“The taragot looks superficially like a soprano sax – but looks can
be deceiving. In the hands of a player like Gheorghe Trambitas,
breath-taking triple tonguing, florid ornamentation and the sheer
soulfulness of the melodies take this instrument to dimensions
unimagined by John Coltrane.”
Walt Mahovlich, INSIDE World Music
“So what is a taragot, anyway? It’s a reeded instrument that looks a
little like a clarinet and sounds somewhat like a sobut with a more
shadowed tone, found in the Balkans. Trambitas, born in Transylvania and
now living in the U.S., is most definitely a master of the instrument. A
veteran of the wedding bands where musicians often play all night, a
single listen to his mellifluous playing makes it evident he’s a
virtuoso. For this album he returned to Romania, recording with a folk
orchestra under the direction of Ovidiu Bartes, and the pairing produces
some wonderful music. As it should be, Tranbitas is front and center
throughout, and he makes the most of the exposure. Quite effortlessly,
he floats over the ensemble, but it never seems like ego. This is Simply
Trambitas doing what he does best. At times the settings seem a little
formal–notably when the orchestra becomes a little too orchestral–since
it’s best with a touch of wildness, the madness of the wedding players.
But it’s never less than wonderful, a vibrant introduction to an
instrument most of us don’t know, played as well as you’re ever going to
hear.”
Sing Out Magazine Review
