🕵️old klezmers🎻
It's hard for me to keep track of all the minor figures of old New York #klezmer who only recorded a disc or two, Sam Young is one of them. I got 6 of his copyright scores from the LOC in the latest batch but I wasn't sure if I'd ever heard any of his recordings. They're not on any of the usual databases of old #78rpm (Mayrent, FAU, Dartmouth etc) but of course there are two on youtube. Here's a great one from 1921 "Lozt Grisen" (send regards), sounding vary Carpathian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMTzzcRJo4k
Lozt Grisen - S. Young’s Yiddisher Orchestra

YouTube
Jul 14, 2024 at 4:52pmWeb
Show thread🕵️old klezmers🎻Jul 14, 2024

Here's the other side of Sam Young's disc Chupe Tantz (wedding canopy dance). Sounding a bit more #Jewish or #Romanian in the modulations but otherwise quite similar to the previous.

I'll have to do a blog post about what I can find about Sam Young sometime. No one seems to know much about him or have his other few #78rpm discs.
#FolkMusic #JewishMusic #klezmer #Galicia #MusicHistory #MusicManuscript
https://youtu.be/2gZpKNGmJq4?si=lAC1pm_vh18LSvPW

Chupe Tanz - S. Young’s Yiddisher Orchestra

YouTube
Show thread🕵️old klezmers🎻Jul 14, 2024
At some point I did a search for Sam Young on Ancestry and figured out he was probably from Ustye, Galicia, Austria-Hungary. definitely now in Ukraine, but there were a few Ustyes so I'd have to double check. probably from same general area as some of his contemporary NY klezmers like Israel J. Hochman, who was from Kamianets-Podilskyi, and just north of present-day Moldova.
#MusicHistory #JewishMusic
Show thread🕵️old klezmers🎻Jul 16, 2024

I guess my posting about him inspired a UK friend to post another track by Young's orchestra to youtube. I know I've heard this melody (probably on a #klezmer revival CD somewhere) but never heard this original recording.

The title calls it a Jewish dance from #Drohobych (then in Galicia, Austria-Hungary, now in Lviv Oblast Ukraine). Chosid in some sense refers to followers of Hasidism but in dances like this I think the link is remote.
#JewishMusic #MusicHistory #78rpm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmsL0vLEXaw&ab_channel=numbertwosontube

Drohobitcher Khosid - Sam Young Orchestra 1921

YouTube
Show thread🕵️old klezmers🎻Jul 17, 2024
I wrote to the sound archivist at YIVO to ask if they can digitize their copy of this disc and they got back to me today. Hmm I've definitely never heard this one recorded, though it echoes many other #klezmer or #Romanian pieces.
https://archive.org/details/der-chosid-geht-tanzen
#JewishMusic #78rpm #FolkMusic #MusicHistory
Der Chosid Geht Tanzen : The Max and Frieda Weinstein Archive of YIVO Sound Recordings : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

S. Young's Yiddisher Orch. Der Chosid Geht Tansen. Cardinal 1106 mx. C645. Recorded New York circa February 1921. The Max and Frieda Weinstein Archive of YIVO...

Internet Archive
Show thread🕵️old klezmers🎻Jul 17, 2024
The other side is the same as the youtube one I posted above .. but .. doesn't hurt to have it archived on a noncommercial platform like @internetarchive !
https://archive.org/details/drohobitcher-chosid
From YIVO's collection.
#klezmer #FolkMusic #JewishMusic #78rpm
Drohobitcher Chosid : The Max and Frieda Weinstein Archive of YIVO Sound Recordings : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

S. Young's Yiddisher Orch. Drohobitcher Chosid. Cardinal 1106 mx. C646. Recorded New York circa February 1921. The Max and Frieda Weinstein Archive of YIVO...

Internet Archive
Show threadFrank McKinnonJul 14, 2024

@carkner

That is an interesting piece. It reminded me of some sound tracks from some movies and cartoons. Given the date, it is possible that some of those sound tracks were derived from Sam Young's work.

Show thread🕵️old klezmers🎻Jul 14, 2024
@frankmckinnon
hehe! they were quite obscure folk dance discs produced for the Jewish "ethnic" market, so probably not a direct inspiration, but so many of the people in early American entertainment were first generation Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, so definitely a deep cultural connection and overlap in terms of music and sense of humour.
some old klezmer discs have more of a vaudeville vibe than this with slide whistles and jokes, but this one is pretty traditional / European.