Seth Kibel, a Washington, D.C.-based musician, says he was “shellshocked” by the results of the 2016 presidential election: “I had a hard time processing what had happened.” The multi-instrumentalist (sax, flute and clarinet) played in the various jazz and klezmer ensembles, but the rise of Donald Trump led him to shift gears. He wrote nine topical songs that make up Songs of Snark and Despair (Azalea City Recordings). Kibel assembled a cast of ace musician friends for the rockin’ record. The first track, “Snark and Despair,” asks the musical question: “How much wood would Woody Guthrie need to kill off the alt-right?” Sadly, all of Kibel’s tunes, which were written prior to Trump’s inauguration, are still relevant. — Mordecai Specktor
(American Jewish World, 10.20.17)
