Sklamberg & McKeown, NYC, 3 Apr 2009
Naked Soul at the Rubin Museum of Art in NYC continues on April 3 with Susan McKeown & Lorin Sklamberg, lead singer of the Klezmatics debuting their new show Saints & Tzadiks: Songs from the Yiddish and Irish Traditions. Naked Soul is one of the most unique concert series in NYC as it's all acoustic and unplugged—no mics or amps (naked). The intimate theater only seats 137 and has perfect acoustics. The Rubin Museum is the only museum in North America whose collection is dedicated to artwork of the Himalayas (soul). Slides of any pieces of art that speaks to the artist's music are shown behind the artist during the appropriate songs at the performance. After the show, the audience is given a free tour of the museum. Time Out NY calls Naked Soul an "innovative" and "cool" series. Tickets available by calling the museum M-F 11am-5pm at 212-620-5000 ext 344.
Saints & Tzadiks: Songs from the Yiddish and Irish Traditions
Friday April 3 at 7pm
tickets $30/$35 at the door
Once heard, you would never take Susan McKeown for anyone else. The strong, richly-colored contralto and the enlivening intelligence of her songs mark her as a distinctive talent. Last year's Grammy-winning album Wonder Wheel from The Klezmatics features Susan on lead and harmony vocals throughout. "A singer of passion, grace and striking presence with the ability to capture both the essence of a traditional folk song or the more hard-edged domain of contemporary adult rock; she seems to personify both past and present." (Irish Examiner)
Lorin Sklamberg has been the lead singer of the Grammy Award winning Jewish American roots band the Klezmatics since its founding during the heyday of the alternative music scene in New York's East Village in the mid 1980s. His work as vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist can be heard on some 50 recordings. "One of the premier American singers in any genre." (Robert Christgau, All Things Considered, NPR)