The Cracow Klezmer Band

Originating in Poland, the Cracow Klezmer Band operates as a four-piece ensemble whose sound began with traditional klezmer and gradually shifted toward a contemporary Jewish style marked by pronounced gypsy influences. The musicians include violinist Jaroslaw Tyrala, double bassist Wojciech Front, accordionist Jarek Bester, and Oleg Dyyak, whose contributions span percussion, clarinet, and accordion. Jarek Bester founded the Cracow Klezmer Band in 1997 inside the city of Cracow. In the years that followed, the group steadily enlarged its audience through appearances at Jewish Culture festivals held in Hungary, Finland, Poland, Prague, and the Czech Republic. Between tours the members turned to recording, finishing their debut album, De Profundis, in September of 2000. A second release, the Warriors, arrived one year later. Selections drawn from the band’s recorded output include “Recollections of the Past,” “Devil Circle,” “Secrets of Life,” “The Amorous Dance of the Orchid,” “The Warrior,” and “Memento Mori.”