Youngers of Zion, Providence, RI, May 6
Free Klezmer Concert in Providence by the Youngers of Zion
May 6 at 3:00 PM featuring the Youngers of Zion led by Hank Sapoznik.
The concert is free of charge with no advance reservations necessary. It will be held in the Meeting House of Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Avenue on the East Side of Providence. For more information, call 401-331-1616.
Hank, the son of Holocaust survivors, grew up speaking Yiddish and, as a bluegrass musician seeking his own tradition, unearthed then-forgotten klezmer recordings. He put together his first klezmer band, Kapelye, in 1979, and a few years later founded a sound archive at the YIVO Institute. Recognizing a need, he established KlezKamp (now in its third decade) to cultivate Yiddish folk arts. He has produced both written and broadcast histories—Klezmer! Jewish Music from Old World to Our World, the first book on the subject, and the Yiddish Radio Project, a 10-part NPR series. His successes as writer, producer, archivist and educator have never distracted Hank from his first love, though; he still plays the music!
The Youngers Of Zion share deep roots in traditional Yiddish music. Hank plays banjo and guitar and is joined in the group by Cookie Segelstein on violin and "Doctor" Rubin on string bass and tuba. Together, these three musicians create an atmosphere both intimate and exciting, serving up all the flavors of old time Yiddish music—hot fiddle tunes, forgotten ballads, introspective instrumentals and snappy Second Avenue vaudeville songs. They evoke the coziness of the parlor and the raucousness of the dance floor.