KlezCalendar

Ben Sidran

Although best known in some circles for writing Steve Miller’s hit song “Space Cowboy”, Ben Sidran is more widely recognized as the host of National Public Radio’s landmark jazz series “Jazz Alive”, which received a Peabody Award, and as the host of VH-1 television’s “New Visions” series, which received the Ace Award for best music series. A pianist, producer, singer and composer, he has recorded twenty five solo albums, including the Grammy nominated “Concert for Garcia Lorca,” and has produced recordings for such noted artists as Van Morrison, Diana Ross, Mose Allison and Jon Hendricks. He composed the soundtrack for the acclaimed film “Hoop Dreams”, and scored the documentary “Vietnam: Long Time Coming”, which won both the Aspen Film Festival audience award and an Emmy.
www.bensidran.com

Nikitov

Niki Jacobs, voice; Jelle van Tongeren, violin; Adam Good, guitar; Jason Sypher, bass

Niki Jacobs has been singing Yiddish songs for over ten years. Her early fascination with the family history of her Yiddish-speaking great grandparents ultimately fostered a passion for Yiddish language and culture, especially its musical traditions. Building on her classical training in voice, Niki studied in New York with three of the most accomplished musicians in the field of Yiddish music: Zalmen Mlotek, Adrienne Cooper, and Joanne Boarts. In New York she sang with the great violinist Lisa Gutkin and the widely acclaimed accordionist Lorin Sklamberg, both members of the world-famous band, The Klezmatics. She has also sung at the Folksbiene Gala, an initiative of the Yiddish Theatre of New York. A gifted performer of Yiddish folk songs, Niki teaches at the Jewish Music School in Amsterdam. For the past seven years she has organized and conducted workshops in the United States and Europe.
www.nikitov.com