motherlode of inspiration in the riches of Jewish musical tradition. Of these modern artists, few achieve the compelling synthesis of Boston-based Naftule's Dream. With a loose, swinging creativity and a rich mutuality of concept, they make music of emotional nuance, spiritual power, and antic chutzpah. John Zorn's groundbreaking Tzadik Records is pleased to present the new album from Naftule's Dream: Smash, Clap! Titled after the climactic moment in a traditional Jewish wedding where a wine goblet is broken, these 62 minutes of avant-Klezmer likewise shatter our preconceptions about the form. Naftule's Dream fuse a post-apocalyptic surrealism with an edgy, rock-inflected urban sensibility. Mixed by master producer and sound magician Bill Laswell, the sound worlds of Mingus, Monk, and Hendrix meet the idioms of Eastern Europe in a vivid, fruitful and brilliantly idiosyncratic confluence of cultures.

Individually these musicians are virtuosi on their instruments, with remarkable and distinctive personal approaches. While clarinetist Glenn Dickson's playing is technically brilliant, more astonishing is the ease with which he shifts idiomatic gears, moving from a perfect old-time Klezmer vibe to loony garglings which evoke the cognitive dissonance of contemporary America. On "Black Wedding," Trombonist Dave Harris finds a balance between cantorial fervor and desperate bluesy wails - while Pete Fitzpatrick's electric guitar echoes crazily underneath in an unearthly and unpredictable counterpoint. Michael McLaughlin's keyboards span the emotional and technical gamut - from piano dissonances to the tender accordion solo in the middle of "The Wanderer." And what a rhythm section! John Manning's punchy tuba makes for a vivid groove, while Eric Rosenthal places drum commentary all around the beat, pushing the ensemble and driving the creative force powerfully forward.

The tunes, by Dickson, McLaughlin and Harris, are a wild mix of free and structured material. They open strong (the cyberpunk doina on "Something Is There," or the hyperkinetic rock hits of "Speed Klez"), and end strong (as in the brilliantly disassociative Rorschachian climax of "Yid In Seattle"). There is pedal-to-the-metal full ensemble playing ("Emperor Red," for example, which conjures images of second-line funk in a Hasidic New Orleans) and emotionally charged chamber music (the marvellous trio for tuba, clarinet and piano on "Friend of Kafka").
From the first trombone fanfare to the last obsessive guitar whine - Smash, Clap! is a joyous, anarchic celebration; a new triumph from some of the most creative artists in Klezmer today.