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Metropolitan Klezmer is the creative collaborative adventure of eight top NYC-based musicians, approaching tradition with irreverence and deep respect. Now celebrating 15 years since the band's formation, the group fills performances with an imaginative array of gorgeously arranged music described as "anything but stereotypical, and nothing but terrific" (Cosmik Debris), both vocal and panoramically instrumental. Praised by critics for their levity mixed with gravity, five-star eclectic exuberance, and formidable musicianship, the group is described as "modern-day purveyors of time-honored traditions" by Flavorpill. Playing Yiddish music from all over the map, Metropolitan Klezmer finds new settings for lesser-known gems as well as creating genre-defying originals. Bandmates' backgrounds range from Albanian to Zydeco, as well as from Ska to R&B to Baroque and much more, producing a neo-traditional klezmer spectrum incuding dance frolics, trance chants, plus hard-swinging Second Avenue classics and retro-fitted tango, from delightfully rambunctious to ethereally exquisite. Originally formed as a quintet in 1994 with the late great Howie Leess on clarinet and tenor sax, Metropolitan Klezmer has grown to an octet known for its virtuosic versatility and relaxed, hard-swingingly tight performance.

Metropolitan Klezmer's music appears in soundtracks and live stage productions from HBO's upcoming feature "SCHMATTA: Rags to Riches to Rags" (documentary about the garment industry) to London's Royal Ballet at Covent Garden (First Drafts)to SITI Theatre Co. at New York Theater Workshop & national tour of Score. Broadcasts with Metropolitan Klezmer in performance have aired on CNN Worldbeat's Crazy for Klezmer, ARD German TV's Rhythms of New York, and live on-air for WFUV's CityFolk, WFMU's Trans-Pacific Sound Paradise, and WVBR's Bound For Glory. Our four award-winning CDs are distributed worldwide by Stern's Music, radio airplay has appeared around the globe, including a feature on PRI's Sound & Spirit. Metropolitan Klezmer discs on Rhythm Media Records are distributed worldwide by Stern's Music Ltd, and here are CD Baby links for hearing clips from all tracks, reading more, and buying these online:

.. METROPOLITAN KLEZMER: Traveling Show (2007), live! plus Klezbonus-->

.. METROPOLITAN KLEZMER: Surprising Finds (2003) -->

Metropolitan Klezmer's CDs have won Outmusic Awards and made Top Ten lists internationally, including Best of 2007 lists in Jewish Week NYC, Jewish Journal LA, Detroit Jewish News and Boston Jewish Advocate. We've also made year-end top ratings from Lucid Culture and Phat Planet, and finalists in Just Plain Folks Music Awards: Best Album (klezmer). Tunes from Metropolitan Klezmer's releases have also been heard in such shows as the Royal Ballet's First Drafts at London's Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and SITI Theatre Co.'s Score Off-Broadway and on national tour. All Rhythm Media Records releases by Metropolitan Klezmer and Isle of Klezbos are distributed worldwide by Stern's Music Ltd (offices in NYC and London). In addition, Metropolitan Klezmer tracks are featured on compilations including Tzadik label's "Music from the Winery," live from Tonic's klezmer series, curated by David Krakauer on the Radical Jewish Culture imprint.

Metropolitan Klezmer has performed at venues from the legendary Bottom Line cabaret to full houses at the concert halls of the 92nd Street Y, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Museum of Jewish Heritage, and the World Financial Center's Festival of Sound & Light, as well as multiple appearances onstage at Makor, Tonic, The Jewish Museum, The Knitting Factory, joe's pub at The Public Theater, and Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction. Our bandmates also play in styles from Albanian to Zydeco, funk to classical to reggae to Latin jazz as well as klezmer. For full bandmate bios, including everything from world tours to conservatory training, see: http://metropolitanklezmer.com .

Our new album, TRAVELING SHOW, features a variety of tunes from recent live shows, including gorgeous traditionals, hot arrangements of folk-based swing, Yiddish/Latin charmers, and beautiful new compositions. Jewish Week's George Robinson gave it five stars, one of only eight CDs to receive this year's top rating. "Originality, expert musicianship and a keen world music sensibility" - All About Jazz ::: Our very latest video: "Comes Love" as a Yinglish Latin groove - with Missy Fogarty's vocals and solos by Pam, Reut, and Debra of our amazing horn section: This blast of a wedding dance, "Kalarash" -- a traditional tune, moody processional at the very top -- then very soon kicks into fiery high gear: This next original arrangement, also heard on our latest CD, includes two melodies heard on vintage Yiddish soundtracks: "Grandma's Dance & Lebedik un Freylekh" performed live at NYC's Drom! Here is Metropolitan Klezmer's favorite finale, the MAINLY RUMANIAN MEDLEY, featuring Ismail Butera on accordion with the full band at Drom in April 2009: Here's Metropolitan Klezmer performing SHPIL DU FIDL, SHPIL (Yiddish tango! from the 1936 film YIDL MITN FIDL too) at Drom NYC in April 2009, sung by Melissa Fogarty with our full octet: Next we have Metropolitan Klezmer's GUYS & DOLLS & BAGELS medley also played live at Drom nightclub in NYC: Here's a quick clip of trumpeter Pam Fleming soloing on her latest horn with the band: a kudu (antelope) shofar! Riff arranged by bandleader Eve Sicular: Outdoor concert videos include three full tunes of live band show footage from the Summer on the Hudson pier stage this July, plus some revealing archival movie clips and fascinating subtexts in the tango number. Drummer/bandleader Eve Sicular also lectures on "The Celluloid Closet of Yiddish Film" (vintage soundtrack music in unexpected adaptations is one of our specialties).

Here's "Ot Azoy Neyt A Shnayder," a Yiddish swing vocal number based on a folk tune (also heard on our Traveling Show and Surprising Finds CDs):

This one below's a medley of wedding dance tunes ("C Minor Bulgar & Ken O'Hara Freylekh" ... Ken is not a real person, by the way; that's just a play on the Yiddish phrase for 'keep the evil eye away' ~ keyn ayn hara; and 'freylekh' means happy, joyous, gay; from the same root as 'frolic'!) These two instrumentals are heard as this very medley on the new Traveling Show CD, and also as separate tracks on our debut disc Yiddish For Travelers. And yes, all klezmer groups play parties too:

Here below you'll find Yiddish film footage and much more, together with Metropolitan Klezmer's live octet performing "Muzikalisher [Musical] Tango," our very special Yiddish Celluloid Closet montage... more at http://metropolitanklezmer.com/celluloid.html . We love this tune so much it's on three of our recordings -- Mosaic Persuasion [full liner note explication], Traveling Show [live in concert], and as "Shadkhn Tango" on Surprising Finds [live show version] -- and even on our sister sextet's CD, Greetings from the Isle of Klezbos. Enjoy: