German, New York-based trumpeter-producer Volker Goetze was invited in 2022 by the Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island to curate the Little Amal Walks project, inspired by Little Amal, the 3.5-meter manually operated, partly-animatronic giant puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee child who has been walking the world to raise awareness about the plight of refugee children. Goetze invited Staten Island-based legendary Slovenian-American accordionist-composer Guy Klucevsek, 77, who has retired from performances, to form an ensemble with veterans clarinetist Doug Wieselman and alto sax player Jeff Hudgins.
This quartet played 14 compositions of Klucevsek, written over two decades, in September 2022 and Goetze knew that he had to capture this magic on an album. Staten Island Arts provided funding and in October 2023 the quartet reconvened again at Klucevsek’s home, turned into a studio by Goetze, and recorded Little Big Top which offers a kaleidoscopic perspective of Klucevsek’s brilliant compositional and accordionist prowess, his deep affinity with the new quartet, as well as his great sense of humor.
Klucevsek, raised in a coal mining family near Pittsburgh who loved accordion-driven music in the Slovenian-American polka tradition, composes eclectic but always melodic and soulful music that is not shy of being openly emotional. His music defies common genre conventions and flows seamlessly between folk, jazz and contemporary music, with visits to the avant-garde, circus, polka, tango and ballet dances.
The madcap but innocent title piece, as well as the cover artwork by stained glass artist Joseph Cavalieri, reflect Klucevsek’s love for circus music and the music of Nino Rota, the composer for many of Fellini’s films, to whom the piece is dedicated. The music captures the charming drama of the precision of a high-wire act, the grace of a trapeze artist, and the antics of a clown. It is arranged beautifully for the chamber jazz quartet and highlights the immediate, warm and joyful dynamics of Klucevsek, Goetze, Wieselman and Hudgins.
Later pieces reflect Klucevsek’s diverse and inclusive musical vision. The sensual «Fez Up» visits another musical love of Klucevsek, Ethiopian music; «Euroslavian Wedding Dance» visits East European and Balkan music; «Three-Quarter Moon» was written in memory of Kurt Weil (and references Weil’s iconic «The Threepenny Opera»), Astor Piazolla-tinged «Tangocide» but «Meet Me on the Midway» returns full-circle to Western Pennsylvania. The touching «Comin’ on Home» was inspired by Little Amal and features Hudgins as a vocalist. Little Big Top ends with a heartfelt, beautiful tribute to Klucevsek’s wife of over fifty years, Jan, «Hymn for Her».
Eyal Hareuveni
Guy Klucevsek (accordion), Volker Goetze (trumpet, flugelhorn), Doug Wieselman (bass clarinet, clarinet), Jeff Hudgins (alto saxophone, vocals)
