Piano
Josh Dolgin by Tyler Anderson
In eastern Europe the piano was not generally a klezmer band instrument, being expensive and not very portable! It became more popular in the USA.
The piano generally plays back-up in klezmer bands, mostly rhythm while supporting the tune with bits of melody from time to time.
Klezmer pianists in the late 19th and earlier 20th centuries included:
USA Beverley Musiker, Moe Wechsler, Sam Heller, Sylvia Schwartz
Klezmer pianists in the later 20th century and today include:
Canada Josh Dolgin (also accordion)
Germany Alan Bern (also accordion), Patrick Farrell (also accordion)
Moldova Suzanna Ghergus
Poland Leopold Kozłowski
UK Polina Shepherd
USA Binyomin Ginzberg, Ilya Shneyveys (also accordion), Josh Horowitz (also accordion, tsimbl), Lorin Sklamberg (also accordion), Pete Sokolow, Zalman Mlotek
You can hear the piano in its typical role on these recordings:
Trinkt Briderlakh, L'khayim (Brothers, Drink to Life!) Part 1 (Zhok) played by Shloimke Beckerman
Nakhes fun Kinder
Nakhes fun Kinder (Joy From Your Children) played by Belf's Romanian Orchestra
Yiddish Khosidl played by Max Leibowitz (violin) with Philip Friedman (piano)
Kiev Freylekhs/ Nifty, shpil es nokh a mol
"Shpil es Nokh a Mol" (Play it again!). A version of the tune we call 'Kiev Freylekhs', played by the great klezmer clarinetist Naftule Brandwein.