Merlin Shepherd Kapelye featuring the Former Soviet Union Klezmer Allstars CD "Intimate Hopes & Terrors (tales from the kishkes)" on Oriente Musik (RIENCD58)   After teaching for many years at KlezKamp in the USA for many years, teaching "ear band" a large dance band that plays for evening dance sessions. I found it harder and harder to bring new repertoire that no-one knew, the purpose being to learn tunes "by ear". For this reason I decided that the best approach would be to write my own tunes, in the style of old tunes, in no way as a form of "cultural counterfeit" but to re-juvenate the tradition, and to develope it, if you will. Having spent many years also working at several klezmer/yiddish events in the former Soviet Union, namely Kiev, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan, I found myself in the company of a group of musicians who's artistry was a joy to behold. These players started as students but now have became colleagues. This is a compliment that it gives me great joy to pay them. I decided that I wanted to work more closely with them and see and hear them more often than once or twice a year. The resulting work became this project, a CD has recently been released on Oriente Musik, (RIENCD58) and was reviewed and featured on the cover CD "Top of the World" in the March/April edition of Songlines. The band consist of 11 musicians, all of whom are soloists and teachers and professionals in their own right. Here we come together on a project that gives all of them a chance to shine, and gives a chance for them to be heard outside of their homelands. Please give respect and honour to this Kapelye, featuring the former Soviet Union Klezmer Allstars. click here for mp3s Mark Kovnatsky (Moscow, Russian Fed.) violin Stas Raiko (Kharkov, Ukraine) violin Natasha Kasyanchik (Vinnitsa, Ukraine) domra Evgeny Lizin (St Petersburg, Russian Fed.) tsimbl/poyk Alexei Rozov (Moscow, Russian Fed.) violin Dmitri Khramtsov (St Petersburg, Russian Fed.) violin Vladimir Goykhman (Kishinev, Moldova) violin Polina Shepherd (formerly Kazan, Tatarstan, now Brighton, UK) piano Merlin Shepherd (Brighton, UK) clarinets Yuri Khainson (Kharkov, Ukraine) accordion Artem Kolenchuk (Kharkov, Ukraine) bass