Zay Freylekh!

The Russian klezmer band Dobranotch (Goodnight) are like a retro homage to the larger bands of the American klezmer revival such as Kapelye and the Klezmer Conservatory Band – mostly for the big band sound, with plenty of brass, and the enthusiasm they bring to the music. But the Russian orientation brings a fresh repertoire, like opening number ‘Chabad Nigunim’ which begins with someone (in Russian) promising them to pay for their Hasidic tunes so people can dance.

‘Birobidzhan’ is a rare curiosity, a song by Russian composer Isaak Dunaevsky from a film about the Jewish autonomous region of that name. While these latter two are big and brassy, ‘Tsekvechte Pomidorn’ opens very delicately with solo violin and banjo before growing larger in size. ‘Libes Tants’ is a tune originally recorded by Abe Schwartz and was picked up by many American bands, but gets a splendid arrangement here with swooping solos from Mitia Khramstsov. Vocals on the album switch between Yiddish and Russian. It’s a lot of fun – and rare to hear such klezmatic abandon in these times.