Klezmer music

Some time ago, somebody here posted 2 links to videos of Itzhak Perlman playing his violin on youtube, and after that I looked even more and found a video of him playing this thing called "Klezmer", I love the sound of it and looked it up and apparently it's Jewish music, and I found other people playing in this style, calling it "Klezmer", and I think the sound is fantastic.

My question is, what sort of characteristics are there about this music, like what sort of scales are used etc etc?

Thanks.

- Alex.

Check out:

'klezmer' @ wikiledia.com

...also, John Zorn's Masada, a wild fusion of klezmer & jazz. ....

...

The klezmatics are my gods....

freaking awesome music, everyone should check them out.

I was really looking for scales, and although wiki says :

Klezmer is usually played in shteygerim, prayer modes of the synagogue. They are closely related to but distinct from Balkan modes.

It has a link to "shteygerim", but wiki says it can't find the article, and the other one, I don't really understand, I'll surf around and find it.

This is exactly what I was looking for, I'll put it here for anyone else who is interested:

Klezmer Music

Some time ago, somebody here posted 2 links to videos of Itzhak Perlman playing his violin on youtube, and after that I looked even more and found a video of him playing this thing called "Klezmer", I love the sound of it and looked it up and apparently it's Jewish music, and I found other people playing in this style, calling it "Klezmer", and I think the sound is fantastic.

My question is, what sort of characteristics are there about this music, like what sort of scales are used etc etc?

Thanks.

- Alex.

I think I posted those videos ;)

Anyway, I love Klezmer music. Long may it live!