Naftule's Dream - Smash, Clap! (CD)

All Music Guide

Naftule's Dream blends klezmer with rock and doesn't forget to add some improvisation into their inspired mix. With the thrilling originals on Smash, Clap, they course through a wide array of moods. Often wild and raucous, there are extraordinary solos; even during the opening tune, the piano takes virtuosic runs that would incite howls of cheering from a live audience. Upbeat and fun, in "Free Klez 3 4," you hear a klezmer relative of the type of Raymond Scott tune that Carl Stalling adapted for Looney Tunes' chase scenes, immediately followed by a spy-theme klezmer with a harder groove ("Speed Klez"). The brilliant musicians of Naftule's Dream throw a tightly constructed, dance-'til-you're-breathless good time interspersed with just the right amount of wind-down breathers.

- Joslyn Layne, All Music Guide