Svigals and Lerner enchant Amherst
It was a concert worth driving two hours each way for as Canada's famed jazz pianist Marilyn Lerner (Flying Bulgars, duos with David Wall, etc.) met New York City's groundbreaking klezmer fiddler Alicia Svigals halfway at the National Yiddish Book Center last night. Those present had come primarily to hear Svigals who was as incendiary and amazing as usual, and who was matched by the incomparable Lerner on piano. The two performed klezmer standards, each other's pieces, and even did some improvisation based on audience request. People kept looking at each other, "did you hear that"?
I mention this especially because the two are meeting up with the renowned Adrienne Cooper tonight at Satalla, in NYC. This should be one of the amazing concerts of the season. All three have played together in various ensembles (Cooper and Svigals are both in the acclaimed "Mikveh" all-women's ensemble; Cooper has frequently sung with Toronto's Flying Bulgars, which also features Lerner, who has done much Yiddish art song, a category in which Cooper excels, with David Wall, also of the Bulgars. So, klezmer, Yiddish song, art song, and jazz and much new, performed by three of the best. Don't miss it.
The concert is at Satalla at 5pm this afternoon.