Entertainment Weekly (p.68) - "[They] apply bluegrass and jam-band approaches to Jewish melodies the way John Zorn's Masada uses post-bop jazz." -- Grade: B+
Global Rhythm (Publication) (p.47) - "[An] elegant loving examination of traditional Jewish music, this time concentrating on pieces related to the Sabbath."
Personnel: David Grisman (guitar, banjo, mandocello, mandolin); Andy Statman (mandolin, clarinet); Enrique Coria (guitar); Bob Brozman (slide guitar); Zachariah Spellman (tuba); Samson Grisman, Jim Kerwin (bass instrument); Hal Blaine (drums).
On 1995's SONGS OF OUR FATHERS, bluegrass mandolinist David Grisman and clarinetist Andy Statman made an album steeped in traditional Jewish music. NEW SHABBOS WALTZ (2006) follows in the footsteps of that effort, combining melodies from the Jewish repertoire with Grisman's and Statman's scintillating chops.
Statman doubles on mandolin on some tracks, and fine guest musicians (including drummer Hal Blaine and slide guitarist Bob Brozman) flesh out the compositions elsewhere, giving the record a full, distinctive sound. But it is the interplay between Grisman's stylistically adventurous mandolin and Statman's gorgeous, plaintive clarinet playing that will make NEW SHABBOS WALTZ memorable for fans of traditional Jewish music and the artists' previous work alike.