Naftule Brandwein

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Naftule Brandwein, or Naftuli Brandwine, (1884–1963) was a Jewish clarinettist and one of the most influential figures in the history of klezmer music.

Brandwein was born in Przemyslany, Galicia (now Ukraine), into a family of klezmer musicians, part of the Strettener Hasidic dynasty of Rabbi Yehuda Hirsch Brandwein of Stratyn. His father Peysekhe played violin and was an improvising wedding poet (badkhn); of his thirteen sons, Moyshe played violin, French horn, and valve trombone, Mendel played piano, Leyzer played drums, and Azriel played cornet. Azriel became Naftule’s first music teacher, and had a lasting impact on his playing.

In 1908 Brandwein emigrated at the age of nineteen to the United States where he quickly became a star of the 78 rpm record era, proclaiming himself the “King of Jewish Music”. He was considered to be among the first wave of American klezmer artists, those trained in the Old World, as opposed to the second generation who learned their skills in America. Between 1922 and 1927, he cut twenty-four records, first as a member of Abe Schwartz’s orchestra, and then as a solo artist after 1923.

Brandwein was known as much for his colourful personality as for his musical talent, often playing with a neon sign, reading “Naftule Brandwein Orchestra”, around his neck, and with his back to the audience, to conceal his fingering tricks. He also wore plugged-in Christmas lights as part of his costume on several occasions, which once shorted out when he perspired too much, almost electrocuting him.
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  • Art_Cry

    слушаешь Нафтуле, и жалеешь что в детстве отказался ходить на уроки кларнета :(

    18 days ago
  • NINlife

    based the fuck out

    last month
  • LaxATivvz

    <3

    September 2011
  • GeorgesDanton

    one of the klezmers i adore a lot.

    September 2011
  • insomniacme

    royal highness

    June 2011
  • siaman

    i like klezmer. where can i find this one?

    June 2009
  • Grosseteste

    "orchestral"? "classical"? "contemporary classical"? "Polish"? Do some people add tags at random?

    June 2008
  • daghka

    klezmer clarinet is cool.....

    March 2007
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