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The Music

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What the Chelm's three albums present a wide variety of music from Israel, favorites of the Yiddish theater of the 1920s, Ladino (Spanish/Hebrew) songs from the Jewish communities of Spanish, Balkan and Middle Eastern countries, and an occasional show tune classic with a tinge of the Jewish musical idiom.

Listen to samples from the band's albums—'Til Chelm Freezes Over, What the Chelm! and Oy! They're Back!—or order CDs and tapes
 

 

'Til Chelm Freezes Over

On its newest CD, What the Chelm re-interprets old gems of the genre and introduces new ones.

Lyrics

 

CD
$17.00 (plus shipping)

WA state residents will be charged 8.5% sales tax. Appropriate shipping and sales tax are added automatically when you check out.

  1. Uva'u Ha-ovdim - And The Lost Ones Shall Come, written by Shlomo Carlbach, "The Singing Rabbi"
  2. Chelm and Eggs - A tune in polka rhythm written by the band's own Lou Lippman
  3. Y'vorech - Bless, the Hebrew words are from Psalms 115:12
  4. B Flat Minor Bulgar - composed by Dave Tarras, possibly the most famous 20th century klezmer musician
  5. Sheyn Vi Di L'voneh - Beautiful as the Moon, a Yiddish favorite
  6. Shir Ha-emek - Song of the Valley, a classic Israeli song written in the 1930s
  7. Bulgar Freylach #12 - another lively dance from Eastern Europe
  8. Chorshat Ha-ekaliptus - The Eucalyptus Grove, written by Israeli songwriter Naomi Shemer
  9. The Tongue - written by Merlin Shepherd, one of the world's leading klezmer clarinetists
  10. Sisu - Rejoice, a rousing Israel song by Akiva Nof
  11. Freylach #4 - freylachs were traditionally played at celebrations to get everyone dancing
  12. Second Hand Rose - originally written for the Ziegfeld Follies of 1921, first sung by Fanny Bryce
  13. Odessa Bulgarish - Bulgar from Odessa, first recorded in 1919
  14. V'ha-er Eineinu - Bring Light to Our Eyes, a powerful and joyous melody
  15. Kostakowski's Bulgar 1 - transcribed by Wolff Kostakowski in 1916
  16. Hal'lu - Give Praise, a song of praise with a driving, syncopated beat
  17. V'David Yafeh Einayim - David of Beautiful Eyes
 

Oy! They're Back!

The band's second recording continues to expand the band's extensive repertoire.

 

CD
$16.00 (plus shipping)
TAPE
$12.00 (plus shipping)

WA state residents will be charged 8.5% sales tax. Appropriate shipping and sales tax are added automatically when you check out.

  1. Araber Tantz - A Sephardic melody from Turkey
  2. Cuando el Rey Nimrod - Traditional Sephardic song
  3. Freilach - A lively circle dance
  4. Rebbe Elimelech - Composed in 1927 by American Yiddish satirist Moishe Nadir
  5. Tantz, Tantz, Yidelech - One of the best-known klezmer tunes
  6. Happy Tailor - A klezmer tale of woe
  7. Shibbolet Basade - A modern Israeli song
  8. Freilach 2 and Freilach 5 - Happy dances
  9. My Heart Belongs to Daddy - A Cole Porter song based on the Jewish melodic idiom
  10. Di Mame iz Gegangen - A playful Yiddish song
  11. Yosis - A klezmer version of a Hasidic song
  12. Harmonika - A lively Israeli folk song
  13. Sha Shtil - A folksong
  14. Od Lo Ahavti Dai - A humorous love song
  15. Galitzianer Tantz - A virtuoso clarinet performance
  16. Lo Alecha - A quotation from Pirkei Avot
 

What the Chelm!

What the Chelm's first album includes selections taken from a variety of Jewish musical themes of the last one hundred years. 

 

CD
$16.00 (plus shipping)
TAPE
$12.00 (plus shipping)

WA state residents will be charged 8.5% sales tax. Appropriate shipping and sales tax are added automatically when you check out.

  1. Erev Shel Shosahnim - Literally "Night of Roses." An Israeli folk song performed with a reggae twist
  2. Korobushka - A lively Russian couples dance
  3. Ma Navu - A lyrical Israeli song
  4. Sher - A traditional Klezmer melody
  5. Rad Halaila - A unity song
  6. Broyges Tanz - A wedding dance.
  7. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - made popular by the Andrew Sisters, a classic of Yiddish theater
  8. Zemer Atik - An Israeli line dance
  9. Tzenah, Tzenah - A light-hearted Israeli song
  10. Miserlu - A Greek line dance
  11. Los Bilbilcos - "The Nightingales," a Ladino song of love and longing
  12. A Nakht in Gan Eydn - "A Night in the Garden of Eden." Typical Klezmer tune, circa 1926
  13. Et Dodim - A sensual middle eastern melody
  14. Lech Lamidbar - An energetic Israeli folk song
 

And watch this space for future releases. If you'd like to be kept up to date about future album releases, you can subscribe to our mailing list.


To Buy

You may also purchase albums by sending a check payable to "What the Chelm" along with a complete description of your order, to:

What the Chelm
c/o Laurie Yates
1503 E Street
Bellingham, WA 98225

 

  Website created by David Cohn

 


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