KlezCalendar

Glenn Dickson leads the famed Shirim Klezmer Orchestra, and its alter ego, Naftule's Dream in a rare double-bill performance that explores the contrast and connections between traditional and modern Klezmer. A Boston institution for the last 20 years, Shirim has been hailed as a Billboard Magazine "Critics Choice" and is recognized for its rocking spirit and high level of musicianship. Naftule's Dream has received equally critical acclaim for their musical skill and innovation from the Boston Phoenix and Village Voice. Shirim's members -include: Glenn Dickson, clarinet; David Harris, trombone; Michael McLaughlin, piano & accordion; Andrew Stern, banjo; Jim Gray, tuba; Eric Rosenthal, drums. In Naftule's Dream, Gary Bohan, cornet, replaces David Harris.

Take a little jazz, a little rock and mix it with an Eastern European Jewish wedding party and you’ve got an evening of Klezmer – old and new. Journey through the evolution of Klezmer music and discover the connections between the traditional style of Shirim Klezmer Orchestra and the modern sounds of its alter ego, Naftule’s Dream.

Klezmer is the music of the Eastern European Jews performed by Yiddish troubadours throughout Europe for 400 years. The Klezmer sound washed ashore in America during the great immigration period, when it first collided with the syncopation of American city life, the excitement of jazz, blues and ragtime, and the energy of the big bands. In recent years Klezmer has experienced a resurgence in popularity with Shirim and Naftule’s Dream at the forefront of this renaissance!

"You don’t have to speak Yiddish to dig this music. They are exotic a little and hot a lot. Superior musicians!" — Woods Hole Folk Music Society, in reference to the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra