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The Klezmatics: 40 Years of Revolutionary Joy
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In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steven Roby sits down with Frank London, trumpeter and founding member of the Grammy Award-winning band The Klezmatics.For four decades, The Klezmatics have been the world's leading voice in blending traditional Yiddish roots with the energy of punk, jazz, and gospel. Frank shares stories from the band's origins in New York's gritty East Village scene of the 1980s and discusses their landmark collaboration with the Woody Guthrie estate—a project that unearthed lost Hanukkah lyrics by the American folk icon.
We also discuss why bringing "happy, joyous" energy to the stage is a necessary form of activism today.
Playlist
- The Klezmatics "Spin Dreydl Spin" from Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah (Shamus Records)
- The Klezmatics "Do The) Latke Flip-Flip" from Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah (Shamus Records)
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About The Klezmatics
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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