Fanfare Ciocarlia could be described as a Romanian Gypsy brass wedding band, but of course, this collection of brass, percussion and wind players go beyond that description.  You might call them a blast when you hear the large gust of air that spills out of their horns when they set off opening their recording, Gili Garabdi with the James Bond Theme.  Some people might lift their eyebrows and say that sounds more American than Romanian, but when these musicians perform the famous theme song, it sounds more like a klezmer circus taking Hollywood by storm.  Although the musicians in this group range from 23 to 69 years of age, they all perform with youthful exuberance and it's contagious.  If this is the type of music you can find in rural villages in Romania, then do you really need all the trappings of the modern world?

According to Garth Cartwright, author of Princes Amongst Men: Journeys With Gypsy Musicians and whose writings grace the CD liner notes, "When the enslavement of Romania's Gypsies officially ended in 1864, tens of thousands fled the nation for new horizons.  Several thousands landed in the United States, where they continued to make music."  These musicians lived amongst African American musicians in the black ghettos and who's to say that they didn't contribute to what we refer to as American jazz.  After all, it is also stated in the liner notes that Romanian Gypsy musicians do not learn music by listening to recordings, but from passing down music from one generation to the next and brass band or not, these guys sound pretty darn jazzy.  They even cover the classic, Caravan.  Of course, it too sounds like circus music with the tuba playing omm pa pa.

Whether or not Romanian Gypsies had an influence on American jazz  doesn't actually matter so much here.  Fanfare Ciocarlia, so aptly named, turns tired old classics on their ears while bringing in Felliniesque magic.  You can find many genres in this treasure chest such as Gypsy, Turkish, German circus, Hollywood, Bollywood and rumba.  Many of the songs are instrumental, but occasionally, the musicians contribute dusky vocals laced by more omm pa pa and shimmering trumpets.  If you want to know more about this vibrant ensemble and the real history of jazz go to RockPaperScissors.com and check out the Cranky Crow Calendar.