the KlezmerShack

I am back from KlezKanada, my first time as a staff person, and will be very slowly catching up and writing about it.

There was no internet access (temporary problem at the site—apparently not a usual situation) so I gloried in no email, no weblog—just klezmer and friends and yiddishkeit old and new 24 hours a day non-stop. Because there was no internet access, I'll be posting the "KlezKanada weblog" on a one-week delay, starting today/tonight (except that tonight, in real time, I must catch Charming Hostess in Cambridge, come hell or high water!). Bob Blacksberg has put up some preliminary photos, and I'll be using those since my photo skills, as we all know, are less than salutory. Here is one he took of Pete Rushefsky, Michael Winograd, and Dan Blacksberg at the cabaret the first night.

Trying to put a jumble of thoughts and impressions in some order is difficult, but my overwhelming feeling is how much fun I had, how many people I met that I enjoyed meeting, the incredible lectures/workshops I saw/participated in (and Judy and I gave, if I may say so), and over all, how much incredible music I heard—mostly klezmer, it's true (which is a good thing!), but the diversity of klezmer, and the incredible new Jewish music, and new music, period, was overwhelming. I'm not sure how I'm going to muster the will to go to Ashkenaz this week. After being inside the music for a week, spectating, even if I take one of Helen Winkler's dance classes or the like, won't be the same. I can't wait to go back next year and do it all over again.