YIDDISH JAMS
KlezmerQuerque celebrates east Europeanrooted Jewish music
This is the 15th anniversary of KlezmerQuerque, Albuquerque’s homegrown festival paying tribute to the variety of Jewish music of eastern Europe.
“I want to dedicate it to my mom for much of my life and interest in Yiddishkeit (Jewishness). She died last October,” said Beth Cohen, coordinator of KlezmerQuerque.
As it has been doing since its inception, KlezmerQuerque will have a potpourri of live music and dance presented in concerts, dance parties, workshops and religious services.
Two of the special guests are Jack “Yankl” Falk and Christina Crowder, both musicians and ethnomusicologists.
They go way back — back more than 20 years, to Hungary, when they began playing together as members of Di Naye Kapelye ensemble, a gig that lasted for many years.
For the Saturday night KlezmerQuerque concert , Falk, a clarinetist and singer/cantor, said he cherrypicked material from various sources.
The material encompasses tunes from the Hasidic tradition, “including a prayer, a folk tune from Moldavia that’s congruent with Klezmer music, Yiddish folk songs, Jewish liturgy and songs that are especially poignant in our current national crisis … that talks about ethical values and wealth, a couple of songs that carry forward the holy flavor of the Sabbath as well begin the challenges of the week, and a couple of good, oldfashioned Yiddish drinking songs.”
Falk and Crowder, an accordionist, have played together less frequently in recent years, so both were thrilled that they were reconnecting.
“She brings a joy and great musical sensitivity to her work. She’s a generous collaborator,” he said of Crowder.
Cohen, Nahalat Shalom’s cantorial
soloist, will lead tonight’s service with help from the Alavados holy days ensemble and the Rikud dancers, followed by The Rebbe’s Orchestra, Falk and Crowder. Then there will be more dancing and music with the Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer Band, Rikud and guest dancer Bruce Bierman. Cohen, Falk and Alavados will participate in the Saturday morning service. The Rebbe’s Orchestra opens the Saturday evening concert, followed by Falk and Crowder. Afterward, there will be a dance party led by Bierman.
On Sunday, Falk, Crowder and Bierman will give workshops, and Clara Byom will lecture on “Mixing in Too Much Jewish: American Klezmer Musicians of the 1950s to 1970s.”