Culture & Education - Klezmer Jam | Boston Workmen's Circle

Calling all musicians!

Klezmer Master Classes at the Workmen’s Circle

Vibrant, soulful and fun to play, Klezmer music is meant for raucous celebrations. So come celebrate! In this three class series, you will learn from three of the world’s leading klezmorim (Klezmer musicians) as you hone your individual technique, develop ensemble skills, and explore the rich history and vast reach of the contemporary Klezmer scene. Participants should be able to learn/play by ear or sightread with basic proficiency on their instruments. All instruments welcome!

Jim Guttmann: March 21st

Hankus Netsky: April 25th

Mimi Rabson: May 2nd

[see bios below]

All dates are Sundays
3:00 - 6:00pm
Workmen's Circle, 1762 Beacon St., Brookline

Tuition for the full series: $50 for folks under 30; $90 for Workmen’s Circle members, $120 for non-members.
Single class: $20 for folks under 30; $35/member; $45/non-member.

Contact leah@circleboston.org or 617-566-6281 to register.

Instructor bios:

Jim Guttmann: From Carnegie Hall to smoky dives, bassist Jim Guttmann has played everything from klezmer to classical — and most styles in between. He joined the Klezmer Conservatory Band at its inception in 1980 and was a founding member of violinist Mimi Rabson’s Really Eclectic String Quartet (RESQ), In 2010, Guttmann released Bessarabian Breakdown, his first CD as a leader on Kleztone Records. The album features straight-ahead celebratory klezmer, as well as fusions of klezmer with different jazz styles, R&B, Afro-Cuban music, and other unexpected but danceable, hybrids.*

Hankus Netsky: A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and scholar, Hankus Netsky is the founder and director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band. He teaches improvisation and Jewish music at the New England Conservatory of Music and previously taught Jewish music at Hebrew College and Wesleyan University, and has lectured extensively in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Netsky has produced numerous recordings, including almost a dozen by the Klezmer Conservatory Band. He has composed extensively for film and television, and has collaborated with such artists as Itzhak Perlman, Robin Williams, Joel Grey, and Theodore Bikel.

Mimi Rabson: Violinist, violist and composer, Mimi Rabson appears regularly in classical, jazz, Klezmer and other eclectic performances. An award winning composer whose works for string quartet are published by String Letter Press, Ms. Rabson was also a founding member of the Klezmer Conservatory Band and created RESQ - the Really Eclectic String Quartet in the early 1980’s. Ms. Rabson is an Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music. Through a fellowship from Berklee, she commissioned several works for solo violin that include contemporary practices like improvisation, interaction with computer and effects pedals.

* Don’t miss the Boston CD release party on Tuesday, April 6th 8pm at Johnny D’s in Davis Square, Somerville.