AUDIO PLAYER
1. Papa Chajes (Job Chajes)
2. Katla (Theo van Tol)
3. Di naie Kashe (Job Chajes/Alec Kopyt)
4. Forget About the Rest (Jasper de Beer)
5. Gogol Mogol (Janfie van Strien/Alec Kopyt)
6. Nicolosia (Gijs Levelt)
7. Oscar’s Cocek (Gijs Levelt)
8. Kaas (Joop van der Linden)
9. Marusja (Theo van Tol/Alec Kopyt)
10. Toi (Joop van der Linden)
11. Geen Sores (Jasper de Beer/Job Chajes)
12. Desert Banjo (Jasper de Beer)
13. Valentina (Gijs Levelt/Alec Kopyt)
14. New Terk (Janfie van Strien)
Lyrics
GOGOL-MOGOL
The person who called Amsterdam “Mokum” was a hardcore provincial (there are plenty of those around, God knows!).
Wherever he’s from, once in Amsterdam, he’ll go straight to the Red Light District’s coffee shops and, not so straight, back to his Bed-and-Breakfast. There he will collapse on his cot: totally brain dead.
Look! There’s the smartass; he only wants to smoke hashish and he wants to do it now! And in no time he’ll drag his feet along the Damrak, his bloodshot eyes staring at an eternity of busy passers-by. And no one notices that there’s anyone around….
Ref: Thai-Thai….
MARUSYA
Marusya is not sunbathing on the beach any more, and my heart’s beating regularly again,
My sleep has returned, and there’s no more sleepwalking….
Where is my sweet home Odessa with its markets and the buzz…? I have been blindfold for a long time and suddenly there’s a little twist of fate, and I am the winner once again!
Ref: Captain, full forward! My youth’s back…Seen through the smokescreen I am forever young!
A NAIE KASHE
The spring is in the air, the birds are chirping, my kidneys are aching, I have no “dough”, nor I get any sleep! How can I save money, when my pay is being cut and the price of liquor’s going up? My memory’s getting weaker: not only did I forgot my home town, I have only a vague recollection of what happened yesterday?!!! Questions…
Job: “A hundred days of coughing up,
Can’t buy on credit,
Shopping at Poundstretcher,
Isn’t up to much,
Work for low wages,
Or on the dole,
Whole days doing nothing,
Just watching TV”
There’s one answer to these questions: I won’t drink any more… I won’t drink any less! I won’t sing any more… And won’t sing any less!
VALENTINA
How many roads am I still destined to walk, how many shoes am I to wear thin just to look in the eyes of the most beautiful, gentle, sweet and cheerful Valentina?
She’s not to be tamed or told what to do! Women like Valya are to be treasured and loved.
There are many stars in the sky, but there’s one that shines brighter than the rest. Even the Moon grows pale at her sight! Yes, Valentina is the one and only…
Ref: I swear by Heaven – there’s no one more beautiful and cheerful than the incomparable Valya!!!
Geen Sores
No frets, no failures,
No doubts, no annoyance,
No gasses, no leaks,
No cages, no fences,
No crisis, no loans,
No days of boredom,
No rows, no taunts,
No snakes, no bears,
No worries!
No pocks, no teeth,
No bites, no burns,
No war, no riots,
No bombs, swellings,
No plagues, no divorce,
No poison, pest control,
No quakes, no breaks,
No scratches, no dents,
No worries!
A list of wishes,
A boat full of people,
A bird that sings,
Your sweetheart endeared,
Your entire family,
Together, Sicily,
Your son, your daughter,
No one deprived,
No worries!
A project, a trip,
A leaf, a shower,
A butterfly, a blossom,
A glass with dregs,
A thrush, a tit,
Cosy, a party,
A house, a home
And even a hearth,
No worries!
The days that march,
On heavy, stealthy,
Twisted practices,
That always seem like
Dreams, stories,
In which we lose way,
And puzzle over,
Faces pale,
Don’t wander, don’t sulk,
Don’t be glum, don’t fib,
Don’t tease, don’t hit,
Don’t talk crap but move on,
With love, with life,
With taking and giving,
With vigour and hopes,
The options are open,
No worries!
About the songs:
Joop:
Toi
pour toi, jusqu’a la fin du temps.
A 9/4 rhythm I heard on an Arif Sag album, a short sidestep into a çiftetelli rhythm, and the idea of a continuous, almost non-repeating melody make this tune an exploration of the orchestral possibilities of the AKB. Dedicated to my wife Janneke.
Kaas
My feelings as a professional musician have been described quite accurately in Willem Elsschot’s novel “Kaas”.
We struggle, but do we sell? At least, we can dance!
Jasper:
forget about the rest
This on Turkish music inspired composition is written in a 3-2-2 rhythm.
The song starts with the horns playing rhythm section and the bass and accordion playing melody.
There is a feature for Theo, who plays a beautiful “first take” accordeon solo.
Desert banjo
The guitarbanjo ( 6string) wich was used for this piece is a common instrument in North African music.
In this composition Jasper took inspiration from North African music and made a cross over with gypsy music.
Geen sores
A high speed polka, klezmer song.
The titel , ” geen sores”, is Dutch/Jiddish slang for ” no worries”
Jasper actually had a lot of things on his mind before writing this song but at the same time he thought, “geen sores!” ,or ” what the heck!”, let us just enjoy life! and so he wrote the music and later Job put the words to it.
Theo:
Katla
Een ode aan een geestverwant van de AKB: Katla, één van de actiefste vulkanen van IJsland, genoemd naar een boosaardige vrouw die dankzij een magische broek kon blijven rennen zonder vermoeid te raken. Zij kwam aan haar einde toen ze al rennend in een gletsjerspleet verdween, waarna onder de gletsjer de vulkaan tot leven kwam. Iedereen houdt Katla in de gaten. Mocht zij uitbarsten dan zullen de gevolgen wereldwijd te voelen zijn.
Katla
An ode to a kindred spirit of the AKB: Katla, one of the most active volcanoes in Iceland, named after an evil woman who, thanks to a pair of magical pants, could keep running without getting tired. She met her end when she slipped into a glacier crevasse while running, after which the volcano underneath the glacier came to life. Everybody is watching Katla. If she was to erupt, the concequences will be felt worldwide.
Marusja
Het ritme van de cocek, zoals die door de zigeuners in Macedonië wordt gespeeld.
Een melodie die meer past bij de zigeuners van Boekarest
De tekst van Alec, over de wonderen van het ouder worden.
De typerende solo’s van Joop en Janfie
De swingende AKB:
Marusja
The rhythm of the cocek, as played by the gypsies in Macedonia.
A melody better fitting of the gypsies of Bukarest.
Lyrics by Alec, on the marvels of growing older.
The typical solo’s by Joop and Janfie.
The swinging AKB:
Het IJ
Geïnspireerd door de Roemeense rustemul is dit een dansbaar vervoermiddel voor het gedicht van job Chajes met overpeinzingen over de stad Amsterdam. Kan ook worden gevoeld als blues-rock.
Het IJ
Inspired by the Rumanian rustemul, this is a danceable vehicle for Job Chajes’ poem which ponders the city of Amsterdam. Can also be felt as blues-rock.
Janfie:
Kolo Beli Luk
a kolo is a straight oompah-like dance from Serbia. beli luk means garlic in serbian . Not that this fact matters in relation to the tune, but the words simply sound good together.
the New Terk
tune built on repetitive and catchy rhythm pattern one will find occasionally in the klezmer tradition called ‘Terkishe’. AKB developed a particular booty shaking conception of this groove that is in fact closely related to the renown turkish Cifteteli (belly dance) rhythm .
Job:
Papa Chajes
Opgedragen aan mijn eigen papa. Dit is een rustig ritme waarin ik graag schrijf, dan kan ik me de dansende mensen voorstellen. In Nederland hebben we de Klompendans en dit is voor mijn gevoel de Jiddische versie van de Klompendans.
A Naie Kashe
Toen ik een nummer ging schrijven voor Alec dacht ik aan de Oekraïense Kolomeika’s en Ik hou erg veel van repetetieve muziek. Uiteindelijk gingen we samen ook de tekst schrijven en kwamen we op het idee om tekort aan geld – Dit herkent bijna iedereen ter wereld – als uitgangspunt te gebruiken.
De Knaal of de Droesem
Een op traditionele Nigunim geinspireerd stuk waarin ik mijn Joodse roots terughoor. Ik waan me ook terug in mijn oude huis in Amsterdam-Oost met de AKB rond 1998, een tape-recorder. Een glas vodka en een dikke joint na de opnamen…
Gijs:
Nicolosia
Gijs composed this piece in memory of his uncle, the journalist and writer Joost Divendal (1955-2010). Nicolosia is the name of his book on the Venetian painter Bellini’s muse, who posed for all of his Madonna paintings.
Oscar’s Cocek
This lively dance tune is dedicated to Gijs’ son Oscar who was born in 2009. The song resembles his endless cheerful energy.
Valentina
This Macedonian/Turkish/Bulgarian influenced song forms the perfect vehicle for the Amsterdam Klezmer Band’s star crooner Alec Kopyt from the Ukraine. The text deals with Alec’s platonic love Valentina, nowadays living in Berlin.
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