By Jessica Davis, JTNews Correspondent
Those attending KlezFest on Nov. 10 at Temple Beth Am in Seattle can expect a lively mix of Jewish music this year.
Henry Sapoznik, producer of the Yiddish Radio Project that aired on National Public Radio this year, will headline. Sapoznik is also a composer, author and performer of traditional Yiddish and American music. He will join klezmer clarinet stand-out Margot Leverett and nationally-known accordionist Laurie Andres in a small ensemble, playing a variety of traditional Yiddish and klezmer songs.
Sapoznik will play the banjo and sing.
Although this is his first performance at KlezFest, he is no stranger to Seattle. He performed at Folklife about 15 years ago and has friends here. He also plans to perform on the banjo with two other musicians at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend.
Leverett, a former Seattle resident, now lives in New York. Years ago, she played with local klezmer group The Mazeltones with KlezFest organizer Wendy Marcus.
“I love Seattle. I have many happy memories of the two years I lived there,” said Leverett. “It has the best contradance scene in the country – great jam sessions of American fiddle tunes and great coffee too.”
Leverett and Sapoznik have performed together for about 15 years. They used to have a band together called “Freylekh, Freylekh!” and often play together around the country, most notably at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
A protege of the legendary Sid Beckerman, Leverett helped to found a group called, “The Klezmatics” in 1985, before moving on to a solo career. She has performed with actor Joel Gray in “Borschtcapades,” with Theodore Bikel in “Greetings from Sholem Aleichem,” with Bruce Adler and the Philly Pops and with the Klezmer Conservatory Band in “Schlemiel the First.”
Her solo recording, “The Art of Klezmer Clarinet” was released on Traditional Crossroads in January, 2000. Locally, in 2001, Levrett was featured in Port Townsend at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. More information can be found about Leverett at www.klezmermountainboys.com and www.zianet.com/leverett/margot.
In addition to the headlining group, Seattle’s own klezmer sextet, the Klez Katz make its KlezFest debut.
“It’s a great way for Jewish people to have something to meet about,” said Harvey Niebulski, vocalist and accordionist of Klez Katz.
The all-male group plans to perform a mix of klezmer, Russian-Jewish music and Hebrew-Israeli music. Audiences should also expect klezmer tunes from the ‘20s and ‘30s that are very fast, energetic and danceable.
“We play a whole variety of different stuff,” said Niebulski. The group has a variety of musical backgrounds in addition to Niebulski’s, including Brad Spear on flute, Steve Goldstein on drums, Jay Krulewitch on tenor and soprano saxophones, Martin Totusek on piano and Thaddeus Spae on trombone. Some are classically trained, some have jazz backgrounds, some are fluent Yiddish speakers and not all of them are even Jewish, said Niebulski. Krulewitch, a jazz and rhythm and blues musician, had never played klezmer music before joining Klez Katz.
Klez Katz has performed at Folklife, the Wallingford Wurst Festival and the Tilth Harvest Festival in Wallingford. The group also performs regularly at private events such as weddings, bar mitzvahs, synagogue functions and Hanukkah parties. To find out more about Klez Katz, contact Harvey Niebulski at 206-329-2559 or Jay Krulewitch at 206-367-5967.
Shalom Ensemble will also make its KlezFest debut this year. The group’s musicians include clarinetist Mary Kantor, bassist Rabbi James Mirel (John Silverman will fill in for Mirel at the festival), percussionist Don Berman and accordionist Laurie Andres – also featured with Henry Sapoznik and Margot Leverett.
Kantor is excited about reuniting with some of the musicians she played with in the Mazeltones, at the festival. “It’s old family night,” said Kantor.
In its seventh year of existence, Shalom Ensemble can also be found performing at bar mitzvahs, weddings and Temple B’nai Torah. The group performs traditional Jewish music, klezmer music and Israeli and Yiddish theater music. They will play a special concert on Dec. 1 at Herzl-Ner Tamid.
Klezfest will also feature regional group The Freylakh Klezmer Band. In addition, a KidStage in the University Prep Gymnasium just across the Temple Beth Am parking lot will feature Tia’s Quacker Tunes, Temple Beth Am’s energetic KlezKidz and KidsChorus, and a session in bottle-dancing taught by Kitty Pelkan and Sue Isely of the Bokreta Hungarian Dance Ensemble. Juggler Jason Quick will serve as emcee for that stage.