Accordion Legend Guy Klucevsek and Trumpeter Volker Goetze to Perform at Roulette

Step right up! Step right in... to Little Big Top, the charming debut album from a new quartet led by accordion legend Guy Klucevsek (kloo-SEH-vik) with visionary trumpeter Volker Goetze. This fine compendium of engaging Klucevsek creations that were written over two decades is produced by Goetze, arranged by Klucevsek, and is filled with musical thrills and spills to surprise and delight.

The duo will celebrate the digital release of Little Big Top with a performance on November 6 at Roulette in Brooklyn. They will be joined by the two musicians who round out their newly formed quartet: NYC jazz and classical veterans Doug Wieselman on bass clarinet and clarinet), and Jeff Hudgins alto saxophone. Ticketing and additional information can be found at http://bit.ly/3C8x18V .

Goetze and Klucevsek discovered their considerable musical alchemy serendipitously when the Snug Harbor Cultural Center commissioned Goetze to curate music for the 'Little Amal Walks' humanitarian project as it passed through Staten Island in 2022. Upon hearing the ensemble that gathered for that occasion, Goetze couldn't leave the gold in the vein. He proposed to capture the magic on an album, Klucevsek agreed, Staten Island Arts provided funding, and the resulting album will be available for all to hear digitally on November 8, 2024, with a handsome digipak CD release to follow on January 31, 2025. Famed stained glass artist Joseph Cavalieri (cavaglass.org) created the whimsical cover as inspired by Little Big Top's special blend of fine artistry and humor.

In addition to showcasing the kaleidoscopic brilliance of Klucevsek's compositional and accordionist prowess, Little Big Top's unusual instrumentation allows Goetze's soulful and richly melodic approach to the horn to emerge as a highlight. Crucial to this quartet's sound are NYC jazz and classical veterans Doug Wieselman (bass clarinet & clarinet), and Jeff Hudgins (alto saxophone). Hudgins also sings on the sole vocal track, 'Comin' on Home,' which Klucevesek wrote to honor Little Amal, the 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee child who's been walking the world to bring awareness to the plight of refugee children, and who serendipitously brought Klucevsek and Goetze together.

The Little Big Top show kicks off with its zany, circus-themed title track. "I have loved circus music since I was a child," reminisces Klucevsek. "The sound of carousels and mechanical instruments still sends chills up my spine and brings a smile to my face." The ensuing thirteen tracks take us on a virtual travelog with stops in Ethiopia ("Fez Up"), Eastern Europe ("Euroslavian Wedding Dance"), Germany ("Three-Quarter Moon" [in memory of Kurt Weil], and there is even a visit to exotic Western Pennsylvania ("Meet Me on the Midway") where Klucevsek became enthralled with the accordion-driven, Slovenian-American polka tradition that he encountered growing up in a coal mining family near Pittsburgh. "This music is in my blood," says the accordionist, "and has brought - and continues to bring - joy to countless people across the world." Eventually, he brings the album home with a heavenly closer, "Hymn for Her" - a tribute to Jan, his "darling wife of 50+ years".

This audiophile album was recorded by Goetze with Klucevsek's long-time collaborator Jeanne Velonis, mixed by the multi-GRAMMY-winning engineer John Kilgore, and mastered by multi-GRAMMY-winner Alan Silverman. The Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio mix was prepared by Kilgore, known for his fine work with The Kronos Quartet and other top classical and new music artists. The digital album will drop on November 8 in both standard + Dolby Atmos. The full CD will be released on January 31.2025.

For Klucevsek, one of the world's most accomplished accordionists and eclectic composers, Little Big Top marks his 26th leader release in an amazingly broad body of work that spans five decades and myriad genres, from avant-garde to new music, to classical, to polkas, to circus, to ballet music, to participation in famous film scores by the likes of A.R. Rahmen and John Williams, and even a stint on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. He has been lauded by Kyle Gann of The Village Voice as creating "the world's most abnormal 'normal' music," and by The Wall Street Journal as "...a trailblazing virtuoso."

Little Big Top marks Goetze's seventh album as a leader/producer. His first fame arrived with his debut projects on Motéma, Sira, and the award-winning Amanke Dionti, an achingly beautiful trumpet with Senegalese kora and vocals duo album that was voted "Best World Music Album of 2012" by NPR's The World, and earned Goetze an honored place on the jazz-meets-world-music map. His timeless productions, offer a welcome salve for today's troubled world and have racked up close to twenty million streams worldwide. Most recently the eponymous debut of his current touring group, Flamenkora (Motema, 2023), garnered international acclaim for its thrilling mix of trumpet, flamenco guitar, and Senegalese kora and vocals. Flamenkora is selling out shows in Europe and is now working on a follow-up release. Goetze is also gearing up to release Sargal - a kora and vocal duo with Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko and guest percussionist, Mino Cenelu

"Collaborating with Maestro Klucevsek has been a profound lesson in depth, humanity, sincerity, and honesty," explains Goetze. "He is a true master, who has redefined the role of the accordion in jazz, dance, world, pop, rock, world and classical music." The 77-year-old legend, who came out of performance retirement for the 2022 Little Amal performance mentioned above, is delighted with this release which he counts among the best recordings of his compositions to date. "It has been my great privilege to collaborate closely with Volker," he relates. "As the producer, he took care of so many details to make this album possible, and he turned Casa Klucevsek into a first-class recording studio. As a musician, he amazes me with his earnest dedication to internalizing the language of so many different musical traditions. He studied the intricacies of each Little Big Top composition so closely, and he played such beautiful trumpet lines to organically complement each song. Meanwhile, Doug and Jeff's contributions were also invaluable; each providing the perfect sounds to fill in the mosaic." What a blessing was brought to us by Little Amal! I hope this album brings joy to all who hear it."

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