Csokolom - May I Kiss Your Hand (1998)

The debut album from Csokolom is bursting with festive dance tunes, haunting laments, and a recurring Gypsy influence. The shuffling fiddle and walking bass that kick off "Amari Szi, Amari" wouldn't be out of place in a Southern American string band, but when arranger-musician Anti von Klewitz comes in with her distinctive lilting voice we are transported to another land. While concentrating on traditional Hungarian instrumentals and songs such as the gorgeous gem "Szerelem," von Klewitz also leads this accomplished group of violin, viola, kontra (Hungarian chord violin), and double bass players through original songs in several languages. A solid grounding in traditional music informs the single four-hour session, during which most of the material was recorded, lending it an energetic cohesiveness.