Frank Rackow - klezjazz

Frank Rackow should be a lot more famous.



His two bands Vibre' and KlezMerovitz should also be a lot more famous.

Frank plays sax and clarinet. A Concordia University alumnus and former student of Dave Clark and Dave Turner, he's a product of the Montreal jazz scene. Frank played in a number of jazz groups there as well as the cult ska-funk band A Dream I Had. He now lives in Calgary.

Frank Rackow is part of a Calgary based quartette Vibre' led by vetran vibraphonist Arnold Faber.

They recently played one of the premier Western Canadian jazz clubs - The Yardbird Suite in Edmonton. Here's what their website says about Vibre'.

Vibre are ready to bring the sound of the Vibes back into contemporary jazz culture with a sound that honors the soft coolness of Vibes-based groups like the Modern Jazz Quartet and Gary Burton while settling in comfortably along side the current usage of the instrument in settings such as Dave Holland's recent group.

They have a great album called Blue Comedy. You can order it here.

Frank's other musical home is a little more raucus. He's plays in the klezmer band KlezMerovitz led by Allan Merovitz, former lead singer with the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band.

Klezmer in Calgary?

Sure the city is famous for its Stampede and that's probably why KlezMerovitz mixes a little yah-hoo with the Yiddish.

The group has a great self titled CD and there's one tune that does, indeed, have a little c&w flavour to it. (Klezmer traditionalists shouldn't be scared away. It's only one.) Check out the KlezMerovitz website for the CD or click on the cover below.