Margot Leverett & Klezmer Mountain Boys at The New York Klezmer Series
February 12, 2013
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York
30 W. 68th St., New York, NY 10023
NY Klezmer Series:
4 – 5 Kidz Klezmer Band of New York
5:30 – 7 Klezmer Music Workshop
5:30 – 7 Yiddish Dance Class w/Steve Weintraub
7:30 – 8:45 Concert
8:45 – 9:30 Klezmer Jam Session
Klezmer clarinetist Margot Leverett joins forces with today’s stars of klezmer and bluegrass to explore the shared musical spirit of two genres literally worlds apart. Appalachian and southern fiddle tunes by Bill Monroe meet klezmer melodies from pre-war Russia and Eastern Europe, some newly discovered. The resulting medleys and improvisations are at once raw, funny, soulful and footstomping.
Margot Leverett is one of the foremost clarinetists of the klezmer revival. Classically trained at Indiana University School of Music, she was involved in avant-garde music when she first heard klezmer, the dynamic East European music traditionally played at Jewish weddings. Leverett was a founding member of the Klezmatics in 1985 before moving on to establish a solo career. Her first CD, “The Art of Klezmer Clarinet,” a tribute to classic klezmer of the 20’s and 30’s, was released in 2001 on Traditional Crossroads (CD4296) to glowing reviews.
Her current project, “Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys” is an all-star band combining the best of bluegrass and klezmer. Their self-titled CD, released to rave reviews in 2002, was choreographed by the Paul Taylor Dance Company in a new work entitled “Klezmerbluegrass”. Their latest release “Second Avenue Square Dance” features guest artists Jorma Kaukonen and Hazel Dickens and is available now from Traditional Crossroads.
Upcoming Dates
Feb. 26 – CTMD – Tantshoyz – Steve Weintraub Dance Leader, Deborah Strauss bandleader
Mar. 5 – Leviticus: Michael Winograd, Daniel Blacksberg, Todd Nuefeld, Tyshawn Sorey
Mar. 12 – Alicia Svigals & Patrick Farrell
Mar. 19 – CTMD – Tantshoyz – Steve Weintraub Dance Leader
Apr. 2 – Jake Shulman-Ment Band
Apr. 9 – Strauss/Warschauer Duo CD Release/Tantshoyz, Steve Weintraub Dance Leader
Apr. 16 – Lisa and Sruli’s Family Band
Apr. 23 – CTMD – Tantshoyz – Deborah Strauss Dance Leader
May 21 – Eve Sicular – Metropolitan Klezmer
May 28 – CTMD – Elaine Watts & Susan Watts Band, Etele DVD screening, concert, Tantshoyz – Deborah Strauss Dance Leader
June 4 – Double Bill: Levitt Legacy Tango Project w/Matt Temkin’s Poykler’s Shloft Lied
June 11 – Dmitri Slepovitch’s Litvakus
June 18 – Student Concert, Party w/Aaron Alexander & The Klez Messengers
CTMD Tantsheiser will have a different format: There will be a dance leader who will teach and a live dance band from 7:30 – 9:15 or so and an invitational jam session towards the end.