Gili Garabdi

Performer Notes:

• Fanfare Ciocarlia: Costica "Cimai" Trifan, Pancirel "Panjo" Constandache, Radulescu Lazar (vocals, trumpet); Constantin "Pinca" Cantea (tenor horn); Costel "Gisniaca" Ursu (drum); Daniel Ivancea, Laurentiu Mihai Ivancea, Nicolae Ionita, Ioan Ivancea, Oprica Ivancea.
• Personnel: Daniel Ivancea (vocals, alto saxophone); Costica Trifan "Cimai" (vocals, trumpet); Jony Iliev (vocals); Oprica Ivancea (clarinet, alto saxophone); Ioan Ivancea (clarinet); Laurentiu Mihai Ivancea (baritone horn); Nicolae Ionita (percussion).
• Audio Mixer: Marc Elsner.
• Liner Note Author: Garth Cartwright.
• Recording information: Headroom Studio, Berlin, Germany; Zece Prajini, Romania.
• Photographers: Helmut Neumann; Dragan Tasic; Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst.
• Arrangers: Randu Bandurovici; Fanfare Ciocarlia.
• With Gili Garabdi, Moldavia's Fanfare Ciocarlia offer an interesting premise -- what if gypsy musicians had gone to America and helped invent jazz? Then they illustrate their point by brassy, jazzy takes on the "James Bond Theme" and Duke Ellington's "Caravan." Obviously, they're joking a little, but it does help show their range in exemplary fashion as the brassy-heavy lineup (ten, plus two percussionists). They can do the usual gypsy style with consummate ease, whipping their way around complex melodies at hyper-speed, But they're really at their best when they swing, which they do in wonderful style on "Alili," while "Ma Maren Ma" includes guest singer Jony Lliev on something that's as close as the Balkans comes to blues. Passionate and consistent, this is their best album to date. ~ Chris Nickson

Professional Reviews: Uncut (p.78) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Romania's legendary speed demons of brass, with an ability to build a joyous, roaring sound."

The Wire (p.72) - "From note one, the Romany musicians position themselves midway between kitsch and cool, much as Jamaican ska musicians of a previous generation did when covering the same material."

Producer: Helmut Neumann, Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, Henry Ernst, Helmut Neumann

Format: CD (1 Disc); Stereo

Country: (not USA)

Studio/Live: Studio

Release Date: 10 May, 2005

Label: ASPHALT TANGO

Dimensions: 14 x 1.1 x 12.5 centimeters (0.09 kg)

Country: (not USA)

Studio/Live: Studio

Label: ASPHALT TANGO

Dimensions: 14 x 1.1 x 12.5 centimeters (0.09 kg)

Writer: FANFARE CIOCARLIA

Producer: Helmut Neumann, Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, Henry Ernst, Helmut Neumann