Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra - Klezmer in SwingTIME

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Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra - Klezmer in SwingTIME

KCJO will perform a wide range of songs from the Klezmer song book that blends vintage Eastern European melodies with swing and latin dance rhythms. The performance will feature highly stylized and arranged charts that feature the skill of the ensemble as well as improvised solos. The music combines the feel of old world Klezmer with American Jazz, Blues, and Latin including swing, mambo, tango and more.

PERFORMER BIO:

Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra (KCJO) is a cross genre ensemble that defies classification. KCJO continues to evolve by embracing tradition and imagination with a roster of accomplished jazz and classical musicians. Founded by Aaron Kula, KCJO debuted in 1997 with a mission to re-imagine vintage music from various genres through stylized arrangements and improvisation. Over time the ensemble expanded its repertoire with over 300 transformed works from jazz, Broadway, American folk songs, Klezmer, Yiddish theater, Latin Jazz, Mideastern, Mediterranean, and classical music. Kula often uses archival music from collections across the globe as source material for creating new compositions.

In 2009, KCJO released its award winning CD Beyond the Tribes, which was selected in 2011 by the Library of Congress (LOC) for inclusion in the Copyright Acquisitions Division. The LOC cited this recording as representative of an important American culture that would “enrich the collections.” In 2012, the band released its second studio album Klezmerology and in March 2016 released their third album called JubanoJazz, celebrating the fusion of Latin Jazz and vintage American Klezmer melodies. From 2011 to 2014, Kula led KCJO on concert tours to California, Arizona, and Rhode Island. In 2015 KCJO was invited to perform in Canada at the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto and Montreal Jewish Music Festival. In 2018 the band collaborated with the Grammy winning Latin Jazz flutist Nestor Torres in a concert for Jewish Federation of Broward in Florida

Aaron Kula, music director is a nationally recognized conductor, educator, composer, accordionist, and producer. In 2018 Mr. Kula was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Specialist grant in music to conduct, lecture and perform in Israel. A 25 year Boston resident, Aaron Kula attended the New England Conservatory of Music where he cultivated his interdisciplinary studies in conducting, jazz, and ethnic music. His lifelong interest in classical, jazz and folk music led him to form the award-winning Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra (KCJO) in 1997.

BAND MEMBERS:

Aaron Kula – Accordion

Randi Fishenfeld – Violin

Aaron Simcox – Sax/Flute

Chaim Rubinov – Trumpet/FlugelHorn

David Levitan – Trombone

Phil Hinton – Piano

Ranses Colon – Bass

George Mazzeo – Drums

Teresa Flores – Latin/Arabic percussion

Lisanne Lyons – Vocals