Introducing Sukke

Germany-based klezmer supergroup performs standards, some Eastern European rarities, and original compositions. This is pretty mainstream klezmer stuff. Starting with that expectation, it’s easy to enjoy the friendly melodies, sparse arrangements (bass, accordion, clarinet, occasional singing), and jumping tempos. It helps to understand Yiddish but the music is quite pleasant enough even if you don’t.

1. Gay tempo and melody
2. Sing-song melody
3. That strange bittersweet tone that clarinets and accordions together can impart is heaped on here
4. Ode to the celebratory air of Paris (as opposed to that of Poland), where every day is a Festival of the Rejoicing of the Law; appropriately, a dance tune is incorporated
5. Part of a wedding ceremony, one of the more somber parts
6. A suite that starts a little tartly, with a catchy but sad clarinet line; then, things pick up into a what sounds like a (very much) modified adaptation of Hava Nagila; finally, the trio settles back to a more upbeat take on the first theme; good stuff
7. Bass (bowed) takes the lead in a dark mood
8. Roots klezmer
9. Accordion dirge
10. Light-stepping midtempo dance tune
11. Gorgeous dark bass with the merest hint of accordion
12. Two midtempo dance tunes in a medley
13. Slow, deliberate rhythm on accordion as clarinet wanders around the room
14. Staccato acoustic guitar that wouldn’t be out of place at Djangofest under a rueful/hopeful vocal that suddenly turns into a large chorus on the last two lines
15. Comic play on words (albeit in Yiddish) over a laid-back guitar