What started as a trio of street musicians that played favorite klezmer and Balkan tunes in the Vondelpark and other public places in Amsterdam, gradually grew into the successful Amsterdam Klezmer Band. The AKB consists of alto saxophonist Job Chajes, trumpet player Gijs Levelt, clarinetist Janfie van Strien, trombonist Joop van der Linden, accordionist Henk Jan van Minnen, double bassist Jasper
… de Beer and the Ukrainian singer and percussionist Alec Copyt. The AKB was and can be found everywhere: in squares, bars, clubs, festivals and even on international stages. The young and passionate musicians with diverse musical backgrounds (ska, cajun, funk, punk and jazz) play less and less arrangements of traditional Eastern European music and more and more of their own compositions. Of the sixteen tracks on AKB ' s fifth album Son, no fewer than fifteen have been composed by the various group members. Furthermore, Son ('dream' in Russian) is recorded in one take, giving the album a live character. The lively and fresh music is played sharply, tight and virtuoso. An excellent album. (SvdP)more
