In the reforming process, klezmer became what we are referring to it recently as a highly eclectic music style, as it includes a wide variety of stylistic properties. The specific melodies, chords, sounding, and feelings that had characterized traditional Jewish music had to be followed and respected so that they did not vanish when the fusion of the genres began. Also, the above mentioned pioneers had to perform in non-Jewish events, to make the evolving music style popular throughout the States. Their repertoire had to be widened and spiced up to draw the attention of a society so much into conventional forms of music genres like jazz and pop songs. American klezmer started as a Jewish heritage brought overseas and finally became a commonly shared form of entertainment in the United States. Regardless the fact that after the Post-Holocaust immigration, Jewish people’s assimilation process caused a great many problems and clashes between the two societies, Jewish musicians arguably achieved a great accomplishment by creating a unique, defining branch of entertainment in the United States that still counts as one of the most popular music genres amongst American fans of music.
A huge phenomenon accompanying the revival of klezmer in the United States that should be mentioned here is the Yiddish Theatre; a cultural institution formed by the passionate Jewish immigrants. Although the idea created controversies, for instance, amongst several Orthodox Jews, these theatres provided a chance to any member of the American community to get acquainted with or have a closer look at the life of Jewish immigrants. The plays often presented everyday problems of the immigrants, like facing the difficulties of assimilating to the American society. The audience was most welcome to participate, and their involvement made the experience of the Yiddish Theatre special, because of its interactivity. Last but not least, another specialty was the fact that both the Jewish and the American way of life was depicted in the stage, allowing the audience to feel connected to both.
There are dozens of big names we should definitely be familiar with in the case we consider ourselves experts of klezmer, especially the American period. One of them is David Tarras, who was perhaps the most popular klezmer musician in the 19th century. Extremely skilled in playing the clarinet, Tarras made a good living by playing for several klezmer bands in New York. Along with another master of the style, clarinetist Naftule Brandwain, Tarras was one of the few first-wave klezmer performers; musicians trained in the Eastern Europe authentic klezmer era and arriving to America to begin the great revival (Dimaw). As for the musicians born and trained in the United States, constituting the second wave of klezmer revivalists, the names of Joel Rubin and Yale Strom should be kept in mind; these performers are still active, and have contributed to the genre with dozens of records and book publications.