Nifty's Freilach - Muziek

Naftule 'Nifty' Brandwein Or Naftuli Brandwine 1884 – 1963 Was A Jewish Clarinettist And One Of The Most Influential Figures In The History Of Klezmer Music. Brandwein Was Born In Przemyslany Galicia Now Ukraine Into A Family Of Klezmer Musicians Part Of The Strettener Hasidic Dynasty Of Rabbi Yehuda Hirsch Brandwein Of Stratyn. His Father Peysekhe Played Violin And Was An Improvising Wedding Poet Badkhn Of His Thirteen Sons Moyshe Played Violin French Horn And Valve Trombone Mendel Played Piano Leyzer Played Drums And Azriel Played Cornet. Azriel Became Naftule's First Music Teacher And Had A Lasting Impact On His Playing. In 1908 Brandwein Emigrated At The Age Of Nineteen To The United States Where He Quickly Became A Star Of The 78 Rpm Record Era Proclaiming Himself The "King Of Jewish Music". He Was Considered To Be Among The First Wave Of American Klezmer Artists Those Trained In The Old World As Opposed To The Second Generation Who Learned Their Skills In America. Between 1922 And 1927 He Cut Twenty-Four Records First As A Member Of Abe Schwartz's Orchestra And Then As A Solo Artist After 1923. Brandwein Was Known As Much For His Colourful Personality As For His Musical Talent Often Playing With A Neon Sign Reading "Naftule Brandwein Orchestra" Around His Neck And With His Back To The Audience To Conceal His Fingering Tricks. He Also Wore Plugged-In Christmas Lights As Part Of His Costume On Several Occasions Which Once Shorted Out When He Perspired Too Much Almost Electrocuting Him. His Wild Style Incorporated Not Only The Influence Of Jewish Music But Also Flourishes Of Greek Turkish And Gypsy Music. His Warm And Lively Playing Style Constantly Jumped Up And Down The Scale And Expressed Itself In Trills Slides And Other Ornamentation He Is Often Contrasted With The Other Famous Klezmer Clarinettist Of His Time Dave Tarras Who Had A More Conservative Playing Style. Brandwein Was Notoriously Unreliable Unable To Read Music And Possessed Of A Reputation As A Nasty Drunk. He Even Supposedly Played Private Shows In Backrooms For The Largely Jewish Contract Killing Gang Murder Inc. His Career Soured From The Mid-1920s Onward As Demand For His Traditional Approach To Klezmer Music Waned He Made His Last Recording In 1941 And Lived Out His Final Years In Relative Obscurity Playing In The Borscht Belt. While He Did Not Live To Witness The Resurgence Of Interest In Klezmer That Began In The Mid-1970s His Legacy Has Been Revived By A New Generation Of Klezmer Musicians Who Cite Him As A Key Source Of Inspiration. The Intricate Traditions Of Klezmer Music Are Not Well Preserved In Sheet Music And His Recordings Are Among The Main Sources People Look To For The "original" Klezmer Style. read less