Or Shalom Synagogue – אור שלום

Tuesday June 26, 2018 7:30pm at Or Shalom

Tickets available here – $36/$18 or at the door for $40/$20

Lebedik Yankee is a new project from one of the world’s foremost Yiddish singers, Sasha Lurje (Latvia), and klezmer/bluegrass violinist, Craig Judelman (USA), which explores the journey of Yiddish songs from Eastern Europe to America. Based in Berlin, the musicians bring their own special relationship to the songs, drawing equally from the traditions of old world and the new. Together they have been captivating European and American audiences with this new program and they are thrilled to be joined by legend of the klezmer low end, Mark Rubin (New Orleans) as well as Pacific Northwest roots music favorite, Matt Sircely. 

Eastern European Jewish immigrants flocked to the new world in the late 19th century, bringing their songs and stories with them. The songs born from this new Yiddish American culture – and the older ones that survived the journey – offer unique insights into their personal and generational experiences. They tell of the emancipation of women, the growth of the labor movement, the dangers of war and of course, love. In this special program of rarely heard songs collected from old recordings and transcriptions, the artists continue where the old recordings left off, letting their various influences and intuitions take over. The result is a repertoire that is simultaneously deeply traditional yet brand new and accessible to all audiences. The natural amalgamation of Eastern European and American instruments and idioms gives the songs a powerful sense of timelessness and universality. At a time when politicians exploit and fuel our sense of difference, this message could not be more relevant and we are excited to bring this seldom heard music to the Pacific Northwest.

Please find a video of the band here:

A bit about the performers:

Sasha Lurje is one of the leading voices in the contemporary Yiddish scene, known equally for her extensive musical and cultural knowledge, extraordinary vocal talent, and engaging, educational and passionate performances. Sasha has performed and taught at numerous festivals in Europe and America with her own bands (including Semer Ensemble, Forshpil) and as a featured artist with groups such as The Klezmatics, Daniel Kahn & the Painted Bird, and more. Growing up speaking Slavic and Baltic languages, she brings a unique ‘old world’ perspective to the repertoire, and is internationally renowned as one of the foremost specialists in Yiddish lyric songs and ballads. (sashalurje.com)

Craig Judelman grew up in Seattle, but made his name in New York, where he helped found the band Litvakus, one of the only klezmer bands devoted to Litvak (northern European Jewish) music. Recently relocated to Berlin, he is quickly becoming a sought after performer and instructor in the klezmer world. Besides having played klezmer music for 20 years, Craig’s background in American and other folk music gives him a unique perspective perfectly suited to playing the American iteration of Jewish music presented in this program. 

Matt Sircely is a virtuoso mandolinist and guitarist currently residing in Port Townsend, WA. Matt is mostly known for his performance and composition of bluegrass, country and old time American music (working extensively with banjo maestro Danny Barnes), however he has also been a fringe member of the klezmer scene for quite some years. Matt studied with and interviewed Andy Statman (the most well know klezmer mandolinist) extensively, and performed with Margot Leverett’s Klezmer Mountain Boys in concerts throughout America.

For this tour, we are thrilled to feature Mark Rubin, who has been one of the most sought after klezmer bass and tuba players for over 20 years. He has performed with Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All Stars, The Other Europeans, as well as numerous acts in other genres, from country to cajun to swing to balkan music as well as with his own alt-country band, The Bad Livers.

Buy your tickets for this great show through our secure online ticket site.