Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Israel Vibration, Augustus Pablo, Fela Kuti, James Brown, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Herbie Mann, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Oum Kalthoum, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rico Rodriguez, Don Drummond, Carlos Santana
Sounds Like
Matisyahu, Fela Kuti, Antibalas, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Oum Kalthoum, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Augustus Pablo, Rico Rodriguez, Don Drummond, Steve Turre, Pharaoh's Daughter, Raquy and the Cavemen, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Putumayo, Mawaal, The Klezmatics, J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Soulive, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Israel Vibration, Herbie Mann
- CD REVIEWS -
“I have received your CDs and they are FANTASTIC!! Everything from the art on the CD jackets to the liner notes to the music on the CDs is first class. I have already scheduled several tracks to use on my music program on WNWR and wnwr.com in Philadelphia. My listeners are in store for a real treat when they hear the fresh and exuberant sound of your music. Your blending of the rhythms and the combination of traditional and new selections makes for a wonderfully varied and delightful listening experience. Thanks for the great new additions to my playlist!!”
- Barry Reisman
Program Host
WNWR AM 1540
(Philadelphia, USA)
"Love the music…I can’t wait to put them on the JazzXpress playlist. Amazing fusion of genres….YES! YES! YES!"
- Helen Simons
JazzXpress 94.1FM Jazz Radio
(Queensland, Australia)
"On the aptly titled ‘Eyn Velt’ (which means ‘One World’), Brian Bender achieves several landmarks. For one, he gathers some of the greatest Klezmer and non-Klezmer musicians in the world, including trumpeter Frank London and violinist Alicia Svigals of the Klezmatics and the saxophonist Charles Neville of the famed New Orleans group, the Neville Brothers. The dozens of other musicians on hand from all traditions testify to Bender’s universal musical world-view, as does the music they make: World Music with Jewish roots."
- Seth Rogovoy
author of ‘The Essential Klezmer’
Host of “The Klezmer Hour” radio show
"I am the music manager for radio station PBS FM Melbourne Australia. We have just received your wonderful CDs "Urban Jungle" and "Eyn Velt". Certainly two highly stylish CDs, incredibly sublime yet subtle, explorative, with exquisite composition choice and orchestration. These CDs are very passionate and intimate with colorful mood changes all joining together to create a vast musical tapestry of styles. The compositions you have chosen are stunning interpretations accentuated by your playing and by your very talented band, minimalist in nature at times but very rhythmic so as to not distract from the beauty of your playing. Your passion for the music shines through every note played, a truly wonderful partnership. World music-inspired Jazz is one of our most listened to and leading styles here at this station and in this city."
- Peter Merritt
PBS FM (Melbourne, Australia)
“Brian Bender….the most-requested Klezmer trombone in the Northeast USA”
“Bender's trombone is an entire horn section, when needed, by himself.”
- Ari Davidov, Klezmershack
"Eyn Velt lovingly brings back the rhythms and sounds of our ancestors as the sounds of today. Some wonderful unexpected twists, like a tangy latin version of the yiddish chestnut "Shloimele, Malkele" and a Rastafarian approach to a traditional Bobover Hasidic processional."
- Dr. Hankus Netsky, New England Conservatory of Music
Director, Klezmer Conservatory Band
Pioneer of the Klezmer revival
“I find your sound very interesting. You really mix the rhythms in a nice way and the arrangements are very effective. And you did not lose the precious traditional melodies.”
- Carlos Kibrit, YiddishMusic.com
(internet radio station based in Sao Paulo, Brazil)
“Oy, I’ve been looking everywhere for this CD!”
- Elijah T. Prophet
Here is a partial list of venues where I have performed:
- FESTIVALS -
Gathering of the Vibes
(Red Hook, NY)
Wormtown Music Fest (Hadley, MA)
Berkshire Music Fest (Great Barrington, MA)
Baia Des Gatos Festival (Cape Verde, West Africa)
Vermont Reggae Fest (Burlington, VT)
Green River Fest (Greenfield, MA)
Bloomfield Drum Festival (Bloomfield, CT)
Drums Around The World (Amherst, MA)
Hot Summer Nights (Amherst, MA)
Adirondack Music Fest (Lyonsdale, NY)
Drumming in the New Millenium Festival (Great Pyramids, Egypt)
Inauguration of President Bill Clinton (Washington, DC)
World Peace and Prayer Day (Amenia, NY)
Falcoln Ridge Folk Festival (Hinsdale, MA)
Old Songs Folk Festival (Altamont, NY)
New England Reggae Festival (RI)
Bread and Roses Festival (Lawrence, MA)
Charlemont Reggae Festival (Charlemont, MA)
New England Folk Festival of the Arts (Natick, MA)
Cambridge River Festival (Cambridge, MA)
Camp Kinderland (Tolland, MA)
Porter-Phelps Huntington Museum (Hadley, MA)
Maine Festival (Portland, ME)
International Festival of Arts and Ideas (New Haven, CT)
Reggae Sunsplash (Greensboro, NC)
Greensboro Justice Foundation Festival (Greensboro, NC)
- HAS OPENED UP FOR -
Maceo Parker
Burning Spear
The Wailers
Israel Vibration
Culture
Lucky Dube
The Itals
Peter, Paul and Mary
Pete Seeger
Jean Richie
Sweet Honey and the Rock
Toots and the Maytals
- CONCERTS -
Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA)
National Yiddish Bookcenter (Amherst, MA)
Carnegie Hall (New York, NY)
Jordan Hall (Boston, MA)
Yung Yiddish (Jerusalem, Israel)
Zeitgeist (Boston)
First Night (Boston, MA)
First Night (Northampton, MA)
First Night (Worcester, MA)
First Night (Hartford, CT)
Libraries all over New England....
The Towers (RI)
Artbank (Shelburne Falls, MA)
World Peace and Prayer Sanctuary (Amenia, NY)
The Roxy Theatre (Boston, MA)
Workmen’s Circle (Philadelphia, PA)
Eisenhower Park (Hempstead, NY)
Berkshire Museum (Pittsfield, MA)
Claremont Opera House (Claremont, NH)
Full Moon Coffehouse (Wendell, MA)
Utica Monday Nights (Utica, NY)
92nd St. YMCA (New York, NY)
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) (Newark, NJ)
CLUBS
Iron Horse (Northampton, MA)
Pearl Street (Northampton, MA)
Johhny D’s (Boston, MA)
Club Metronome (Burlington, VT)
The Western Front (Boston, MA)
Ashkenaz (Berkeley, CA)
The Hotel Utah (San Francisco, CA)
The Full Moon Saloon (San Francisco, CA)
The Knitting Factory (New York, NY)
S.O.B.’s (New York, NY)
Satalla (New York, NY)
Club Passim (Cambridge, MA)
The Folkway (Peterborogh, NH)
Café Lena (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Club Helsinki (Great Barrington, MA)
Fire and Water (Northampton, MA)
CAV Coffehouse (Providence, RI)
Tonic (New York, NY)
The Empty Glass (Charlotte, NC)
Town Crier (Pawling, NY)
- RADIO APPEARANCES -
Jack Falk’s Radio Hour (Portland, OR)
Numerous stations in North and South Carolina
UMASS Amherst
WERS (Boston, MA)
National Public Radio (Chicago, IL)
(Interviewed about Klezmer Music)
WJCT (Jacksonville, Florida)
WFCR (Amherst, MA) “Valley Folk”
WMUA (Amherst, MA)
WAMC (Albany, NY)
WRSI (Greenfield, MA)
- COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES -
Brandeis University (Waltham, MA)
Fitchburg State College (Fitchburg, MA)
Greenfield Community College (Greenfield, MA)
Hampshire College (Amherst, MA)
Holyoke Community College (Holyoke, MA)
Lyndonville State College (Montpelier, VT)
Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA)
Northeastern University (Boston, MA)
Simon’s Rock College (Great Barrington, MA)
Smith College (Northampton, MA)
UC Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
UMASS Amherst (Amherst, MA)
Westfield State College (Westfield, MA)
Quinnipiac College (New Haven, CT)
Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO)
Grinnel University (NY)
Landmark College (Putney, VT)
Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT)
University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)
North Adams State College (North Adams, MA)
Western New England College (Springfield, MA)
Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)
Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
Franklin Pierce College (Rindge, NH)
School for International Training (Brattleboro, VT)
Berkshire Community College (Pittsfield, MA)
University of Iowa at Iowa City
Guilford College
- SCHOOLS/CAMPS -
Williston-Northampton School (Easthampton, MA)
Suffield Academy (Suffield, CT)
Berkshire Hills Music Academy (South Hadley, MA)
Deerfield Academy (Deerfield, MA)
The Putney School (Putney, VT)
Northfield Mount Hermon (Northfield, MA)
Erving Elementary School (Erving, MA)
Jackson Street School (Northampton, MA)
Camp Kinderland (Tolland, MA)
- COMMUNITY CENTERS -
JCC Springfield, MA
JCC Jacksonville, FL
JCC New Haven, CT
JCC Newton, MA
JCC Portland, OR
JCC Iowa
JCC Omaha, Nebraska
JCC Allentown, PA
with special guests:
Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce) - guitar, bass
Adam Deitch (John Scofield, Lettuce) - drums
Charles Neville (Neville Brothers) - saxophone
Jose Gonzalez (Bando Criolla) - guitar, cuatro
Hilary Noble (Enclave) - congas
BRIAN BENDER & LITTLE SHOP OF HORAS
"Eyn Velt"
Original and Traditional Jewish Melodies blended with
Latin, Caribbean, African and Middle Eastern rhythms
with special guests:
Frank London (Klezmatics, Hasidic New Wave) - trumpet
Alicia Svigals (Klezmatics, Mikveh) - violin
Charles Neville (Neville Brothers) - saxophone
Stuart Brotman (Brave Old World) - bass
Grant Smith (Klezmer Conservatory Band) - drums
Raquy Danziger (the Cavemen) - middle eastern percussion
Backa Niang (Gokhi-Bi System) - african percussion
- GUEST ARTIST WITH DI GOYIM AND DI FIDL KAPELYE IN HOLLAND-
Hi and thanks for visiting my page!
I am a professional musician (trombone, keyboards, melodica, trumpet, vocals, percussion) and composer based in the Northeastern USA. I have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Presidential Inauguration of Bill Clinton, the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Israel, West Africa (Cape Verde Islands), Italy, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Alaska and throughout the United States. I perform frequently at clubs, festivals, schools, concerts, parties, etc. throughout New England, New York and beyond. Each summer I visit and perform in Europe.
Over the past 15 years, I have performed extensively with a wide variety of bands, including Black Rebels (African Reggae), The Wholesale Klezmer Band (Jewish Folk Music), Big Bandemonium (Celtic), the Pangeans (World Beat), O.J. Ekemode and the Nigerian All-Stars (Afrobeat), Kotoja (Afrobeat, Juju), Shokazoba (Afrobeat), the World Beat Ensemble (World Music), the Berkshire Bateria Escola De Samba (Brazilian), La Perfecta (Salsa/Merengue), Revelacion (Latin Jazz), Di Bostoner Klezmer (Jewish Folk Music), the Brown Bag Guzzlers (Blues), Beans and Rice (Blues), The West End Blues Band (Blues), the Gumbo Jumbo Dixieland Band (Traditional Jazz), the Brian Bender Jazz Group (Jazz), Jaya The Cat (Ska), Lucky Seven (Ska), Jazzotree (Jazz/Poetry), Ibrahima Camera's World Beat (African), and others.
With the African Reggae group Black Rebels I opened up for The Wailers, Burning Spear, Culture, Israel Vibration, Toots and the Maytals and Steel Pulse at a variety of major Reggae festivals. With the Wholesale Klezmer Band I have performed at Carnegie Hall and the Presidential Inauguration of Bill Clinton. In December of 1999 I performed in a world music festival at the Great Pyramids in Egypt. I have also performed in numerous tribute concerts for the legendary jazz bandleader Sun Ra at venues such as the Knitting Factory (NYC) and the Southern University of New Orleans with Michael Ray, Kidd Jordan, Trudy Morse, Gunter Hampel, Billy Bang and others. In 1989 I was asked by Art Blakey to “sit in” with the Jazz Messengers at the Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA).
Here are some website links of bands that I currently play with:
Little Shop of Horas Original and Traditional Jewish Melodies blended with Latin, Caribbean, African and Middle Eastern Rhythms
The Pangeans Latin Jazz, Samba, Calypso, Funk, Afrobeat, Reggae
Aaron Koppel Quartet @ Andy's Jazz Club 11/20 and 11/21
We are very excited about playing at such an awesome jazz club. We have some great sets lined up for you, so don't miss it.
Friday and Saturday November 20th and 21st, 5:00-8:30p at Andy's Jazz Club The Aaron Koppel Quartet 5-8:30p, Corey Wilkes group plays at 9:30p 11 E. Hubbard St. Chicago, IL 60611 The Aaron Koppel Quartet performing original music from "The Wild Call Of The Multi-Takser" and their new album "Falling Together Falling Apart", jazz standards, covers by Radiohead and James Brown. New album will be available for purchase at the show. 21+ Cover $10
Aaron Koppel -Guitar, Matt Nelson; (Lupe Fiasco, Matthew Santos) -Keyboard, Graham Czach; (Chicago Afrobeat Project) -bass, Robert Tucker (Matthew Santos) -drums http://www.andysjazzclub.com http://www.myspace.com/aaronkoppelmusic http://www.coreywilkes.com
Thank you for loving my music!! I'm blessed with such wonderful people around me! CD is available for purchase now. Contact polinaj.management@gmail.com to order a CD. I start touring this summer with my new program and will be happy to meet all of you! Love & light, PolinaJ
