Orkestar Kriminal: Originali (LP)

Long live the Yiddish gangster sound of the 1920s! For over twelve years, this large Montreal-based band led by singer Giselle Claudia Webber has been active, breathing new life into Yiddish gangster tales from the underworlds of Warsaw, Odessa, and Istanbul. In addition to new recordings of original Yiddish compositions such as “Keynemsland” and “Az Iz Vert Mir Shver,” the band surprises listeners with elements of polka, waltz, and rembetika, as well as influences from psychedelic surf and experimental rock. While most of the songs are composed in Yiddish, Greek, and Spanish, the Orkestar also collaborates with folk experts to develop songs in Hindi, Mixtec, Arabic, Polish, Bosnian, and Norwegian Bokmål. The twelve “Originali” tracks here are daring stories presented in a “Cabaret Noir” style, perfectly staged by Grammy-winning producer Maverick Mark Lawson. An album full of bittersweet melodies and rough-edged rhythms!