Let me introduce you to our Klezmer band "Dance of Joy." We are four professional musicians with years of experience in many different types of music. Our Klezmer band features the clarinet (Johannes Flamm), the fiddle (Johanna Schmidt), the accordion (Alfred Krauss) and the upright bass (Manfred Hilgers). A few years ago, we founded this band in order to acquaint and thrill our audiences with the sounds of traditional Jewish music. We chose the name "Dance of Joy" for our band because this name reflects the vitality and the vigor which Klezmer music exudes and which we feel whenever we play it. Survivors of the Holocaust say that faith, hope and a sense of humor were vital sources of strength and energy which helped them to endure and survive. Faith, hope, wit—you will hear these three forces in Klezmer music, a music that invites us all to dance and sing in the face of sorrow and pain and in order to overcome sorrow and pain. Our arrangements combine the expressive power of traditional Klezmer pieces with the seeming ease and lightness and the improvisational power of jazz. We sweep our audiences away with a successful blend of exuberance and poignant expressiveness and they in turn reward us with standing ovations and endless requests for encores. Tel: +31-43-3064905. Web: www.dance-of-joy.de. E-mail Dance of Joy. (Johanna Schmidt)

The three-armed Datcha y Lama, based in Clermont-Ferrand, France, is a strange creature that first saw the light of day in June 2003: one arm plays the accordion, the second one the clarinet, with the third frantically strumming the strings of a mandolin or a guitar. Witnesses have heard melodious harmonies issuing forth from its bellowing jaws. A beast of Eastern European origin, it feeds mainly on the memory of Jewish ghettos, klezmer beats, washed down with Slavic melancholy. The three-armed Datcha y Lama thrives in front of appreciative audiences and enjoys mixing with other musical life forms, for which it has been known to migrate across great distances. Tel: 00 33 (4) 73 34 09 35. E-mail Datcha y Lama. (Frédéric Contassot)

The music of the David Klezmer Quintet is traditional Jewish music which is alloyed with the music of the XX. century.The quintet was formed in 1999. The repertoire contains well-known and not so well-knowns jewish melodies, own melodies and improvisative solos. Members of the quintet are: József Dávid - clarinet; István Kerek - violin, viola; Katalin Agnecz - accordion; István Rózsa - tuba; Péter Árkosi - drums, percussion; all graduate or former graduated students of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music,Budapest,Hungary. The David Klezmer Quintet is a concertgroup, they invite the audience to have joy in their great, show-effect-crammed live performances. Besides giving concerts, the quintet is also playing live on stage in the cabbalistic legend "Dybbuk" from the author An-Ski in a Budapest theatre. The quintet have been awarded with eMeRTon prize of the Hungarian Radio and Televsion in the category "for the best studio concert in year 2000". Contact: Mr Rózsa István, csut u. 6/c, 1225 Budapest, Hungary. fax:+36 1 207 5953. Web: www.davidklezmer.fw.hu. E-mail David Klezmer Quintet. (István Rózsa).

Davka has been called neo-Jewish-roots-fusion, the acoustic equivalent of a Chagall painting, New klezmer-Middle-Eastern-jazz fusion, Middle-Eastern Ashkenazi jazz, fiddler-on-too-much -Turkish -coffee. Whatever the label, DAVKA's music is filled with passion, lyricism and virtuosic interplay. Ori Nir in Israel's Ha'Aretz put it this way, "Davka does with Jewish motives what composer Bela Bartok does with traditional Hungarian motives. The result is impressive - the group creates rich, colorful, and polished harmonies infused with inspiration." Davka is Paul Hanson, Bassoon, Daniel Hoffman, violin, Kevin Mummey, percussion, and Moses Sedler, cello. The band has three CDs, an eponymous first album, "Lavy's Dream" (1996), both of which were rereleased on Tzadik in 2000. The third release, "Judith" came out on Tzadik in 1999. You can also hear about half an hour of one of their performances at the Ashkenaz '97 Festival in Toronto. Web: www.davkamusic.com. E-mail Davka. (Daniel Hoffman).

The rambunctious rhythmic grooves and the intimate improvisations of Deep Minor characterize this latest project of all original compositions from reedman/bandleader Alex Kontorovich. To create this high energy quartet, Kontorovich joins forces with three premiere world jazz musicians: Brandon Seabrook (guitar), Reuben Radding (bass), and Aaron Alexander (drums). Mixing funk, Afro-Cuban, klezmer and Balkan influences, Deep Minor is the most exciting new must-see group to hit the New York jazz scene. A CD, "Deep Minor," was released in 2007. Web: www.myspace.com/deepminor. E-mail Deep Minor. (Alex Kontorovich)

Los Desterrados—"The Exiles"—are a London sextet who on 'Tu' have created their own radical, rousing and rootsy take on the ancient folk music of the Sephardic Jews. As the Gipsy Kings reinvigorated flamenco and the Gotan Project revitalised tango so Los Desterrados have brought vibrant new life to the ancient music of the Sephardic Jews. Fusing Spanish Flamenco and the fiery Gypsy melodies of the Balkans and Greece with the rhythms of Morocco and Turkey, Los Desterrados have created a rootsy Mediterranean sound that is wholly their own. Featuring traditional instruments such as the cajón and ‘oud with vocals in Ladino, the language of the Sephardic Jews, or Hebrew, the unconventional arrangements and rousing rhythms Los Des wield are heavily influenced by the music they've all grown up on as native North Londoners—rock 'n' roll, jazz, folk, flamenco, funk and soul. For further info & bookings: www.myspace.com/losdesterrados1, www.losdesterrados.com. E-mail Los Desterrados. (Lewis Robinson)

di bostoner klezmer, Boston, MA - listing under "bostoner klezmer, di". (Dena Ressler)

Avraham Rosenblum & Diaspora, were formerly known as the "Diaspora Yeshiva Band, " the first country and eastern/klez/Chassidic rock band. The band was formed in the early seventies in Jerusalem ... multi Israel Chassidic Festival winners ... still kicking into Y2K ... new album "Jerusalem is Calling". RARE Productions, 800-358-0671. Web: http://www.diasporaband.com/. E-mail Diaspora. (Avraham Rosenblum)

Jonathan Dinkin & Klezmercuse are Central New York's Finest Klezmer Musicians. They play Traditional Yiddish, Jewish, Ladino, and Israeli folk music, along with original compositions by Jonathan Dinkin. "The CD is called "Naches" ... it's not traditional klezmer, tho, altho our band plays klezmer when we're 'out & about'. The album is mostly piano solos that Jonathan wrote ... the 'friends' who step in help klez things up a bit on the CD, but the CD is not really klez. The songs are either originals or arrangements by Jon. Some of the things are more mid-Eastern in flavor, but you'd probably enjoy a listen." (Judy Schmid) To book the band for parties, festivals, or any occasion, call Jonathan Dinkin at 315-637-4751. E-mail Jonathan Dinkin & Klezmercuse. (Jonathan Dinkin)

Fans first heard Divahn's Mizrakhi/Sephardic grooves deep in the heart of Texas. This Austin-based quartet infuses traditional songs with sophisticated harmonies and arrangements using tabla, cello, rabel, banjo and other instruments, plus vocals in Hebrew, Ladino, Persian, Arabic and Aramaic. The group distinguishes itself as the only all-female ensemble performing Mizrakhi-influenced music in the US, and features vocalist Galeet Dardashti, who comes from a long line of eminent Iranian singers. Divahn captures the breadth and diversity of Mizrakhi and Sephardi music throughout the centuries, while simultaneously creating and redefining innovative directions for the music in the present. For more information on Divahn or their recently released debut CD: www.divahn.com. E-mail Divahn. (Galeet Dardashti)

Doina Klezmer aspire to respect the tradition of klezmer, but also to step ahead and create music which reflects the life of our time. As they meet, the Finnish bare sound world and the joyful beauty of klezmer arouse a tensioned musical state. Another meeting, the deep mentality of a Finn and the extrovertness of klezmer feed each other and give musicians new paths and impulses to follow. Third, the meeting of improvisation and tradition gives the music a unique and living nature, connecting also to the past. This group is not just a klezmer band, it is a Finnish klezmer band. The band's first album, "Sonja Tanz", was released in 2001. The second album of Doina Klezmer, Nomada, was released in spring 2004 by the Finnish Alba records (www.alba.fi). Management: Mrs. Pirjo Aittomäki, int. telephone: +358 40 5073031. Web: www.doinaklezmer.com. E-mail Doina Klezmer. (Pirjo Aittomäki)

Dona, Moscow, Russia, was founded in 2004 by Anatoly Pinsky. The group is a chamber Yiddish song ensemble (3-4 singers) with a classical instrumental accompaniment (violin, accordeon, clarinet, bass, piano, and guitars). Dona organisas international Festivals of Jewish Music in Moscow (Dona-Fest, 2005, annual event). The group's programs include Pearls of Jewish Song, The Jewish Spring, Songs of the Heart, etc. Web: dona-dona.ru. E-mail Dona. (Anatoly Pinsky)

Dor L'Dor was born in that nascent center of yiddishkeit — Knoxville, Tennessee — jointly delivered by Ken and Susan Brown not long after discovering that they were "with band." As the name suggests, Dor L'Dor hearkens back to the practice of families of klezmer musicians passing down this rich musical tradition to their children. The original group consisted of Ken (clarinet), Susan (piano), their three children (on trombone, bass, and tambourine), and Ken's brother on drums. As different "Dors" exit and re-enter to and from college and graduate school, students from the University of Tennessee's amazing trombone studio have joined us. Our current instrumentation is: clarinet, piano, bass, mandolin, drums, and three (sometimes four) trombones. That's right, four trombones. You'd be amazed at what possibilities that opens up for the traditional repertoire (and not just for our arrangement of "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" with four trombones and shofar). We do concerts, we do simchas, we do international festivals, we do nuclear facility safety expos. Freilachs, waltzes, Elvis, Beatles, horas: everybody's gotta dance. Dor L'Dor's first CD, "Dance for Your Life," can be purchased at CDBaby.com. Web: dorldor-klezmer.com. Tel: (865) 693-7566. E-mail Dor L'Dor. (Ken Brown)

The trio "Die Drei Dudelim", Hilversum, The Netherlands, was founded in 1994 by three friends who were already playing together in a number of other formations. Originally, mainly improvised music with jazz influences made up the main portion of the repertoire. Over the years, the musicians were more and more attracted to the Klezmer. This passionate music soon became the core of their repertoire. Within all the different types of Klezmer, the trio has created its very own style of playing this music. In a refined, almost chamber music-like way, the music is played, sometimes whisperingly quiet and fragile, at moments rejoicing and passionate. These musical contrasts make the trio suitable for many occasions: from marriage to concert series, and from symposium to reception. The site www.dudelim.nl contains a lot of information about Trio "Die Drei Dudelim" and a music archive, downloadable in mp3 format. E-mail Die Drei Dudelim. (Merlijn van Spengen)

Dreidel. Tre musicisti di Roma che da tempo si esibiscono in formazioni ispirate alla musica ebraica decidono di unire le loro esperienze nell'intento di cercare all'interno di essa le sue radici più profonde, equamente divise tra l'universo sefardita legato alla cultura arabo-spagnola e quello askhenazita, di derivazione balcanica e mitteleuropea. Marco Valabrega (Mish Mash) al violino, Marco Camboni (ex Klezroym) al contrabbasso e Gianluca Casadei alla fisarmonica sono il nucleo propulsore di Dreidel, che prende il nome dalla trottola usata dai rabbini nella festa di Hanukkah per l'insegnamento dell'alfabeto ai bambini, e che rappresenta allegoricamente il vorticoso coinvolgimento musicale del gruppo. Il trio ha appena pubblicato il disco "Eyn, tsvey … dreidel" con l'etichetta Struwwelpeter avvalendosi della collaborazione di musicisti come Ruth Ajzen alla voce e Paolo Rocca (Moni Ovadia) al clarinetto. Web: www.myspace.com/dreideltrio. E-mail Dreidel. (Marco Camboni)

Dumbala Canalla, located in Barcelona, Spain. Tzigane, Klezmer, Circus, manouche, pop and jazz. Timbre and armonic rythm and colors from the east europe are a brand new composition ingredients that keep and renew european musical tradition. Helena Casas and Amanda Wright's lyrics enrich these compositions giving a fresh and enjoyable spirit to them. Texts that get inside daily life surrealism world, that written in catalan and english give an unmistakable oddness stamp to the band. Tel: +34 937 899 151. Web: www.dumbalacanalla.org. E-mail Dumballa Canalla. (Yla Gallina)

Duo da'Ü, Hanover, Germany, (Uta Mehlig, Violin + Gesa Adlung, Accordion), founded in France 1998, plays traditional Klezmer music as well as own arrangements—in short, "Klezmer and more". If Klezmer or Jazz, Freilach or Waltz, frolicsome or sad, dreamy or dancy, music is always in movement, does not know borders. Musik touches and binds... Tel: +49511/ 388 84 33. Web: www.klezmer-und-mehr.de. E-mail Duo da'Ü. (Uta Mehlig)

Duo De Cecco-Jeszensky Veneto, Italy. We play music from Transylvania: jewish, hungarian, roumanian, hutsul. We embrace also the experience of contemporary classical music (use of prepared piano), ancient music (basso continuo on organ), ragtime. The two musicians are: Giovanni De Cecco: piano, toy piano, organ, caval, fluier, zongora; Leonardo Jeszensky: violin, bracsa, stroh violin. Tel: 0039 3471581706. Web: www.giovannidececco.com. E-mail Duo De Cecco-Jeszensky. (Giovanni De Cecco)