Metropolitan Klezmer MuzikalisherTangoYiddishCelluloidCloset

Metropolitan Klezmer's "Yiddish Celluloid Closet" version of Muzikalisher Tango. Live band footage intercuts with pivotal revelatory moments in the nightclub scene of Yiddish screwball comedy "American Matchmaker" [Americaner Schadchen, 1940]. This bittersweet lyric from the film is revealed to have a coming-out subtext, and while onscreen text elucidates some of the film's wordplay and plot twists, the band plays fabulous horn section and accordion solos in the octet's arrangement of the same song. Leo Fuchs plays dapper closet case Nat Gold in the original soundtrack version, meeting his matchmaking client (Judith Abarbanel) at a swank New York nightclub. Director Edgar Ulmer and his cast enjoy plenty of onscreen in-jokes, even feygele triple entendres. The "musical" tango can be enjoyed on many levels... an homage to Vito Russo's original 'Celluloid Closet.'
[Note -- Fuchs was known as the 'Yiddish Fred Astaire'... a different spin on the Hollywood formula.]
Band:
Deborah Karpel, vocals
Ismail Butera, accordion
Debra Kreisberg, alto saxophone
Pam Fleming, trumpet
J. Walter Hawkes, trombone
Michael Hess, violin
Dave Hofstra, upright bass
Eve Sicular, drums

Videography by Bill Poznanski a.k.a.
Bill Imprint
Additional camera: Sasha Wortzel
Edited by Rich Brotman & Eve Sicular, at Magnetic Post Production

Category:

Music

Tags:

• yiddish
• metropolitan
• klezmer
• tango
• gay
• eve
• sicular
• film
• archive
• matchmaker
• jewish
• sax
• trumpet
• accordion
• trombone
• violin

[evesicular]

Thanks so much. Really glad you appreciate it too!

[evesicular]

This song is not named within the film, so the title we've given it (see explanation within the video here) is "Muzikalisher Tango." Some people say it melodically resembles the well-known Yiddish tango "Vi Ahin Zol Ikh Geyn" - but obviously the lyrics in the 'unnamed' tango have special meaning within the film's subtext and plot.

[evesicular]

Just noticed this same video of ours has another 60,000+ hits as reposted by 'Shalomania' ... they retitled our piece simply "Yiddish Tango." Nice to know so many people have seen this musical montage by Metropolitan Klezmer! More comments there too.

[kuchnicki]

Love love love it.

[AlbatrossDude]

I can tell how awesome this is! Absolutely amazing! Good Work people!

[AlbatrossDude]

Please please! Someone tell me the name of the song that he sings!

[KlezmerFunk]

Sometimes I think I was born too late. Great vid!!!

[sagalat]

Superb. It's something that even people of the Jewish persuasion can appreciate....Thanks!

[barbos111]

Beautiful old movie, absolutely great band:

Vocal, trampet, accordeon, everybody!

Thank you for posting this!

[evesicular]

Wow, I'm honored to read your comment. Very moved to know this, thanks for writing! Hope to give you lots more too. ~Eve