Givatron Choir to Receive Israel Prize

Founded in 1948, a kibbutz choir called Givatron has been named to receive the Israel Prize, announced Education Minister Yuli Tamir on Sunday. The Israel Prize will be awarded on Israel's Independence Day. Founded in Kibbutz Geva, the choir's generations of singers and musicians have produced 26 albums. For many Israelis, their music became 'emblematic of modern Zionism.' The Israel Prize Committee judges announced that this year's lifetime achievement award would go to the Givatron because "In a world dominated by fads ...the band and their repertoire have been for a long time a unique and significant phenomenon to their young listeners, as well as previous generations. A thousand singing groups and bands followed in its tracks and have enriched Israeli culture - its heritage."

Rita Glassman "Journey to Shabbat" CD

Rita Glassman, the Cantor of Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco, has released a new CD "Journey to Shabbat". Rita is the composer and singer of an interpretive chant of the Hebrew prayer "Shema." Her recording of the Shema, accompanied by the talented Jai Uttal and Geoffrey Gordon, can be heard on the CD-Sacred World Chants on the 'Soundings of the Planet' label. Her newest "Journey to Shabbat" CD was recorded in Sherith Israel's sanctuary and is filled to the brim with "warmth, heart and soul." The elegant instrumental arrangements (use of percussion, guitar, mandolin, clarinet, flute) are a great compliment to Rita's voice, often compared to that of Chava Alberstein, Enya and Loreena McKennit. This recording is a preparation for Shabbat, taking one "on a spiritual journey to greater connectedness with this day of renewal, meditation, and celebration." cultures. Those interested in purchasing a copy of the CD can follow the link to a pdf order form: http://www.jmwc.org/pdf/journey_to_shabbat.pdf

Rita Glassman has performed Jewish and World Music throughout the US and Argentina. Her current project is an international folk/pop album with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell songs as well as her own songs entitled "All The Way Home" recorded in Thailand with a popular pop/rock band. She has always believed that music is a bridge to the Creator and a vehicle for bringing harmony and peace into the world between people of all faiths.

Asefa at Makor

March 28, 7:30p, $10 -- at Makor http://www.asefamusic.com/ Asefa is playing the first set on a bill with Eastern Blok at Makor. This will be a great night of music at a great club Makor, 35 W. 67th Street, Manhattan. More information is on Asefa website.
Directions: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=zcope6bab.0.ay9pe6bab.oo9gl9bab.139&ts=S0235&p=http%3A%2F%2Fmaps.google.com%2Fmaps%3Ff%3Dq%26hl%3Den%26q%3D35%2Bwest%2B67th%2Bstreet%2C%2Bny%2C%2Bny%26ie%3DUTF8%26z%3D15%26om%3D1%26iwloc%3Daddr

Rodeph Sholom Chamber Music Features Music of Schulhoff, Mendelssohn and Ginastera

New York City’s Congregation Rodeph Sholom
Presents Free Chamber Music Concerts for the Community
in Schnurmacher Chapel

On March 24th at 1 pm, Congregation Rodeph Sholom Chamber Music Series will present its second concert featuring world class musicians in the congenial and intimate setting of the Schnurmacher Chapel. Guest artists Susan Rotholz, flute, Mayuki Fukuhara and Andrea Schultz, violins, Sarah Adams, viola, and Eliot Bailen, cello and Artistic Director, will perform works by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), Ervin Schulhoff (1894-1942), and Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983). The free concert is open to the public at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, 7 West 83rd Street, New York. For more information, call 212 362-8800, x1337 or email eleder@rodephsholom.org. The March 24th program features flute and string quartets in works ranging from the 19th century Classic-Romantic tradition of Mendelssohn to the Schoenberg influenced 20th century Expressionistic music. Czech composer and pianist Ervin Schulhoff, who perished in the Holocaust at the Wurzberg camp, wrote music influenced by the art and politics of 1930’s Europe, embracing Dada and Jazz while continuing to express his heritage in the Czech folk music tradition. Internationally acclaimed composer pianist, Alberto Ginastera, became renown for modern Neo-Expressionist masterworks and commissions while, similarly, tapping the rich resources in the rhythms, melodies, and spirit of the musica criolla of his native Argentina. Impresiones de la Puna (1934), Ginastera’s popular early composition, follows the plaintive opening quena, named for the Incan flute, and poignant second movement, with a vibrant dance in the closing movement. Five Pieces for String Quartet (1923) by Schulhoff renders a lively jazz interpretation of a classic Baroque dance suite. Felix Mendelssohn’s intellectual and artistic passion for chamber music reached its maturity and personal clarity in String Quartet no. 3 in D Major, Op. 44, no. 1 (1838) composed in Liepzig at the height of his career. His talents as composer, pianist, and violinist, prodigious output for the chamber musician, and international influence as orchestra conductor and festival organizer propelled chamber music to the forefront of mid-19th century music and and helped secure the future of the genre in the repertory. The RODEPH SHOLOM CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES is presented to bring both the best of the chamber music repertory to the community and to explore the Jewish heritage in music. The concerts are free. Please rsvp to enjoy a light lunch before the concert. The third and final concert of the season will be May 19th and will feature Jazz pianist Ted Rosenthal, bass player Thomson Kneeland, and vocal selections by mezzo-soprano Cantor Rebecca Garfein. For more information, call 212 362-8800, x1337 or email eleder@rodephsholom.org.

New Mexico's Congregation Has Soaring Heart

Albuquerque New Mexico's Congregation Nahalat Shalom presents Rabbi David Zaslow and Rabbi Shefa Gold in "Soaring Souls/New Mexico's Congregation A Weekend of Prayer and Song."

Albuquerque, New Mexico. From Friday evening, April 6th through Saturday evening, April 7th Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque New Mexico will present Rabbi David Zaslow and Rabbi Shefa Gold in a weekend of prayer and song. The event will open on Friday evening, April 6th with a Kabbalat Shabbat service. On Saturday, April 7th there are 3 events: A Shabbat Service starting at 10AM, a study session at 2PM and at 7PM there will be Havdallah and a family concert with music, poetry and storytelling. All events are free and open to everyone and will take place at Congregation Nahalat Shalom, which is located at 3606 Rio Grande Blvd. NW in Albuquerque. The event is to preview and to give people a taste of the upcoming ALEPH Kallah which will take place in Albuquerque from July 2nd -8th http://www.aleph.org/kallah.html The Kallah is a biennial gathering, drawing Jews from around the world for a week of engaging classes, prayer, music and celebration. Rabbi David Zaslow was ordained by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi in 1995. He is currently the spiritual leader of Havurah Shir Hadash in Ashland, Oregon. He is the author of many books of poetry including his most recent collection "Thou Shalt Wander Forty Years." In addition, he is the editor of the prayerbook called "Ivdu et Hashem b'Simcha" which was adopted by Congregation Nahalat Shalom last year.

Rabbi Shefa Gold is a leader in Aleph: the Alliance for Jewish Renewal and received her ordination both from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. She is the director of C-DEEP, The Center for Devotional, Energy and Ecstatic Practice in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. Shefa composes and performs spiritual music, has produced ten albums, and her liturgies have been published in several new prayerbooks. She teaches workshops and retreats on the theory and art of Chanting, Devotional Healing, Spiritual Community Building, Meditation, and trains Chant Leaders in Kol Zimra, a two year program for rabbis, cantors and lay leaders. She is also on the faculty of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Shefa combines her grounding in Judaism with a background in Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, and Native American spiritual traditions to make her uniquely qualified as a spiritual bridge celebrating the shared path of devotion. She is the author of Torah Journeys: The Inner Path to the Promised Land, published by Ben Yehuda Press.

Here are brief descriptions of the events:

Friday Evening: "The Song of Songs: Exploring the Landscape of Love" -

"The whole Torah is Holy," says Rabbi Akiva, "but The Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies." Furthermore he said that "Had the Torah not been given, we could live our lives by the Song of Songs." What would it mean to place this erotic, sensual, sexually explicit and most beautiful poem at the center of our tradition? What would it mean to live our lives by the Song of Songs? These are the questions that Jewish mystics have wrestled with for thousands of years. In this Kabbalat Shabbat service, we will enter into the landscape of this Sacred Song through the practices of chant, meditation, and the contemplation of our path as Lovers.

Saturday Morning: "Davvenology: Soaring Within the Divine" - The word "davvenen" is a Yiddish word for prayer that derives from the word "divine." Davvenology is simply the "knowledge of prayer." Rabbi David will use the morning service to demonstrate a series of prayer techniques that can make our synagogue experiences more profound and meaningful. As the editor of the prayerbook used at Nahalat Shalom, Rabbi David will take us on a four-world journey through the stages of prayer that correspond to the body, heart, mind, and soul.

Afternoon - After lunch Rabbi Shefa and Rabbi David will lead a workshop together where they will share techniques for developing personal spiritual practices based on the prayerbook and kabbalah.

Saturday evening: "Jew-Bilation" - family concert and Havdallah. Rabbi Shefa and Rabbi David are known throughout the country for their joyous and inspiring concerts. The evening will be filled with songs, stories, teachings, and poetry.

Contact:
Rabbi Deborah Brin
Congregation Nahalat Shalom
3606 Rio Grande Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87107
(505)343-8227
rabbi@nahalatshalom.org
www.nahalatshalom.org

Study Jewish Music at SOAS

The School of Oriental and African Studies, part of the University of London, offers unique opportunities for the study of Jewish musics.

The SOAS Music department runs BA, MMus and PhD degree programmes; all focus on world music, with the opportunity to specialize in regional traditions including Jewish musics, and to receive high- level training in performance. In the BA, Music can be combined with language studies, Development Studies, Anthropology and many other academic disciplines, while PhD projects can be practice-led, fieldwork-based, or theoretical.

SOAS is the only university in the UK with a dedicated lectureship in Jewish music, established in memory of the late Jewish bandleader Joe Loss z"l. Course options include a survey of Jewish musics, specialised units in klezmer and in Israeli pop, individual research projects, and Jewish performance options. Students can also take courses from the wider Hebrew and Jewish studies syllabus. Further, in partnership with the Jewish Music Institute, Jewish music learning at SOAS continues outside the formal classroom, including weekly klezmer classes, new Jewish music workshops, concerts and of course Klezfest. SOAS students have access to the JMI library, housed at SOAS, in addition to the wide holdings in Jewish music within the SOAS library.

For further information, contact Dr Abigail Wood, Joe Loss Lecturer in Jewish Music at SOAS:

Department of Music
SOAS, University of London
Thornhaugh Street
London WC1H 0XG, England

Tel: +44-(0)20-7898 4243

Email: aw48@soas.ac.uk (replace 'at' with @ symbol)

http://www.soas.ac.uk/music/

Mikveh Music and More in Boston

Sunday March 25, 2007. Boston, MA 3pm.
3:00 PM - Mayyim Hayyim's Signature Chocolate and Champagne Reception in the Back Bay Grand Ballroom
4:00 PM - Performance: Mikveh, Music and More in the John Hancock Hall
"Mikveh, Music and More" will be held at the John Hancock Hall in Boston's Back Bay. Every seat is a great seat - reserve early! John Hancock Hall is located at 180 Berkeley Street in Boston. There will be parking available at nearby lot for $6 or free street parking.
Debbie Friedman, Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller, Peri Smilow, The Allards, Jeff Klepper and Josh Nelson will be performing. With NEW music by all of the above-and by Danny Maseng, Craig Taubman, and Julie Silver (who unfortunately, won't be attending). Kudos to Josh Nelson who conceived of and directs the event (and produced a CD of the music). The event will support the Mayyim Hayyim Community Mikveh and Education Center which is breaking new ground in the Jewish community in Boston by providing a new model for an ancient ritual. A CD of the new music will be available after the concert (sale proceeds benefit the mikveh). More information available at: http://www.mayyimhayyim.org/

Discovering Jewish Music in Paperback

Discovering Jewish Music By Marsha Bryan Edelman
is now being released in Paperback

You can read a review of this book by the JMWC at http://www.jmwc.org/jmwc_bookandscore_reviews.html

Preview the Preface
<http://www.jewishpub.org/pdf/Jewish%20Music%20Preface.pdf> (PDF)

Preview excerpts from Chapter 8 <http://www.jewishpub.org/pdf/Jewish%20Music%20chp%208.pdf> (PDF)

Jewish music from the Bible to the present, with musical illustrations and an audio CD Most of us have experienced "Jewish music," whether it's through synagogue attendance, a bar mitzvah celebration, a klezmer concert, or the playing of "Hava Nagila" at a baseball game. The many different kinds of Jewish music are reflected by the multitude of Jewish communities throughout the world, each having its own unique set of experiences and values. This book puts the music into a context of Jewish history, philosophy, and sociology.

Edelman begins 3,000 years ago, with a discussion of music in the Bible, and then examines the nature of folk and liturgical music in the three major Diaspora communities that evolved over centuries, after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. From there she explores music of the 20th century, including the explosion of popular music in North America and Israel and its impact on Jews and their musical identities.

About the author
Marsha Bryan Edelman is a professor of music and education at Gratz College in Melrose Park, PA. She has a doctorate in music and music education from Columbia University.

Alfie's Bark Mitzvah for Young Children

For young children: Alfie's Bark Mitzvah is at www.alfiesbarkmitzvah.com .
Songs from the CD can be heard on the site. Cantor Marcelo Gindlin is the featured singer on the CD. Shari Cohen is the author of 14 books for young people. www.sharicohen.com

World Premiere of Symphony 1 by Meira Warshauer in South Carolina

World Premiere Performance of Meira Warshauer Symphony No. 1 Living, Breathing Earth by South Carolina Philharmonic on March 24

The World Premiere performance of Meira Warshauer’s Symphony No. 1 – “Living, Breathing Earth” will be given by the South Carolina Philharmonic, Nicholas Smith, Music Director, at 7 PM on Saturday, March 24, 2007 as part of their Master Series 7 concert at the Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene Street in Columbia, South Carolina.

Tickets for the March 24 concert are $40, $32, $23, $16 and $13. For tickets and more concert information, please call the South Carolina Philharmonic box office at 803-254-7445 or visit them online at http://www.scphilharmonic.com/buynow.html.

This new work, commissioned by the South Carolina Philharmonic, Western Piedmont Symphony of North Carolina, and the Dayton Philharmonic of Ohio (their Premiere performances will be given on April 26 and 28), has been described by the composer: “the title, Living, Breathing Earth, came to me in contemplating the image of the rainforests as lungs of the earth. I felt our planet, alive with all variety of creatures and plants living in symbiosis with each other, breathing in and out, and the planet as a whole, pulsing with breath.” You can read Carson Cooman’s Music & Vision Daily interview with the composer about the new work at http://www.mvdaily.com/articles/2007/01/meira-warshauer.htm.

Other works on the program include William Walton’s Façade, Sally Smith, Narrator and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Marina Lomazov, pianist.

Founded 42 years ago, the South Carolina Philharmonic has become one of the leading orchestras in the southeast. The South Carolina Philharmonic's mission is to continue providing quality symphonic music for their audiences, broaden public awareness and enjoyment of symphonic music, expand educational music programs for elementary, middle and high school students, support their Youth Orchestra program that serves more than 200 young instrumentalists and collaborate with other local arts groups to reach a more diverse audience. Maestro Nicholas Smith has been in charge of orchestras and opera companies for more than thirty years on both sides of the Atlantic. He has conducted orchestras in a dozen countries, making him adept at communicating with few words. Many concerts have been broadcast on radio and television and he has recorded CDs with Finnish, British and Czech orchestras. Much more about him and the orchestra at http://www.scphilharmonic.com/. For a list of season sponsors, visit http://www.scphilharmonic.com/sponsors.html.

Meira Warshauer’s compositions have been performed and recorded to critical acclaim throughout the United States and in Israel, Europe, and Asia. A graduate of Harvard, New England Conservatory of Music, and the University of South Carolina, Dr. Warshauer studied composition with Mario Davidovsky, Jacob Druckman, William Thomas McKinley, and Gordon Goodwin. She has received numerous awards from ASCAP as well as the America Music Center, Meet the Composer, and the South Carolina Arts Commission. In 2000, she received the first Art and Cultural Achievement Award from the Jewish Historical Society of S. Carolina.

Dr. Warshauer is a Visiting Lecturer at Columbia College, Columbia, South Carolina . Her CDs include the soundtrack to the documentary Land of Promise: The Jews of South Carolina and Spirals of Light, chamber music and poetry (by Ani Tuzman) on themes of enlightenment, on the Kol Meira label and "Revelation" for orchestra, included on the MMC CD Robert Black Conducts. Her music is published by Oxford University Press, MMB Music, World Music Press and Kol Meira Publications. Her latest Bracha Newsletter, containing full program notes for Symphony No. 1, is online at http://www.jamesarts.com/releases/jan07/MW_nws_010907.htm. You can find much more about her at http://home.sc.rr.com/meirawarshauer/.

“A Night In The Old Marketplace”

FRANK LONDON'S " A NIGHT IN THE OLD MARKETPLACE"
Featuring
Ron Caswell, tuba, bass
Brandon Seabrook guitar, banjo, mandolin
Art Bailey keyboards, accordion
Aaron Alexander, drums
And vocalists... La Tanya Hall, Manu Narayan (star of Broadway's Bombay Dreams), Craig Wedren (from Shudder to Think), The Klezmatic's Lorin Sklamberg and many others featured on the recording,

“A Night In The Old Marketplace”
http://www.soundbrush.com
CD Release Party:

Monday, March 26th 8pm
Barrow Street Theater
27 Barrow Street
New York

Tickets via Telecharge 212-239-6200 or 800-432-7250
For more information read this POSTER with INFO
Running Time:
75 minutes, with no intermission

Audience:
May be inappropriate for 10 and under.
Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.
Important Notice
Performance begin promptly. Latecomers will not be seated!

Soundbrush Records presents A Night in the Old Marketplace by Jewish music giant Frank London with lyrics by acclaimed playwright Glen Berger. Created for Alexandra Aron's theatrical adaptation of the legendary 1907 Yiddish play by I.L. Peretz, this extraordinary score mixes Jewish, jazz, classical, rock and world beats with a dose of Kurt Weill and Tom Waits. This collection of 21songs is performed by an array of stars including Manu Narayan (lead of Broadway's Bombay Dreams), the Klezmatics' Lorin Sklamberg, pop legends They Might be Giants, Celtic singer Susan McKeown, and Craig Wedren, leader of the cult rock group Shudder to Think.

free open house at Workmen's Circle NY

The Workmen's Circle Klezmer Ensemble will be holding a free open house next Tuesday, March 20, at 7 PM.

Led by famed klezmer musician Jeff Warschauer
Free Open house: Tuesday, March 20 from 7-9 PM
Six paid sessions, Tuesdays at 7 PM: March 27, April 17 and 24; May 1, 8 and 15.

* Open to all players of musicians who play and read music at at least an intermediate level
* Study with an internationally recognized master instructor
* Learn tunes from the diverse klezmer tradition
* Develop tools for improvisation
* Guest instructors from the cutting edge of the contemporary klezmer scene

Please note that because of Passover, there will not be sessions on April 1 or 8.

Single session $30. Discount for Workmen's Circle members and/or attending all five sessions.

Sessions will take place at the Workmen's Circle, 45 East 33 Street, Manhattan (between Park and Madison).

For more information, please contact Elana Alfred at 212 889-6800. elana@circle.org

VIKLARBO Chamber Ensemble

DATE: Wednesday, April 25, 2007
TIME: 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Valley Beth Shalom
ADDRESS: 15739 Ventura Boulevard, Encino 91436
WEBSITE: www.jmcla.org
www.jmcla.org DESCRIPTION:
The Jewish Music Commission of LA presents the elite Los Angeles-based VIKLARBO Chamber Ensemble in a program that includes new American Jewish music by David Lefkowitz and Maria Newman. Both of these young Los Angeles-based musicians are in great demand as composers, performers and educators. Also on the evening program are works by Leonard Bernstein and Robert Schumann.

The ensemble features Maria Newman, Violin; Scott Hosfeld, Viola; Sebastian Toettcher, cello; Wendy Prober, piano; and Amanda Walker, clarinet.

Tickets are $10 in advance; $15 at the door. For reservations and information, call Valley Beth Shalom (818) 788-6000 or E-mail jmcla@socal.rr.com

"The Eternal Question (Di Alte Kashe)" New CD Released

Kame'a Media announces the release of "The Eternal Question (Di Alte Kashe)," a compact disc by Yiddish singer Fraidy Katz. The CD comes with a 24-page booklet of Yiddish text, transliterations, English translations, songwriter bios -- and more.

Produced by Wolf Krakowski and Jim Armenti, TEQ features the musical and vocal talents of 18 musicians from across the spectrum of Jewish, Americana and World Music.

Seth Rogovoy, author, The Essential Klezmer: A Music Lover's Guide to Jewish Roots and Soul Music, writes:

"The long-awaited recording featuring the vocals of one of our finest contemporary Yiddish singers, Fraidy Katz has finally arrived, and it was worth every minute of the wait. "The Eternal Question (Di Alte Kashe) features a baker's dozen Yiddish folk and popular tunes recontextualized for modern times; Old World ballads are draped in accordion, pipes, tsimbl, and violin, in a peaceful coexistence along with electric guitars, trumpets and saxophones. As co-producer Wolf Krakowski has explored on his own albums that feature a similar approach and use the same core band, the fabulous Lonesome Brothers, there is a natural affinity between Yiddish popular songs and such quintessentially American styles as blues, reggae, jazz and even country swing, and Katz explores this affinity in a manner that showcases her intuitive grasp of the songs' roots while at the same time effortlessly making them speak to contemporary audiences. Had there been no Shoah, this is undoubtedly the direction in which Yiddish song would have evolved and the music that a vast majority of what would have been a large Yiddish-speaking world would have been listening to today. It's our good fortune to have it re-created and represented by such a sterling talent as Fraidy Katz.

Four and a Half Stars
-- George Robinson, The New York Jewish Week

"One of the most important new Yiddish CDs in recent years. Wonderful material, lots of surprises . . ."
-- Yankl Falk, Di Naye Kapelye Host, "The Yiddish Hour," KBOO-FM, Portland, OR

"After I heard it, I immediately started to use it on the air. Judging from the listener phone calls, it is an instant hit! The timeless melodies flawlessly performed make the CD a wonderful new addition to my playlist, and I'll be playing it frequently on my daily klezmer/Jewish music program."
--Barry Reisman, WNWR-AM, Philadelphia, PA

Top Ten World Music Charts -- U of Toronto & UConn@Storrs

For more information, soundclips and ordering options:
Kame'a Media: www.kamea.com
Hatikvah Music International: www.hatikvahmusic.com
CDBaby: www.cdbaby.com

Remembering Yiddishist Mordkhe Schaechter

WNYC in New York, the New York Public Radio, has a feature on Mordkhe Schaechter, z"l, beloved Yiddishist. It aired on Weekend Edition Sunday, March 11, 2007. The link takes you to several articles, so scroll to the one labeled "Remembering Yiddishist Mordkhe Schaechter" to hear the segment. March 11, 2007 http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles

SOCALLED SEDER and more

Thursday 22nd March

SOCALLED SEDER: Socalled, Sophie Solomon, Bukky Leo, Max Reinhardt, Boujemaa Bouboul
The Grand Hall, The Cobden Club, 170 Kensal Road, London W10 5BN (nearest tube: Westbourne Grove)
Doors Open: 8pm Tickets: £8
Book online at www.jcclondon.org.uk or email us to reserve your ticket. Door Policy at the Cobden Club requires your names in advance.
The Slave Trade was made illegal in Britain in 1707. To mark these 200 years of equality in the UK the JCC invites you to a blistering Passover affair of live funk and hiphop, visual artistry and performance you will never forget:
Featuring:
SO CALLED: conducting a symphony of hip hop beats and old Jewish record samples
SOPHIE SOLOMON: Europe’s most charismatic fiddler.
BUKKY LEO: Fela Kuti and Tony Allen’s afro-pioneering horns player.
MAX REINHARDT - legendary Austrian theatre wizard cum world music DJ
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS: Gnawan multi-instrumentalist BOUJEMAA BOUBOUL, WILL FARQUARSON on bass and digital imagician MIKI SHAW
Produced by YaD Arts for the Jewish Community Centre

Alicia Svigal: It Would have Been Enough, But it Wasn't. Now there's More in April at John Zorn's Stone place

At the Stone in NYC, 2nd St. and Ave C, www.thestonenyc.com Violinist Alicia Svigals, a founder of the Grammy-winning Klezmatics and the world's best-known klezmer fiddler, is the curator for the month of April at the Stone, John Zorn's performance space on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

John Zorn, the composer who was recently awarded a MacArthur genius grant, opened the Stone to provide a venue for the most creative new music in New York. Each month he selects a different musician to curate the series, and for April he asked Svigals to put together a lineup that would tap into her eclectic and offbeat musical worlds.

The fifty acts Svigals booked revolve around three themes: Jewish music, virtuoso female instrumentalist/improvisers/composers, and all kinds of string music, traditional and contemporary. From an electronic violist turning Bartok on his head to the lightning speed of traditional Bulgarian fiddling; from a master of the traditional klezmer clarinet to spontaneous 21st century keyboard explorations of those ancient melodies, the month is a feast of the most interesting music coming out of New York and beyond.

Svigals' own shows are Saturday night April 7 and Friday night April 27; she'll also be sitting in with a number of the artists throughout the month. The week of the 9th spotlights klezmer and a dozen great women artists take the stage from the 21st on.

For more information, see www.thestonenyc.com or contact Svigals at 1 212 222 2746 or www.aliciasvigals.com

P.S. For more about Alicia, visit her website www.aliciasvigals.com http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2OBbIFEx6eafpQav/ April 2007 at the Stone -- curated by Alicia Svigals

4/1 Sunday
8 pm
The Carmen Staaf Quintet
Carmen Staaf (piano) Dana Sandler (voice) Dan Blake (tenor sax, soprano sax) Kendall Eddy (bass) Austin McMahon (drums)
The NYC debut of the Carmen Staaf Quintet will feature Latin-jazz-influenced originals, new takes on swing and bebop tunes, free conversations and other explorations.

10 pm
Ben Goldberg: New Music for Quintet
Carla Kihlstedt (violin) Rob Sudduth (tenor saxophone) Devin Hoff (bass) Kenny Wollesen (drums) Ben Goldberg (clarinet, composition) angle and particle.

4/3
Tuesday 8 pm
Olivier Manchon's Orchestre de Chambre Miniature Olivier Manchon (violin) John Ellis (clarinet, sax) Alan Hampton (bass) Beth Meyers (viola) Christopher Hoffman (cello)

10 pm
Teletextile
Pamela Martinez (violin, vocals, piano) Brian Hamilton (piano, keyboards) John Somers (guitar, electronics) Textural Instrumentals and Visceral songs, www.teletextile.com

4/4 Wednesday
8 pm
Mawwal
Jim Matus (vocals, laouto, saz) Jill O’Brien (vocals) Joe O’Brien (bass, vocals) Mike Keys (drums) Bill Buchen (tabla, percussion) Record release party for MAWWAL’S new CD “Black Flies” on Ancient Record. MAWWAL (formerly PARANOISE) performs original World Fusion and arrangements of traditional Middle Eastern music in what has been called “a new genre” by Progression Magazine.

10 pm
Violin-Clarinet Multi-Night
Mari Kimura (violin) Kinan Azmeh (clarinet) multi-cultural, multi-media duos and solos

4/5 Thursday
8 pm
KJ Denhert—Lucky 7, The New CD Concert
KJ Denhert (guitar, vocals, songwriter) Mamdou Ba (bass) Ray Levier (drums) ATN (keys) plus special guests from the CD! Urban folk and jazz artist KJ Denhert makes her first NY appearance in 2007 with a brand new CD called Lucky 7. All CDs one night only to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of KJ’s label and her seventh release

10 pm
Steve Sandberg and friends
Steve Sandberg (voice)
Spoken word, raga-influenced vocals, breath-controlled keyboard, loops plus friends tba - "music from a country I've never been to but always wanted to visit."
http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2LgbIFEx6eafpQav/

4/6 Friday
8 pm
Noriko Ueda Jazz Orchestra
Noriko Ueda (composition, bass) 16 piece band


10 pm
Ivan Milev Band
Ivan Milev (accordion) Entcho Todorov (violin) Maria Koleva (vocals) Panagiotis Andreou (bass) Vasko Angelov (guitar) Seido Salifovski (drums) Monster accordionist Ivan Milev and his band perform
Bulgarian-Balkan folk music. Check out:
http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2LhbIFEx6eafpQav/

4/7 Saturday
8 pm
John Zorn Improv Night—a Stone Benefit
John Zorn (sax) and many surprise guests Come out and support The Stone! Twenty Dollars

10 pm
Alicia Svigals and Uli Geissendorfer, with special guest Iliya Magalnyk—a Stone Benefit
Alicia Svigals (violin) Uli Geissendorfer (piano) Iliya Magannyk (accordion) Musicians from three points on the globe take a sidelong look at klezmer. A Benefit for the Stone!

4/8 Sunday
8 pm
Songs Your Grandmother Might Know, If Your Grandmother is Hip: The Matt Glaser Quintet.
Matt Glaser (violin) Matt Munisteri (guitar) Sonny Barbato (accordion) Heather Masse (vocal) Jim Whitney (bass)

10 pm
Pablo Aslan's "Anda Cantale
Pablo Aslan (bass)and his ensemble
The Argentine bassist explores the repertoire of the great tango singer Carlos Gardel.

4/10 Tuesday
8 pm
Alex Kontorovich's Deep Minor
Aaron Alexander (drums) Brandon Seabrook (guitar/banjo) Reuben Radding (bass) Alex Kontorovich (clarinet, sax, compositions) All original music from Kontorovich (sideman to Frank London's Klezmer Brass All-Stars and Aaron Alexander's Midrash Mish Mosh) mixes downtown klezmer, jazz, and other influences.

10 pm
Michael Winograd's Infection
Michael Winograd, Jessica Lurie, Petr Cancura, Jeremy Udden (reeds) Daniel Blacksberg (trombone) Jon Singer (xylophone) Brandon Seabrook (guitar) Jorge Roeder (bass) Jason Nazary (drums) Patrick Farrell (accordion) Frank London (trumpet)

4/11 Wednesday
8 pm
Michael Winograd's Klezmer Ensemble
Michael Winograd (clarinet, alto clarinet) Daniel Blacksberg (trombone) Carmen Staaf (piano, accordion) Joey Weisenberg (mandolin) Nick Cudahy (bass) Richie Barshay (percussion)

10 pm Susan Watts (of Hoffman Klezmer Dynasty) and Rob Schwimmer (of Polygraph Lounge) Rob Schwimmer (piano) Susan Hoffman Watts (voice, trumpet) Erotic Jewish Night Dreams:Inspirational Explorations.

4/12 Thursday
8 pm
Ghetto Tango
Adrienne Cooper (voice) Zalmen Mlotek (piano) Adrienne Cooper and Zalmen Mlotek bring electrifying theatricality to the unknown satiric, down and dirty, and heartbroken repertoire of World War II European Jewish cabarets—from Yiddish to Weill & Eisler.

10 pm
Socalled and guests
Socalled (accordion, mpc, melodica, piano, vocals) Susan Hoffman-Watts (trumpet) Allen Watsky (guitar, bass) Micheael Winograd (clarinet) and Special Guests. Josh Dolgin aka Socalled and his rag tag group of friends, will raise the Stone's roof with a klez-funk party unlike anything else. www.socalledmusic.com ww.myspace.com/socalled

4/13 Friday
8 pm
Lily White and Follicle
Lily White (saxes) Rob Garcia (drums) Greg Jones (bass) Crazy music from the mind of saxophonist Lily White in her most compact group yet. www.lilywhitemusic.com

10 pm
Cynthia Hilts & Lyric Fury
Cynthia Hilts (composer, piano, voice) Jack Walrath (trumpet) Lily White (tenor and alto sax) Lisa Parrott (baritone and soprano sax) Debra Weisz (trombone) Martha Colby (cello) Ratzo Harris (bass) Gene Jackson (drums) New jazz that nods at the traditions,swings like hell and searches the deepest harmonic zones. Howls and lullabies, ice and predators are all in there, the perfect answer to a listener's natural raving desire for organic and furious lyricism.

4/14 Saturday
8 pm
Beth Bahia Cohen: Traditional Arabic Music
Beth Bahia Cohen (violin and other bowed string instruments) and friends

10 pm
Midnight Prayer
Joel Rubin (clarinet) Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl/hammered dulcimer) World renowned klezmer clarinetist Joel Rubin gives a rare NY performance of duets with leading tsimbl revivalist Pete Rushefsky from their new CD Midnight Prayer (Traditional Crossroads).

4/15 Sunday
8 pm
Mimi Rabson and Bruno Raberg
Mimi Rabson (violin) Bruno Raberg (bass) Compositional Improvisation and Improvised Compositons

10 pm
The Ingrid Jensen Quartet
Ingrid Jensen (trumpet and electronics) and band

4/17 Tuesday
8 pm
Greg Wall's Later Prophets
Greg Wall (saxophones) Shai Bachar (keyboards) David Richards (bass) Aaron Alexander (drums) Simultaneously Straddling the Gates of the Ancient and the Avant-garde.....

10 pm
Quartetto Cui Bono
Art Bailey (accordion, piano) Peter Van Huffel (sax) Ernesto Cervini (drums) Michael Bates (bass) special guest Alicia Svigals (violin) An evening of new music.

4/18 Wednesday
8 pm
Mark Sganga and Friends
Mark Sganga (guitar) and friends Acoustic improvisations with a Brazilian accent. www.marksganga.com

10 pm
Stephane Wrembel Acoustic
Stephane Wrembel (guitar) Jared Engel (bass) David Langlois (washboard) Monster Guitarist Stephane Wrembel and his band perform the music of Django Reinhardt in their own special way, blended with compositions and colors from India and Africa; each show is a different trip! http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2LibIFEx6eafpQav/

4/19 Thursday
8 pm
Michael Winograd Quintet
Michael Winograd (clarinet, alto clarinet) Kristin Slipp (voice) David Bryant (casio keyboards) Michael Bates (bass) Michael Evans (drums)

10 pm
Bangalore Breakdown
Uli Geissendoerfer (piano, keys, percussion) Premik Russel Tubbs (sax, flute, windsynth) Gino Sitson (vocals) Beat Kaestli (vocals) Steve Sandberg (leadsynth, vocals) Naren Budhakar (tabla) Gilad Dobrecky (percussion) Nathan Peck (bass) Lev Zhurbin (viola)

4/20 Friday
8 pm
Juanito Pascual and Friends
Jonathan "Juanito" Pascual (flamenco guitar) Rohan Gregory (violin) Stan Strickland (flute, soprano sax, vocals) Jerry Leake (world percussion). Flamenco guitar virtuoso Jonathan "Juanito" Pascual presents an evening of original flamenco music and beyond, with his quartet featuring 3 of the East Coast's finest improvisational and world-music players. "One of the hottest flamenco guitarists to emerge in recent years" -National Public Radio http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2LjbIFEx6eafpQav/

10 pm
Stephane Wrembel Electric
Stephane Wrembel (guitar) Jared Engel (bass) Mathias Bublath (organ) Julien Augier (drums) Monster Guitarist Stephane Wrembel and his new electric band presents the music of Django Reinhardt and his compositions in a totally new way, blending their unique Gypsy jazz touch with a psychedelic world rock sound. http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2LibIFEx6eafpQav/

4/21 Saturday
8 pm
Jessica Lurie Ensemble
Jessica Lurie (sax, accordion, vocals) Erik Deutsch (piano, electric keyboard) Brandon Seabrook (banjo, guitar) Todd Sickafoose (bass) Marc Dalio (drums)

10 pm
AARON ALEXANDER'S MIDRASH MISH MOSH
Aaron Alexander (drums) David Licht (drums) Fima Ephron (bass) Jay Vilnai (guitar) Alex Kontorovich (clarinet) Greg Wall (tenor sax, clarinet) Rob Henke (trumpet) Curtis Hasselbring (trombone)

4/22 Sunday
8 pm
Susan Pereira and Sabor Brasil
Susan Pereira (vocals, piano, percussion), Vanderlei Pereira (drums), Rodrigo Ursaia (sax, flute), Cliff Korman (piano), Itaiguara (bass)

10 pm
Edison Woods
“Truly beautiful, slowly meandering soundscapes... A beautiful voice and a talent for melodies.” -- Rolling Stone Strange, haunting, and romantic, Edison Woods revels in luscious, sad songs. Singer Julia Frodahl’s heavenly vocals layered on the bands’ moody chamber pop create “a beautiful cross between the sounds of Elysian Fields and the sentiments of David Lynch” (Flavorpill NYC). Live, their musical passages, spoken word, and discreet gestures sweep the audience into their dreamlike world.
http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2LkbIFEx6eafpQav/
http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2LlbIFEx6eafpQav/

4/24 Tuesday
8 pm
Martha Mooke's VIOLA X-TREME
Martha Mooke (electric violas/violins) Randolph A. Hudson, III (electric guitars) Jim Mussen (electronic drums) Music for Strings, Percussion and .... Rollover Bartok! Support the future of music at The Stone!

10 pm
The Lisa Parrott Trio
Lisa Parrott (saxophones) Chris Lightcap (double bass) Gerald Cleaver (drums)
Lisa & Chris have been performing in NY together for over 10 years, playing harmolodic inspired original improvised music. Their Stone debut! www.parrottmusic.com

4/25 Wednesday
8 pm
The Sheryl Bailey 3
Sheryl Bailey (guitar/pen) Brian Charette (organ) Shingo Okudairu (drums)
The Sheryl Bailey 3 carries on the tradition of the Hammond B3/Guitar trio into modernity with a contemporary harmonic approach and a captivating pulse.

10 pm
Adrienne Cooper, Friends and Relations
Adrienne Cooper (voice) Michael Winograd (clarinet, piano) Dan Blacksberg (trombone)
Vocalist Adrienne Cooper is joined by clarinetist Michael Winograd, trombonist Dan Blacksberg, Yiddish Princess Sarah Gordon and others for an intergenerational Yiddish intervention.

4/26 Thursday
8 pm
Lerner/Alexander Quartet
Marilyn Lerner (piano) Aaron Alexander (drums) Greg Wall (sax) Jim Guttman (bass)
Premiere performance of this all-star jazz/jewish ensemble…

10 pm
Percussia
Ingrid Gordon (xylophone, marimba, percussion) Ljova (viola) Demetrius Spaneas (reeds) and others
This unlikely instrument combination cooks up a set of xylo-powered, wind-driven world fusion featuring tunes by überviolist Ljova, along with assorted balkan and klez faves.

4/27 Friday
8 pm
Alicia Svigals and Marilyn Lerner: Klezmer Unfettered
Alicia Svigals (violin) Marilyn Lerner (piano) Alicia Svigals is klezmer's most celebrated violinist; Marilyn Lerner is a jazz keyboard virtuoso who resides in Canada. They join forces at the Stone to take on the klezmer tradition and twist it into shapes hitherto unimagined, spinning symphonies on the fly out of sounds from the Eastern European Jewish past.

10 pm
Shake My Heart Like a Copper Bell-the poetry of Anna Margolin Adrienne Cooper (voice) Marilyn Lerner (piano) with special guests Lerner’s song cycle to amazing Yiddish poet Margolin, translations and vocals by the legendary Adrienne Cooper with everything from lieder to freeform...

4/28 Saturday
8 pm
Andy Biskin and friends
Andy Biskin (clarinet, compositions) with special guests

10 pm
Terry Dame's Electric Junkyard Gamelan
Terry Dame, Lee Frisari, Mary Feaster, Kim Garey, Julian Hintz (invented instruments)
Original rhythm driven music on invented instruments. Funky basslines, searing modal melodies and layers of interlocking rhythms played on musical contraptions such as the Rubarp, Sitello, Kacapitar and the Big Barp. It's far out and in the pocket! www.terrydame.com

4/29 Sunday
8 pm
Romanian Bent—Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi featuring Elizabeth Schwartz Yale Strom (violin) Sprocket (bass) Peter Stan (accordion) David Licht (drums) Elizabeth Schwartz (vocals)
Schwartz is fresh from her concert tour of Romania and Hungary (singing with Muzsikas), which was filmed for an upcoming documentary by Radu Gabrea.

10 pm
Grassi/Filiano/Lerner
Lou Grassi (drums) Ken Filiano (bass) Marilyn Lerner (piano)
Visit the Stone's website, www.thestonenyc.com
http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2LmbIFEx6eafpQav/


P.S. For more about Alicia, visit her website www.aliciasvigals.com http://klezmerbyaliciasvigalsllc.c.topica.com/maafZmLabw2OBbIFEx6eafpQav/

Leonid Levin Yesterdays

Leonid Levin and Trio have a new CD that features jazz arrangements of songs by Sholom Secunda, George Gershwin,and Jerome Kern, among others. It's available through CD Baby. www.cdbaby.com/llajt

YIDDISH PIRATES ARE COMING

Gilbert and Sullivan's Di Yam Gazlonim ("The Pirates of Penzance" in Yiddish)
Book and Lyrics by Al Grand
Directed by Allen Lewis Rickman
Musical Direction by Zalmen Mlotek
Starring Jacob Feldman, Stephen Mo Hanan, Genette Lane, Dani Marcus and Steve Sterner
With Ashley Adler, Itzy Firestone, Susanne Kobb, Stuart Marshall, Eyal Sherf, Allen Lewis Rickman, Yelena Shmulenson-Rickman, Yankl Salant, D. Zhonzinsky

TWO WEEKS ONLY
March 18 - April 1

Shows:
March 18: 2pm & 6pm
March 21: 2pm & 8pm
March 22: 2pm & 8pm
March 24: 8pm
March 25: 2pm & 6pm
March 28: 2pm & 8pm
March 29: 2pm & 8pm
March 31: 8pm
April 1: 2pm

In Yiddish
with English and Russian Translation Supertitles
The Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Family Auditorium
at The JCC in Manhattan
334 Amsterdam Ave at 76th St

For Tickets and Info call 212-279-4200
or visit www.ticketcentral.com (listed under ³Pirates of Penzance in Yiddish)
For information about
The National Yiddish Theatre - Folksbiene, visit us on the web at www.folksbiene.org

Klezmatics in Concert at MFA in Boston

The MFA Concert Program and The Boston Jewish Film Festival are delighted to present The Klezmatics in concert on Sunday, March 11, 7:30pm. The Boston Jewish Film Festival has screened several films over the years for which scores have been written by the Klezmatics, including Jonathan Berman’s The Shvitz (1995 and 1999 Festivals), Pearl Gluck’s Divan (2003 Festival), and Eric Greenberg Anjou's A Cantor’s Tale (2005 Festival).

Ticket prices: Members, BJFF members, seniors, students $20; nonmembers, general admission $25. Front-of-house seating, available for an additional $5 at each price level. Front-of-house seating guarantees general admission seating within the first three rows of Remis Auditorium. To purchase tickets in advance with a credit card, go to www.mfa.org or call the Box Office at least one day in advanceat 617-369-3306.

"La ISTORIA de PURIM" Jewish Music and Poetry in Renaissance Italy

C.A.I.F. - Cultural Association of Italians at Fermilab
I.I.C. - Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Chicago
Present
Ensemble Lucidarium
"La ISTORIA de PURIM"
Jewish Music and Poetry in Renaissance Italy

The Ensemble Lucidarium, a famous international group of scholar musicians specialized in the works of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, will perform: "La Istoria de Purim," Jewish music and poetry from the Italian Renaissance, which was awarded first prize in 2004 by the European Association for Jewish Culture. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, northern Italy was a meeting place for three separate Jewish communities: Ashkenazi, Jews coming from northeastern Europe, Sephardic Jews from the Iberian peninsula, and Italikim who had been in Italy since the days of the Roman Empire. The music from this period is characterized by a fertile exchange of ideas and culture between Jews and gentiles. The texts transcribed into the Hebrew alphabet in four-verse stanzas are written in the colorful Jewish vernacular spoken in the Po valley during the sixteenth century. The rhymes were typical of the songs performed to celebrate the festival of Purim by recounting the story of Queen Esther. Ensemble Lucidarium has reconstructed the music through painstaking research into sixteenth-century music and oral traditions still alive in certain areas of the Tuscan and Emilian Apennines.

This concert has been organized with the support of Congregation Beth Shalom of Naperville and E.A.J.C. (European Association for Jewish Culture).

Saturday, March 17, 8 pm
FERMILAB (Batavia, IL)
Ramsey Auditorium
Tickets: $ 10.00 ($ 5.00 under 18)
(630) 840 2787 (ARTS)