The Klezmorim

Klezmorim was one of the first of the revivalist bands to play klezmer, the traditional dance music of the Eastern European Jews. During the twelve years that the group was together, Klezmorim brought a good-humored, theatrical approach to their fusion of traditional Eastern European Jewish music, jazz, improvisation, street music and worldbeat.



The concept that developed into Klezmorim was conceived as a duo, "Lev & Dave," by saxophone player Lev Liberman and violinist David Skuse in 1974. At the time, the only other band playing klezmer was a group featuring Andy Statman and Zev Feldman in New York. Liberman had become interested in the music as a link between Russian and Romanian folk music, Depression-era cartoon soundtracks and the compositions of Gershwin, Weill and Prokofiev. With the addition of David Julian Gray (clarinet, mandolin, lauto and violin), Greg Carageorge (double bass) and Laurie Chastain (violin), the duo was expanded into a full-sized band, The Sarajevo Folk Ensemble. After sharpening their sound at parties and weddings in San Francisco, the group changed their name to Klezmorim, in January 1976, and performed their first concert at the Public Library in Berkeley, California on April 13, 1976.

Read More