here’s a link to some of the fotos from the Plimmerton Mid-Winter Knees up gig. thanks to John Reader for the fotos.
http://www.plimmerton.org.nz/music/klezmer-rebs/

The Rebs play a free lunchtime concert at Old St Paul’s  34 Mulgrave St, Wellington on Tuesday 1 July from 12.15 – 1pm.

This is our third appearance at this beautiful venue.

Our programme of music will feature different styles of Yiddish language klezmer music, some klezmer instrumentals, along with a smattering of other styles and a few original compositions. Songs may include:

Yiddish songs, Boxerboym, Ershte vals, Tans Tans Yiddelekh, Di Goldene Pave, Dem Ganefs Yikhes

Tango a tango flavoured Yiddish song or two

Instrumental Flatbush waltz, Josh’s song/Odessa bulgar, Leibdik un freilich, Minor Swing

Originals Anarchia Total, Kumt Kumt Khaverim

We hope you enjoy the lively noodlings of the Klezmer Rebs. A truly ‘religious’ experience.

Plimmerton Mid-Winter “Knees Up”  Saturday

21^st June 8.00pm – 11.30pm

 Plimmerton Pavilion

 Dance to music by the Klezmer Rebs

Sorry – SOLD OUT

Feline frenzy? Cat got your tush?

The Klezmer Rebs go all fluffy at Meow (the cafe)

The Klezmer Rebs present

A journey through klezmer music from the old country to modern klezmer fusion

Over 2 hours the Rebs will play story songs from the old country, socialist and partisan anthems, Roma jazz, Yiddish/American swing, and modern klezmer fusion. There will be sadness, dancing, and songs of revolution and Anarchia total with the Rebs 8 piece band featuring clarinettist Urs Signer.

Where: Meow (the café) 9 Edward Street, Wellington Thursday 8 May

When: 8pm doors open (or come for dinner first!) 9pm first of 2 sets by Klezmer Rebs

How much: $7 door charge

Its official. Victoria University Continuing Education is offering a course in Klezmer Music, titled “A Journey Through Jewish Klezmer Music: From the ‘Old Country’ to modern Klezmer fusion” led by yours truly (Reb David) with help from the other Rebs.

The 6 week course on Tuesday evenings from 1 April (no fooling!)  will look at Klezmer music from historical, cultural, linguistic and musical perspectives. It includes lecture presentations, audio recordings and live performance demonstrations. A Klezmer Rebs CD is included in the course fee.

Click below for more info and to register.

http://cce.victoria.ac.nz/courses/184-a-journey-through-jewish-klezmer-music-from-the-old-country-to-modern-klezmer-fusion

The Klezmer Rebs will have our first public performance of 2014 at the Festival of the Elements in Porirua on 6 February.

http://www.elementsfestival.org.nz/attractions/festival-performers

We will be playing a 1/2 hour set at Pataka’s Performing Arts Space from 4.20pm to 4.50 pm. Short but sweet. Free of course. Celebrate Waitangi day in Porirua with the Rebs.

http://www.elementsfestival.org.nz/

4 – 6 October the Rebs will play for the first time in Dunedin! We play for a private Bat Mitzvah on 5/10 then on Sunday 6^th October from 2-3pm we perform at the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum

https://www.facebook.com/klezmer.rebs

Lindis Taylor at Middle C (who mainly do classical music reviews) wrote a forthright review of the Rebs’ gig at Old St Paul’s back in August.

Selected quotes:

“Their frequent style and subject matter, congruent with their name, is revolution, booze, sex and most things in between. For example there’s the title song of their latest CD, Anarchia Total, which could well become one of the most alarming projects under the most urgently needed revision of state security measures in the Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill.”

“It was a rousing performance which will doubtless swell the numbers at their training camps.”

“The quasi-military character of the squad was emphasized by the expropriation of elements of Royal New Zealand Navy uniform by the trumpeter/vocalist David Moskovitz, viz an officer’s hat. But to regain a military/civilian balance, there were other cultural insignia, such as the embroidered skull-cap worn by guitarist David Weinstein and the dresses worn by the women that might have suggested, variously, the hippie era or Bukovinian/Ruthenian peasant dress.”

So what about the music?

“The music was in keeping: happy, irreverent, using a variety of boisterously played instruments.”

“Rose sang a couple of further songs, some using pretty hand movements, Odessa Bulgar and Bublichki, before there was another urging to debauchery, a striking drinking song composed by Moskovitz and clarinetist Signer, Kumt, kumt, khaverim (Come, come friends).”

“Finally they checked whether there were Russian speakers in the audience; when no hands were raised, “That’s good; this is a filthy Russian song”; it was called Zvezda (Star) and when no translation was offered I had to assume that here was the compulsory hymn to sexual licentiousness. At least, the music was pretty risqué.”

Thanks Lindis for really listening and thinking about our music. We think you got it.

Read the whole review here http://middle-c.org/2013/08/music-and-revolution-take-stage-at-old-st-pauls/

For a great cause – fundraiser for Adarsh Primary School in India.

Curry ($5) from 7pm followed by 4 bands just $10!

 Come join the Rebs for our short set at 8pm and stay on for the Valve, the Rev, and the Balkan brass mania of Niko Ne Zna!

 Eat, listen, dance. What’s not to like?