Clarinetist Itay Dayan’s debut album honors Philadelphia klezmer
“Hoffman’s Farewell” brings to life a music collection first compiled in 1927.
“If anyone cares about my music, it’s a privilege” says Itay Dayan, who moved to America from Israel chasing klezmer dreams.
January 7 marked the release of “Hoffman’s Farewell,” Dayan’s debut album which brings to life music from klezmer musician Joseph Hoffman’s recently published collection.
Dayan had been playing with the Israel Klezmer Orchestra in Jerusalem for a few years before his graduate studies. On the recommendation of American klezmer trombonist Rachel Lemisch who Dayan met in the ensemble, he decided to apply to the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) where klezmer revival luminary Hankus Netsky teaches.
Dayan was accepted and moved to the US during Fall 2022 to begin his master’s. During his studies, Netsky introduced him to “The Hoffman Book,” a recently published book of music from the collection of Ukrainian-born klezmer Joseph Hoffman.
In 1905, Joseph Hoffman moved from Podolia, Ukraine to Philadelphia. While Hoffman worked as an insurance broker, it didn’t stop him from playing and collecting music. “The Hoffman Book” freshly publishes Hoffman’s collection originally compiled in 1927.
The book contains melodies Hoffman brought from Poland, original compositions and tunes collected in America. Hoffman would also found a klezmer dynasty that extended down four generations. From Joseph to his son Jacob Hoffman to his granddaughter Elaine Hoffman Watts to his great-granddaughter Susan Watts. Susan Watts is still playing today, a noted trumpet player in the contemporary klezmer scene.
Philadelphia klezmer seemed to guide Dayan all the way to the album’s creation. Rachel Lemisch who recommended NEC and Hankus Netsky who gave Dayan the book are both Philly natives. Watts, another Philly native, also gave Dayan her blessing in creating the album.
While much of the modern klezmer repertoire and discography draws off of recordings from early 20th century musicians in New York like Dave Tarras and Naftule Brandwein, Dayan noted that many people may not be exposed to klezmer having its own “Philadelphia sound.”
“That’s really the idea of it — just to make an album based off of this resource, ‘The Hoffman Book,’ and bring forth all of this repertoire that we’ve not really been exposed to as much,” said Dayan.
The album itself contains eight tracks all of which bring to life Hoffman’s source material with tasteful restraint and structural imagination. Dayan notes that the track names were largely of his own conception. He wanted to give each an illustrative title fitting each track’s particular vibe. The release on Bandcamp lists each track’s catalog number in The Hoffman Book.
Given Dayan’s illustrative naming and the often-understated and evocative use of instruments and timbre, one could easily be fooled that “Hoffman’s Farewell” was a feature-length film that Dayan’s album was the soundtrack to. (Coincidentally, there is a recent movie titled “Farewell, Mr. Haffmann” about a Jewish jeweler in Vichy France)
Dayan’s album was arranged for a band composed of NEC classmates: Dayan on clarinet, Isaac Dubow on trumpet, Aidan Coleman on trombone, Mattias Kaufmann (also of the klezmer band Mamaliga) on accordion, Roman Barten-Sherman on banjo, Karl Henry on bass and Alex Yoo on drums.
As in any good Jewish drama, Dayan’s album has as many laughs as there are somber moments amidst some good old fashioned chaos. Tracks like “Autumn Song,” “Out There,” and the titular “Hoffman’s Farewell” touch on a more forlorn note while “Out of Nowhere,” and “He’s My Lover Bulgar” add moments of levity.
The instrumentation reminds us of Joseph Hoffman’s own journey. While Kaufmann’s accordion playig reminds us of the Old World where both klezmer and Hoffman were born, Barten-Sherman’s banjo, while at times giving a tsimbl-like effect, reminds us as well of the New World they arrived in.
Each track is arranged a bit differently, with instruments playing different roles in different tracks. While this can often make an album incoherent, the clear production keeps the album’s overall character consistent. The arranging choices give the album the aforementioned film-like quality, where each track feels like a different scene within a sonic world that Dayan created.
The final track, aptly titled “Final March,” includes some chaotic, John Zorn-esque interpolations of bass, banjo and drums. Dayan says these were inspired by incidental music from a Polish play “Wielopole/Wielopole” by Tadeusz Kantor. In Kantor’s play, a rabbi played by Kantor’s own wife Maria is singing the Yiddish song “Sha, sha der rebbe geyt.” Similar interpolations come in Kantor’s play to signify the rabbi’s execution by soldiers.
“I didn’t grow up in this community,” said Dayan. “Being able to put something out there that people might enjoy or care about — that would be my honor.”
Dayan’s album release was followed by a release concert on January 18 at The Boston Synagogue.