Shvaygn = Toyt

Unafraid of shameless schmaltz when it suits the cause of raising an aorta-busting ruckus, these New Yorkers recognize the bent nature of the tunes they cover, playing up the hokey woodblock percussion on the galloping “Tantst Yidelekh” or altering the last verse of “Ale Brider” (We’re All Brothers) to “We’re all gay, like Jonathan and King David.” Making fun of tradition can be a means of honoring the past — but lest one still think they’re sentimentalists at heart, the Klezmatics uncork a healthy dose of rage in an anarchic rendition of the Israeli song “Bilvovi” that will send the relatives running from the room.

(Piranha, 1988)