Arts & Entertainment GuideJazz

Ashkenaz Festival: September 2008

  • Harbourfront Centre
  • 235 Queens Quay W. View on map »
  • 416-973-4000

This biannual fest of Yiddish culture continues with another day of bands that blend traditional Jewish music and jazz. Brooklyn-based Andy Statman is a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist: while his clarinet playing can invoke both klezmer great Dave Tarras and John Coltrane, it’s his mandolin work that is most transcendent. Travelling a terrain that includes the American South and the Mediterranean, Statman has collaborated with figures as diverse as violinist Itzhak Perlman and jazz banjoist Béla Fleck. Sept. 1. Enwave Theatre.

Another highlight is New York’s Deep Minor. Led by Russian-born clarinetist Alex Kontorovich, the band presses its traditional sources toward free jazz, with propulsion provided by bassist Reuben Radding and drummer Aaron Alexander. Brandon Seabrook thickens the mix with oriental-sounding banjo and abrasive electric guitar. Sept. 1. Lakeside Terrace.

Romanian-born, Vancouver-based violinist Lache Cercel and the Roma Swing Ensemble combine Middle Eastern rhythms and melodies in a happily exotic band that emphasizes the violin and guitar palette of Django Reinhardt’s Hot Club of France. Sept. 1. Sirius Stage.

From the opposite end of the country, Halifax’s Gypsophilia claims similar musical roots, compounding Parisian gypsy jazz and cabaret with tango and klezmer, and a mix of acoustic guitars, accordion and violin. Aug. 31. Toronto Star Stage.—Stuart Broomer

When:
Aug. 31/08 - Sep. 1/08
How Much:
Up to $25, most events free
Event Web Site:
http://www.ashkenazfestival....
Location

Large map

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