The Reser presents The Klezmatics' Happy Joyous Hanukkah!
$30 -$50
- Lorin Sklamberg, voice, accordion, guitar, & piano
- Frank London, trumpet, keyboards, & voice
- Paul Morrissett, double bass, tsimbl, & voice
- Matt Darriau, kaval, clarinet, saxophone, & voice
- Lisa Gutkin, violin & voice
- Richie Barshay, drums & voice
The Klezmatics are globally renowned world music superstars — and the only klezmer band to win a Grammy Award. The Klezmatics emerged out of the vibrant cultural scene of New York City’s East Village in 1986, with klezmer steeped in Eastern European Jewish tradition and spirituality, while incorporating contemporary themes such as human rights and eclectic musical influences including Arab, African, Latin and Balkan rhythms, jazz and punk. In the course of over twenty years and nine albums, they have continued making music that is wild, mystical, provocative, reflective and ecstatically danceable.
"a complete joy" —All Music Guide
Performing songs from Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah.
Woody Guthrie lived in Coney Island, Brooklyn, across the street from his mother-in-law, the Yiddish poet, Aliza Greenblatt. They shared their dreams and their art, their neighborhood and a family.
Klezmatics trumpeter Frank London says, "each of us found our own way to confront Woody's poetry. The words are all his, but the diversity of musical styles is quintessentially Klezmatic." London says that some songs lent themselves to overtly Jewish klezmer music, others to more American forms, like classic dust-bowl country tunes. Some felt brand new to the musicians, while others felt more like folks songs "that had been around forever." The band's influences in setting the lyrics to music ranged from sacred (Hasidic nigunim –wordless tunes often used in prayer – and Gospel) to secular (freylekhs – traditional dance music – and hoedowns)."
About The Klezmatics
Since their emergence almost 40 years ago, The Klezmatics have raised the bar for Eastern European Jewish music, made aesthetically, politically and musically interesting recordings, inspired future generations, created a large body of work that is enduring, and helped to change the face of contemporary Yiddish culture. Often called a "Jewish roots band," The Klezmatics have led a popular revival of this ages-old, nearly forgotten art form.
They have performed in more than 20 countries and have performed at some of the most storied venues and renowned festivals worldwide, including Central Park Summerstage, Carnegie Hall, Pirineos Sur (Spain), Colours of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Pohoda Festival (Slovakia), Jazzsomer Graz (Austria), and the Heimatklänge Festival (Germany).
The Klezmatics have released 13 albums to date, most recently the albums Letters to Afar (Chant Records, 2021) and Apikorsim (World Village, 2016) produced by Danny Blume (who helped the band win a Grammy in 2006). Live at Town Hall, the 2011 Klezmatics release, captured the group’s March 5, 2006 20th anniversary concert at the storied New York venue. The set featured a cross-section of music from throughout The Klezmatics’ history, and includes a lengthy list of special guests, among them their original clarinetist Margot Leverett, who had previously never recorded with the band. On their Grammy-winning 2006 album Wonder Wheel, the band set a dozen previously unsung Woody Guthrie lyrics to music, widening their stylistic base by largely diverging from klezmer. They have also served as the subject of a feature-length documentary film, The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground.
During their remarkably long career, The Klezmatics have collaborated with such brilliant artists as violinist Itzhak Perlman, Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and Israeli vocal icon Chava Alberstein, plus many other prominent performers working within multiple genres. The Klezmatics have garnered numerous awards and accolades throughout their career, including a 2006 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album (for Wonder Wheel: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie), a New York Jewish Music Award (Best Klezmer Band, 2006), a GLAMA (Gay and Lesbian American Music Award) and the German Critics Award (twice), among others, and have topped the Billboard world music charts on numerous occasions.
Today, with three original members—Lorin Sklamberg (lead vocals, accordion, guitar, piano), Frank London (trumpet, keyboards, vocals) and Paul Morrissett (bass, tsimbl, vocals)—still on board, alongside longtime members Matt Darriau (kaval, clarinet, saxophone, vocals), Lisa Gutkin (violin, vocals), and Richie Barshay (drums, vocals), The Klezmatics are without a doubt the most renowned proponents of klezmer music in the world.
The Klezmatics' music is rooted in but is not a strictly traditional variety of the klezmer genre. Rather it is a comfortable hybrid that appeals equally to those with no previous exposure to the music and those already familiar with it. Formed in New York in 1986, The Klezmatics quickly built a devoted following that expanded outward once word spread about this exotic new band that was bringing klezmer back from the abyss."
https://www.klezmatics.com/About Patricia Reser Center for the Arts
Patricia Reser Center for the Arts unites us as artists, enthusiasts, individuals, and communities, linking us all with a sense of shared purpose and a touch of the sublime. The Reser is the cultural heart of a flourishing community centered in Beaverton, Oregon. It continuously enhances the cultural life of our region, bringing people together in a space that’s warm and welcoming, and where the art we present invites discovery, wonder, and flights of imagination. This place eliminates barriers and thrives on access, shared experience, and open hearts. The Reser honors the cultures and customs of its diverse community and, using the awesome power of the arts, creates opportunities for deeper understanding and authentic connections between people.
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