RIENCD94 Word Beggar is the first album that Daniel recorded completely by himself. Musically it moves between folk, jazz and klezmer. It consists of adaptations and settings of songs and texts by Georges Brassens, Kadye Molodovsky, Mordechai Gebirtig, Kurt Tucholsky, Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman and Aaron Zeitlin. Among them are his Yiddish versions of Bob Dylan songs and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".
The entire album was recorded live in the studio on 16-track tape in a day and a half, purely analogue and without digital effects. The only analog overdubs added later were recordings by Kahn on the accordion. The album convinces with intimacy and closeness as well as the organic and warm sound of the recordings. Many pieces are linked by the motif of exclusion, crossing boundaries and limitlessness, whether literally or figuratively between languages.
1. Der Zinger fun Noyt / The Singer of Need (Gebirtig/Kahn) 5:37 Prelistening: 2. Der General-Shtrayk (Gebirtig/Kahn)4:11 3. Bay Undz in Eyrope (Bei uns in Europa) (Tucholsky/Kahn) 3:46 Prelistening: 4. Lid fun Letstn Internatsiyonal (Zeitlin/Kahn) 4:55 5. Zeks Shures / Six Lines (Zeitlin/Kahn) 3:36 Prelistening: 6. Lid dem Poyer (Chanson pour L’Auvergnat) (Brassens/Kahn) 2:54 7. Harbstlid / Autumn Song (Schaechter-Gottesman/Kahn) 5:07 8. Ikh Vel Zayn Bafrayt (I Shall Be Released) (Dylan/Kahn) 3:35 9. Rakhmones afn Imigrant (I Pity the Poor Immigrant) (Dylan/Kahn) 2:08 10. Mayne “Foterlender” / My “Homelands” (Molodovsky/Kahn) 4:24 Prelistening: 11. Haleluye (Hallelujah) (Cohen/Kahn) 3:52
Daniel Kahn: vocals, piano, guitar, accordion, harmonica.
Produced by Daniel Kahn and Michael Fetscher
Recorded analog to tape October 20-21, 2020 at White Fir Studios,Trochtelfingen-Steinhilben, Schwäbische Alb. Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Michael Fetscher Additional engineering on October 20 by Alex Neher
RIENCD94