And great stuff it is! Gypsy Dance Theatre is co-directed by Terrence Karn and Kenneth Knezick, and has been road-testing and fine-tuning its set lists for many years in and around Houston, Texas. The troupe appears in full ethnic regalia (harem pants, jangly jewelry, hand made costumes and a riot of colored veils) with accessories ranging from sharp swords to live snakes. The all-acoustic collection of instruments could fill the back of a 4x4. The percussion instruments look like they came out of metal shops in an oriental bazaar.
Percussion goes foot-and-slipper with the dance, and GDT has plenty of both. In a fascinating departure from the typical duple (march) or triple (waltz) rhythms of Western music, GDT visits numerous compound and assymetric beats. Huh? Think of it as a dance beat where you come down on a different foot each measure. Or where the beats seem to be different lengths within the measure. This leads to trance-inducing dance (indeed, many of these dance pieces evolved for such purposes). The melodies that float over these beats also venture outside the familiar do-re-mi Western scales. When played on a Turkish clarinet or shepherd's pipes, the timbral effect is complete.
Is there a downside here? Only that the listener cannot actually see the dancers! But you can FEEL their effect and hear their footwork, and you could easily use these tracks to work on your own belly dance moves or air-drum licks.
What would a gypsy have for breakfast? Probably not a cinnamon croissant and a latte from a high-end coffee chain. A helping of last night's goulash and a slug of vodka would be more likely. For those who gaze longingly at travel catalogs and whose imagination lusts for exotic accompaniment, Gypsy Breakfast is a can't-miss recording.
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About the reviewer, Roger Latzgo: Known as an ethnofunkologist, Dr. Roger Latzgo is a guitarist, pianist and singer living in Pennsylvania. His latest recording, Wild Nights, explores music of ancient Greece, modern Celtic legend and the smoky cabarets of Central Europe. www.rogerlatzgo.com
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| Order your CD or DVD today with Paypal ...or pay by check via U.S. mail |
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| Music CD -- "Gypsy Breakfast" | $15 per CD includes shipping & handling |
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| DVD Movie -- "Live Performance" | $20 per DVD includes shipping & handling |
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| Order both disks and save! "Gypsy Breakfast" and "Live Performance" |
$30 for CD and DVD includes shipping & handling |
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| If paying by check, make payable to: Kenneth Knezick Mail to: Ken Knezick, 1309 Antoine Drive, Houston, TX 77055
Prices include First-Class mailing within the USA. |
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| New DVD Movie | "When a Gypsy Dreams"  |
| Our Music CD | "Gypsy Breakfast"  |
| YouTube Videos: | GDT on YouTube  |
| Updates: |  |
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| Tzigane: | Meet the Artists of Gypsy Dance Theatre |
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| Tovarich: | Our Fabulous Photographers |
| Feature: | "Reed Songs" by Jay Kruse |
| Gadje: | Links to Other Sites of Interest |
| Home: | Gypsy Dance Theatre |
| Gypsy Dance Theatre - www.gdtlive.com 1309 Antoine Drive, Houston, Texas 77055-6942 Phone: 713- 973-9300, Facsimile: 713-973-8585 Email: info@gdtlive.com |
Gypsy Dance Theatre. Photos and text copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. All rights reserved.