Gypsy in a Tree

by Sanda Weigl, Sanda

Overview

Sanda Weigl was born in Bucharest, Romania and spent her childhood steeped in the traditional songs and melodies of the Roma (or Gypsy) people. But as an adolescent she found herself in political exile in East Germany, absorbing the musical culture of Berlin's theater district, where she came to love the music of Brecht and Weill. Another displacement came when she was expelled as an enemy of the East German state and settled on the other side of the city for a time before finally relocating to New York, where she gravitated to the downtown scene and helped introduce such local celebrities as guitarist Marc Ribot and reedman Doug Wieselman to the rich heritage of Roma music. On Gypsy in a Tree you can clearly hear all of the influences of her past: there is a definite Brecht/Weill tinge to "Intr-o Zi la Poarta Mea" and a strong undertow of tango rhythms on both "Saraiman" and "Nu Exista-n Lumea Asta," while the album-closing "Alomalo" sounds like a polka as written by Ennio Morricone for a surrealist Western, and "Jandarmul" combines a dreamily (if ultimately drearily) arrhythmic jazz progression with a desultory tabla beat. Throughout the album, Weigl sings in a voice and in a style that both evoke Edith Piaf in a Gypsy bar, and there's a general mood of longing and regret; but occasionally the light shines through, as on the sprightly and fun "Ani Mei Si Tineretea," and moments like that one give this album an unusual richness of emotional texture. Gypsy in a Tree may not grab you immediately, but it's worth multiple listens. ~ Rick Anderson

Product Details

Release Date:	01/25/2011
Label:	BARBES
UPC:	0881626936320

Tracks

1. Intr-o Zi la Poarta Mea
2. Un Tigan Avea o Casa
3. As Ofta Sa-Mi Iasa Focul
4. Saraiman
5. Adu Calu' Sa Ma Duc
6. Anii Mei Si Tineretea
7. Jandarmul
8. Nu Exista-n Lumea Asta
9. Toderel
10. Dans
11. Alomalo

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sanda Weigl   Primary Artist,Vocals
Sanda   Primary Artist,Vocals
Satoshi Takeishi   Percussion
Stomu Takeishi   Bass (Electric)
Doug Wieselman   Guitar,Clarinet,Guest Artist
Shoko Nagai   Piano,Accordion,Farfisa Organ
Ben Stapp   Tuba,Guest Artist

Technical Credits

Sanda Weigl   Translation
Satoshi Takeishi   Arranger,Artistic Producer
Sanda   Composer
Patrick Dillett   Mixing
Traditional   Composer
Takeishi   Composer
Anthony Coleman   Arranger
Shoko Nagai   Arranger
Elmar Lemes   Photography
Lissi Erwin   Design
Michael MacDonald   Mastering
Alexandra von Oerzen   Engineer
Grit Friedrich   Text
Iulian Ignat   Photography
Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili   Photography
Klaus Pohl   Translation
Lucie Pohl   English Translations
Mary Kaplan   English Translations