30th Anniversary of Klezmer Conservatory Band Features Reunion with
Clarinetist Don Byron & Vocalist Judy Bressler; JDub Recording Artists, Golem, Opens Show
The legendary Klezmer Conservatory Band (KCB), the band that kick-started the klezmer music revival, will open the first annual Boston Jewish Music Festival (BJMF) with a gala concert celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary at the Berklee Performance Center on March 6, 2010 at 7:30 PM.
Tickets for the concert are on sale through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com) and the Berklee box office. Tickets for other BJMF events are now on sale, most through Ticketweb (www.ticketweb.com). The entire festival schedule is now posted on the BJMF web site.
Two former members who were instrumental in helping build the band’s reputation—vocalist Judy Bressler and clarinetist Don Byron—will reunite with them for the first time in more than 20 years. Opening the show will be JDub recording artists, acclaimed New York klezmer/rock band, Golem.
More information on the Festival, a complete schedule, performer bios, and links to purchase tickets are available online at www.bostonjewishmusicfestival.org.
“What better way to begin an exciting new festival than with Boston’s own signature Jewish band,” said BJMF Executive Director Joey Baron, “and to bring back two important artists for a reunion—it’s a perfect start. Pairing them with Golem, one of the leading new generation bands that is expanding the definition of klezmer, signals what we’re trying to accomplish with this festival—presenting the best of tradition and the new.
“We’ve designed a music festival that highlights the breadth and depth of Jewish music today, with something for everyone, young and old, families and individuals, religious and secular,” Baron continued. “We want to create an annual event that is both a celebration of music and a cultural highlight for the entire Boston community, one that showcases the many great artists performing Jewish music in our community and around the world.”
Hankus Netsky, the noted ethnomusicologist, performer and composer who formed KCB in 1980, said: “It’s very special for us to be able to celebrate our 30th anniversary at the launch of the Boston Jewish Music Festival and to welcome back Don and Judy for this occasion. It’s fitting that Boston, which has long held a reputation as a center of culture and Jewish innovation, now has a Jewish music festival, something many other cities have had for some time.”
The Boston Jewish Music Festival, founded by Baron and Jim Ball, will feature a week-long series of musical events throughout the greater Boston area, including three family concerts, an a cappella showcase, a dance party, an appearance by an 88-year old National Heritage Fellow, a rising Israeli star and more.
In partnership with other groups and organizations, the BJMF schedule will also feature: an evening with MacArthur Fellow and award-winning composer Osvaldo Golijov (presented by the New Center for Arts and Culture); a concert of the rarely performed masterpiece, Ernst Bloch’s Sacred Service by the Chorus Pro Musica (joined by the Zamir Chorale of Boston and the New England Philharmonic); and Hazzanapalooza, a Cantor’s Assembly concert featuring cantors from across greater Boston.