A Night In the Old Marketplace

Album Review

Two things to consider with this disc. Firstly, A Night in the Old Marketplace is the music for a theatrical piece (an adaptation of the 1907 Yiddish play of the same name), which means the songs have to be heard in that context. At times they seem more like snippets, rather than fully realized songs. Secondly, Frank London is the composer of the music (the lyrics come from Glenn Berger), and while he rightly gets credit, he's not part of the small musical ensemble involved in the recording. In part it's klezmer, but much more than that it's an updating of Yiddish theater music, bringing it into the 21st century. There's a fairly traditional structure to the songs, as on "Is There Room on Earth?" or "The Tale of the Drowned Klezmorim," which are easily identifiable as Yiddish (and with dramatic arrangements), but at times things can get quite avant-grade, but not to the point where it becomes unlistenable (the end of "Desire It" is a case in point). Utilizing a range of vocalists, including They Might Be Giants, Susan McKeown, and Manu Narayan, it's a piece that, as a standalone album, is only partly satisfying. The music is excellent, but there's a sense that you're only getting part of the tale (which is indeed the case). So, enjoyable, adventurous, and even important — a perfect teaser for the show.