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Naftule Brandwein (1889-1963) was a Jewish clarinettist and one of the most influential figures in the history of klezmer music.
Born in Przymyzl, Poland, into a family of klezmer musicians, at age 19 he emigrated to the United States where he quickly became a star of the 78 rpm record era, proclaiming himself the "King of Jewish Music". Between 1922 and 1927, he cut twenty-four records, first as a member of Abe Schwartz's orchestra, and then as a solo artist post-1923.
Brandwein was known as much for his colorful personality as for his musical talent, often playing with a neon sign, reading "Naftule Brandwein Orchestra", around his neck, and with his back facing the audience, to conceal his tricks. Yet he was also notoriously unreliable, unable to read music, and possessed of a reputation as a "nasty drunk".
His career soured from the mid-1920s onward, as demand for his traditional approach to klezmer music waned; he made his last recording in 1941 and lived out his final years in relative obscurity, playing in the Borscht Belt.
While he did not live to witness the resurgence of interest in klezmer that began in the mid-1970s, his legacy has been revived by a new generation of klezmer musicians, who cite him as a key source of inspiration.
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