A group of musicians from New York, Berlin and Helsinki performs Yiddish revue songs by Helsinki-born Jac Weinstein (1883-1976). The songs offer a fascinating glimpse into the history of Helsinki’s Jewish community. The repertoire includes operetta songs, ballads and couplets that portray Jewish life in a humorous way, including good times and bad.
Most of Weinstein’s songs were originally performed as part of Yiddish-language revues and musical plays in the 1920s and ‘30s, but songs from World War II to the early ‘60s are also included. Weinstein wrote his lyrics to popular tunes of the day as well as folk songs and klezmer melodies. New melodies have been written for some of the songs.
The musical director is New York clarinettist Michael Winograd, who also did the arrangements.
Sasha Lurje: vocals
Lorin Sklamberg: vocals
Featuring special guests Värttinä Vocals
(Susan Aho, Mari Kaasinen and Karoliina Kantelinen) on tracks 6 and 16
Miritza Lundberg: violin
Michael Winograd: clarinet
Alevtina Parland: trumpet
Topi Korhonen: mandolin, guitar
Juska Ojajärvi: accordion
Rob Schwimmer: piano, theremin
Ilkka Heinonen: bass
Jac Weinstein’s HELSINKI YIDDISH CABARET
1. Overture (arranged by Michael Winograd) 9:56
2. Sholem-aleykhem aykh! (Weinstein-Sklamberg) 3:17
3. A shtern fun bolplan (Weinstein-Gershoni) 5:12
4. Der shpogl-nayer rov (Weinstein-Winograd) 3:52
5. A vignlid (Weinstein-traditional) 4:11
6. A idisher kvartet (Weinstein-traditional) 2:51
7. Dos lidl fun di grosistn un konfektsyonern (Weinstein-Carlton) 3:34
8. Idishe yikhes (Weinstein-Winograd) 3:44
9. Di ongeshteltes gezang (Weinstein-traditional) 2:43
10. A balade vegn a farlorenem gan-eydn (Weinstein-traditional) 5:34
1 1. Tif iz di nakht (Weinstein-Bogoslovski) 3:48
12. The Millionaires Suite I: Di freylekhe dragonen (Weinstein-Sklamberg) 2:31
13. The Millionaires Suite II: Meshulokhim (Weinstein-Winograd) 2:38
14. The Millionaires Suite III: Berl mitn sherl (Weinstein-Winograd) 3:21
15. Der idisher mark (Weinstein-Winograd) 5:34
16. Khaym-Yankl (Weinstein-Andersson) 4:09
17. Akh, Yosef, Yosef (Weinstein-Casman-Cahn-Chaplin) 3:42
Includes a 70-page booklet in English. Sleevenotes and translations of lyrics by Simo Muir.