Schmaltz and Pepper have a CD due for release on May 18th imaginatively called Schmaltz and Pepper.  If you have heard them live you will likely have heard most of the eleven tracks on the CD.  They include songs like I’m Sorry Mama (personal favourite) and Evil Eye, tunes drawn from Jewish folklore like Hershel and the Goblins and Ride to Zaslav and cunning musical jokes like Mozart the Mensch.  It’s all composed by combinations of Eric Abramovitz, Rebekah Wolkstein and Drew Jurecka with a bit of help from Mozart.

It’s a heady mix of klezmer, swing, jazz and more played with incredible virtuosity.  Maybe Eric Abramowitz’ unbelievable clarinet playing takes the cake in the showing off department but there’s fine playing and playful vocals from Rebekah Wolkstein, Drew Jurecka jamming on a host of instruments plus Michael Herring on bass and Jeremy Ledbetter on piano.  It’s loads of fun to listen to even when sober.

The recording is very clear and realistic.  It’s available as a physical CD and digitally in various formats, also vinyl for the retro-weirdos.  I listened to 96kHz/24bit digital.

Catalogue information: when I get it