Review: “Brivele's gift is their ability to go between the dark and the light.”
By Michael Winograd, Brooklyn, May 2021
“In the last number of years, some of the most exciting developments in Klezmer and Yiddish music have come from a crew of eclectic and diverse musicians, artists and culture creators in Seattle, Washington. This sub-scene has a distinct flavor, sound, and idea of what this music can and will be. As a product of the 1990s NYC wave of the Klezmer revival, it's very exciting and encouraging for me to follow such a vibrant cultural development from the opposite coast.
One of my favorite emerging Yiddish music acts from the last few years is Brivele, a trio at the center of this new Seattle Klezmer wave. Shortly before the world shut off I had the pleasure of sharing a concert bill with them in their hometown. And they were really good. The term Power Trio is generally reserved for bands amplified at a much higher decibel level, but I'd argue Brivele is modern Yiddish Power Trio, whose witty, dark and brutally honest songs hit just as hard, without blowing out the sound system.
I just listened to their upcoming album, Cradle Songs, Grave Songs, straight through from beginning to end. I recommend listening to it in its entirety, for as like their concert sets, Brivele's album is a journey of emotion. Before even reading the liner notes, I could feel that this was a pandemic album. This past year the dark realities of life have at times brought us some of the most emotionally packed music and art, spanning all genres and disciplines. Cradle Songs, Grave Songs, deservingly fits this category.
This is not to say that the record wallows in darkness. Brivele's gift as a band is their ability to go between the dark and the light, the serious and the witty, all with a deep sense of tradition, and abandon of tradition. In that way, they are the quintessential Klezmer Band (even if they would never describe themselves as such). Their group sound is undeniably unique, and their musical and lyrical story-telling is captivating.
This album will get regular spins on the boom-box. I'm excited for you all to hear it yourselves. And I'm particularly looking forward to hearing Brivele perform the songs from Cradle Songs, Grave Songs live in concert as soon as possible.”