‘Twas the Night Before Pesakh in ole NY town…

Metropolitan Klezmer
Metropolitan Klezmer: full octet, 15th Anniversary Show
Tuesday, April 7: Night Before Pesakh!
@ Drom, 85 Avenue A (btw E 5th-6th St) NYC
http://dromnyc.com
music sets from 7:30pm til 9:30pm, doors open 7pm
$10 + two-drink or food minimum
Full tapas menu and bar
Tel: 212-777-1157
Tickets: boxoffice@dromnyc.com
Dinner & table reservations: reservations@dromnyc.com
Event page
METROPOLITAN KLEZMER – as in photo above:
Ismail Butera (accordion)
Pam Fleming (trumpet/flugelhorn)
Melissa Fogarty (vocals)
Michael Hess (violin/ney flutes)
Dave Hofstra (upright bass/tuba)
Debra Kreisberg (clarinet/alto sax)
Reut Regev (trombone)
Eve Sicular (drums/leader)

Photocredit Angela Jimenez


Metropolitan Klezmer plays the Night Before Pesakh at Drom, and also celebrates 15 years together as a band! The full eight-piece lineup still includes all the bandmates who came together for a quintet demo with the late legendary reed player Howie Leess in 1994. The band’s current octet features originals Ismail, Michael, Dave, and ringleader Eve, all performing for these special sets at Drom (only blocks from the now-defunct site of their debut at a John Zorn-organized festival in the gallery club adjoining CBGB). Come enjoy Metropolitan Klezmer’s annual Passover season show in the still-vibrant side of the East Village, with great food and stage setting. Surprise holiday treats, and previewing a few new tunes from bandleader Sicular’s new theater piece “J. Edgar Klezmer: Songs from My Grandmother’s FBI Files.”

Formed in 1994, the adventuresome neo-traditional octet Metropolitan Klezmer plays rollicking dances and ethereal trance tunes, plus exuberant Yiddish swing, klezmer cumbia, soundtrack tango, and genre-defying originals. With an astounding horn section, lithesome accordion, stirring acoustic strings, dynamic syncopating drums, mystical ney flutes, and gorgeous multi-lingual vocals, the bandmates bring experience in styles from Balkan, bebop, and funk to reggae, classical and zydeco.

Metropolitan Klezmer bandmates also perform with the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Hazmat Modine, The Microscopic Septet, Sounds of Taraab, Los Mas Valientes, Burning Spear, Anthony Braxton, Indigo Girls, Andy Statman, and their sister sextet, Isle of Klezbos.

Metropolitan Klezmer’s fourth album, “Traveling Show,” is the band’s first live concert release and made many Best of 2007 lists from coast to coast. Repertoire inspiration comes from sources as diverse as archival 78’s, Soviet newsreels, family home audio, and well-tuned imaginations. All Metropolitan Klezmer and Isle of Klezbos CDs are distributed worldwide by Stern’s Music Ltd.

“One of the finest American klezmer bands” – Songlines Magazine (UK)

Band site http://metropolitanklezmer.com
Myspace http://myspace.com/metroklez