Lawless, Winged & Unconfined

Clarinettist Merlin Shepherd, a central figure of the British klezmer crowd, presents us here with a new band, Hamsa, and a delicious new sound. The all-star cast includes the London Klezmer Quartet's accordionist Carol Isaacs, the acclaimed Guy Schalom on percussion, the versatile guitar of Glenn Sharp, plus Simon Russell and Ruth Goller on bass. The compositions are Shepherd's but they bear the marks of ample jamming, doubtless thanks to a healthy dose of touring together.

We open with a pensive yet grand statement by Shepherd, demonstrating his mastery of klezmer clarinet plus a theatrical explosion provided by the band. ‘From Albufera to Karakatos’ alludes to journeys across the Mediterranean and Europe, much in the manner of Hamsa's musical wanderings. There are refreshed klezmer classics here, such as a lilted hora complete with lashings of wah-wah electric guitar, and a Romanian sirba drawing on more traditional forms but which borrows from Turkish music and Middle Eastern taksim. But perhaps the largest, most enjoyable injection comes from Hamsa's penchant for psychedelia and funk. The monster title-track demonstrates this best with a swirl of deep grooves and ecstatic solos worthy of The Doors. More of the same, please.