Isle Of Klezbos Celebrates Women's History Month At City Winery Loft

ISLE of KLEZBOS, the swinging all-women's klezmer sextet, will celebrate Women's History Month with a special concert at City Winery Loft on Saturday, March 16 at 9:00 PM. The fun-loving powerhouse group - dubbed a "paradigm-shifting, brilliantly tuneful klezmer group" by New York Music Daily - recently returned from a 20th anniversary West Coast tour. Approaching Yiddish tradition with both playful irreverence and soulful respect, the group combines stellar talents to form a unique repertoire also noted for exceptional, genre-defying original compositions. Beyond boisterous dance rambunction, mystical melodies, love-songs, lullabies, Soviet Jewish surprises, and Big Band-stylings for long-lost Yiddish pop standards, the ensemble also presents new klezmer reggae and klezmerengue. Fun new selections include the fabulous klezmer boogaloo "Mosholu Barbecue," written by reed player Debra Kreisberg, the rarely-performed post-war Yiddish pop tune "Parnose mit Gezunt," and the mischievous multi-lingual mother/son sparring song "Itsinke Mayn Zun." Tickets are available at HERE.

The ISLE of KLEZBOS ensemble has toured from Vienna to Vancouver and performs a dazzling array of original and neo-traditional music. Capping a triumphant year in which the group has toured across the country with dates throughout California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, they will embark on their debut Florida tour later this month. Hailed as "cutting-edge Klezmer" by New York Magazine, their lushly-arranged music spans moods from rowdy to ethereal, with inspired solos and vocal scatting in a multi-lingual setting: dance rollicks, Second Avenue Yiddish swing, haunting retro tango, Soviet Jewish drinking song, and re-grooved standards.

ISLE of KLEZBOS will appear with musician, painter and educator Natalia Zukerman on the upcoming studio album version of her powerful multi-media theater piece, The Women Who Rode Away, originally developed at the cell theatre.

Metropolitan Klezmer, Isle of Klezbos' sibling ensemble, is celebrating their 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee year in 2019. Metropolitan Klezmer bandmates Debra Kreisberg, Ismail Butera, and Eve Sicular will be featured in Refuge, the new theater piece created by the Blessed Unrest from April 25 to May 11. More information is at www.blessedunrest.org.

Dubbed a "super-group" by The Jewish Week, ISLE of KLEZBOS features the stellar talents of vocalist Melissa Fogarty, clarinet/saxophonist Debra Kreisberg, trumpeter Pam Fleming, accordionist/pianist Shoko Nagai, double bassist Saskia Lane, and drummer/leader Eve Sicular. Sicular's musical documentary theater hit J. EDGAR KLEZMER: Songs from My Grandmother's FBI Files enjoyed a sold-out run at HERE Arts Center in 2015, and was praised by The New York Times as "smartly written" with a "lively score." ISLE of KLEZBOS has also performed with Eve Sicular's Celluloid Closet of Yiddish Film multi-media program at the Center for Jewish History, co-presented by the American Jewish Historical Society and YIVO Institute. Their latest CD, Live From Brooklyn, was featured on The Huffington Post, heard on WFMU Radio and "Recommended" by All About Jazz.

ISLE of KLEZBOS bandmates are alumnae of Juilliard, Eastman, Berklee and Manhattan Schools of Music, Harvard and more whose individual credits include stints with Beyoncé, Burning Spear and Seattle Baroque, as well as Natalie Merchant, Taylor Mac, Natalie Cole, and New York City Opera. Bandleader Eve Sicular and several others from the sister sextet also perform with NYC-based Metropolitan Klezmer octet, and Klezbos broadcast credits range from "CBS Sunday Morning" to "The L Word." Other projects include studio recording with Grammy Award-nominated Scissor Sisters, commissioned concert for artist Kiki Smith at NYC's Museum at Eldridge Street, and dynamic house band for singer/songwriter Jill Sobule's original Music from Yentl at Lincoln Center and Joe's Pub. Since 1999, their annual KlezBiGay Pride sextet shows have featured guest MCs from Lisa Kron to Jackie Hoffman. Klezbos.com

ISLE of KLEZBOS will perform at City Winery Loft on Saturday, March 16 at 9:00 PM. Doors open at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. The venue is located 155 Varick St, 2nd floor New York, NY 10013. Please call (212) 608-0555 for more information.

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