Saltaré brings together musical traditions from around the world and explores the many ways that folk music intersects with dance, classical music, jazz, and improvisatory music. Saltare originally met in the New England Conservatory of Music’s Contemporary Musical Arts department, where they played in the Middle Eastern Ensemble. They have since moved into many other types of music, ranging from traditional styles from Ireland, Canada, and the Appalachians, classical Turkish music, Jewish cantorial music, and avant-garde improvisation. Each of their ventures explores the many ways music explores groove, melody, and rhythm, and brings them all together in the form of compelling, emotional, and catchy original music. This evening they will feature a guest violinist, Michelle Zimmerman.
Artist Category: Klezmer
Rebecca Mac
Rebecca Mac is Boston-based violinist and violist, regularly performing in various ensembles including Mamaliga, a contemporary quartet performing original Klezmer and Eastern-European folk inspired compositions, Zol Zayn, a klezmer dance-band, and Zunroyz, a trio un-earthing string repertoire from the Jewish music archives. Mac can also be found performing on the Turkish yali tanbur. Mac has performed nationally and internationally at renowned music festivals including KlezKanada, Yiddish Summer Weimar and Yiddish New York.
Wandering Laughter
Klezmer trio Wandering Laughter is a lively collaboration between cellist Taiward Wider, fiddler Cecilia Vacanti, and accordionist Alex Lacava. Based in the city of Boston, all three attended Berklee College of Music. There, the three of them were active in the American Roots Music Program playing numerous folk traditions including Old Time and Appalachian fiddle, Celtic, Bluegrass, New England fiddle, ragtime, gypsy jazz and of course, Klezmer.
You may hear instrumentals from a dance music tradition or songs from Yiddish theater or folk songs of Russia and Eastern Europe. Wandering Laughter plays music that is by turns heartfelt, soulful and invigorating. With tight harmonies, warm and inviting vocals, and sharp arrangements, they strike a balance between replicating traditional sounds and adding a modern twist. Just a few Yiddish troubadours spreading mazl (luck), freyd (joy), and of course gelekhter (laughter).
Shirim
Shirim Klezmer Orchestra has taken its unique klezmer across North America and Europe. The band has played with the Philladelphia Pops Orchestra, has appeared on the soundtrack of Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry,” played at Lincoln Center and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Shirim has collaborated with renowned artist/writer Maurice Sendak on “Pincus and the Pig” and public radio’s Ellen Kushner on “The Golden Dreydl.”
The members of Shirim all also perform in Naftule’s Dream , an avant jazz/klezmer band which has recorded three albums on John Zorn’s Tzadik /Radical Jewish Culture label. As Naftules Dream they have performed all over Europe including the Berlin, Germany Jazzfest, as well as the New York City Jazz Festival, the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival in Washington, DC and the Ashkenaz Festival of New Yiddish Culture in Toronto among others.
Klezwoods
Klezwoods is a wild amalgam of strings, horns, and percussion that melds the spirit of Jewish, Eastern European, Arabic, and North African music traditions with modern grooves, improvisation, and melodic interplay.
The ensemble serves as a truly modern American melting pot of musical cultures, as each world renowned performer brings a unique voice and musical background to the mix. The formidable range of the band members and tightly arranged melodies only add to the audience’s experience of Klezwoods’ music: wildly exuberant Balkan wedding parties, somber clarinet melodies, stately Ottoman-inspired themes, upbeat klezmer dances, and barn burning, funky North African beats. All are presented in a dynamic manner that is unique to Klezwoods, while embracing and paying deep respect to all of these cultural and musical influences. Simply put, “it’s a party you won’t want to miss out on.” (MuzikReviews.com)
