Giora Feidman, Dave Tarras, Naftule Brandwine, A. Ellstein, S. Secunda,
J. Rumshinsky, A. Olshanetsky, W.A. Mozart, K.M. von Weber, J. Brahms,
P.I. Tchaikovsky, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, D.D. Shostakovich,
George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, and Cole Porter.
Romanian, Hungarian, Moldovian & Gypsy Music, Hassidic Niggunim,
Abe Schwartz’s Orchestra, Leo Kandel Orchestra, The Barry Sisters,
Sam Musiker, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Stephane Grappelli,
Django Reinhardt, Ziggy Elman, Louis Armstrong, and Oscar Peterson.
Sounds Like
Filmed on April 26, 2009 at Temple Sinai in Palm Desert, California.
A Klezmer Concert featuring The Golden State Klezmers.
Music Director: Zinovy Goro.
Klezmer music is to Judaism what gospel is to Christian and African-American spirituality.
Some people have described Klezmer music as Jewish Jazz.
This traditional Klezmer tune, which challenges listeners to NOT clap their hands or tap their feet, started the concert.
The musicians (right to left):
Clarinet: Zinovy Goro
Accordion: Isaac Sadigursky
Contrabass: Vic Koler
Violin: Miamon Miller
The Golden State Klezmers has entertained presidents, heads of state, movie stars and movie moguls. Without knowing it, you're probably already familiar with GSK. You may have seen them in one of more than 700 concerts, as back-up musicians for some of your favorite stars. And if you watch television, listen to the radio, or buy CDs, you've definitely witnessed their musical talents.
Their performances have been heard on theatrical shows like “Ghetto” (Mark Taper Forum), “Shulamis” (University of Judaism), “Shlemiel the First” (Geffen Playhouse), “Countess Maritza” (L.A.Opera), “Kabbalah” (Lex Theater) for which they received the LA Weekly Theater Award for "Best Original Music" award, “The Bride and the Brothel” (Gascon Center Theater), “Simcha” (Theatre 40). Members of the Golden State Klezmers appear on the soundtracks of dozens of films and television programs, films and shows like “A Call to Remember,” "The Yankles," “Mobster,” "West Bank Story" (Winner of the Academy Award - 2007 for Best Live Action Short), “Love Affair,” “House,” “Cheers,” “Heart to Heart,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Indiana Jones,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Keeping Up With the Steins,” and “Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.”
Clarinetist Zinovy Goro founded GSK in 1979. After graduating with honors in Performance and Composition from the Kiev State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Mr. Goro worked for 10 years as Principal Clarinetist in the Honored Radio & Television Symphony Orchestra in Kiev. In 1979 Zinovy immigrated to the US from the Ukraine. Upon arriving in Los Angeles he immediately discovered a big demand for Klezmer music, a style of music forbidden in the USSR. In America the recordings of Giora Feidman introduced him to Klezmer music. And, as the saying goes, the rest is history.
The Golden State Klezmers are proud to be
included in the
National Jewish News' list of the
"Top 25 Klezmer Bands in the World."
What People Are Saying
"...Golden State Klezmers - terrific Klezmer Band... the Band is great, wonderful Zinovy Goro, wailing on his eloquent and rousing clarinet." --The Los Angeles Times
"The Golden State Klezmers Band is a blast." --Hollywood Reporter
"The real plus of this evening is the Klezmer-mad instrumental ensemble... soaring Clarinet / Violin interplay of Zinovy Goro and Ezra Kliger, respectively... infused with virtuosity and energy... terrific Klezmer Band... pure joy." --Daily Variety
"...resonance and depth of the brilliantly played Klezmer music that is the most successful element... overwhelming stars of this show are the Golden State Klezmers. They play this folk music - currently enjoying wide popularity - angelically. The Golden State Klezmers are energetic, powerful, and precise in their playing." --New Times
"Exceptional... Klezmer at its best... the epitome of Jewish soul music. The Golden State Klezmers are better than great!" --Phil Blazer, Radio & TV Host / Publisher-National Jewish News
"Klezmer music is to Judaism what gospel is to African-American spirituality of bluegrass is to certain Christian strains... it's the music of unassimilated peoples, hearkening back to the folk traditions of their fathers - the music of cultural resistance... as performed by the Golden State Klezmers, the 15 songs express a surprising breadth of feeling." --Daily News
"...music arrangements perfectly executed by the Golden State Klezmers... you will delight in these richly plaintive melodies... if you have never heard Klezmer played by a live Band, you are in for a treat... the musical masters... haunting sentiment of Klezmer music." --Critics Choice, Drama Logue
"...glorious accompaniment of the Golden State Klezmers... utterly marvellous... helped to bring the audience to its feet at the end of the show, and could have easily held the opening night sophisticates captive for a couple more hours." --Park La Brea News / Beverly Press
"The musical accompaniment by the Golden State Klezmers is a joy in this airy musical evening..." --American Radio Network
"...A terrific eight-piece Band, the Golden State Klezmers flatters the music throughout... wailing joy of the best Klezmer instrumentals..." --The San Diego Union Tribune
"Arguably "Shlemiels" best performers are the Golden State Klezmers... It's in the wail of the Clarinet, the word-painting comic slide of the Trombone and the infectious rhythm of the percussion that the connections between Yiddish culture and American musical theater are most apparent." --The Orange County Register
"...fine eight-piece band's performance... extended finale number and encore were the high point of the show. In fact, I'd have enjoyed the show more if they could have distilled the storyline into a 15-minute skit and just let the Band play for two hours... I'll wait for the CD." --The Outlook
"...a first-class Klezmer band, production's joyous music... Ditto for the eight-piece Golden State Klezmers." --The Jewish Journal
"...the intoxicating rhythms and haunting melodies, emanating from eight-piece Klezmer Band... so rich with ethnic color..." --LA Weekly
Some of the many distinguished private
and corporate clients for whom
Golden State Klezmers has performed:
His Majesty King Mihai I & Her Majesty Quinn Anne of Rumania
President Gerald Ford
Vice President Al Gore
Ambassador of Austria in USA
US Senators
Los Angeles Board of Supervisors
Barbra Streisand
Steven Spielberg and his Family
Haim Saban and his Family
Theodor Bikel
Elmer Bernstein
Danny Elfmann and his Family
Michael Skloff and his Family
Adam Sandler and his Family
Ira Newborn and his Family
Holocaust Museum (Los Angeles)
Skirball Museum (Grand Opening)
New J. Paul Getty Museum (Grand Opening)
Disney Concert Hall
Hollywood Bowl
John Anson Ford Amphitheater
Paramount Pictures
Universal Pictures
Universal Studios
Capitol Records
IDB Bank
Jewish Federation
Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce
Yiddishkayt LA.
All major Synagogues in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara.
All major malls in Los Angeles area.
Major hotels in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Detroit,
San Francisco, Carmel, Monterey, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix.
GSK is available for
Private Parties, Corporate Events,
Weddings, & Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.
TO CONTACT THE GOLDEN STATE KLEZMERS:
(click here)
Happy Super Bowl and Grammy Time, Polka Freak-A-Teers! Two big parties a week apart! Well, Bubba Hernandez and Alex Meixner will be having two parties two days apart in Los Angeles, CA this week. So, if your from Tinsel Town aka Babylon (or know someone who is) there'll be some Grammy Nominated Polka Freak Out there this week. Thursday February 7th will be at Genghis Cohen 740 N Fairfax Ave Los Angeles, CA 90046 (323) 653-0640 www.genghiscohen.com. The Polka Freakists are heavily thinking of making it a special, never tried before, acoustic drummerless night! Then following the Grammy Nomination Party on Saturday February 9th, Bubba and Alex will head over to the historic El Cid (4212 W Sunset Blvd, 323-668-0318) for a full on rockin midnight set. Good friends, I See Hawks in LA will perform at 11pm Jump in somethin' and be there.
