Here comes the alleged Tzadik fanboy with a new and unfortunately the final release from The Cracow Klezmer Band. “Remembrance” released on Tzadik in March is a final testimony to the band with a terrific 2005 performance in Warsaw at the Polish National Radio concert studio. One thing the Eastern Europeans & Russians do is to record live performances this good, I don’t have any idea why that is so but thank God (or the party!) for that.

Anyways CKB was one of the most original new klezmer ensembles, that actually wrote new pieces with other influences and not rehash the traditional klezmer pieces. Their unconventional compositions and cinematic pieces have been helpful in modernizing klezmer in a way, thanks of course to the boss and his Radical Jewish Culture series. If you’re sorry that the band has dissolved now, worry not because the main man Jaroslaw Bester has already formed the Bester Quartet, and they’re going to perform as The Cracow Klezmer Band on Respect Festival 2007 at the Španělská Synagoga in Praha. Don’t miss it!.

Cracow Klezmer Band & Grazyna Auguscik live