Klezmer

I just returned from my very first Klezmer concert. For over five years I have known a librarian slash saxophonist, but I only found out this year that she has been in a Klezmer band for six years. I had missed their last performance and was waiting for this one.

When I arrived, I was surprised to find my colleague/friend’s boss and her daughter there. It was nice to hang out with a familiar face. Apparently, the friend, herself, had also planned on attending, and we saved her a seat for a bit, but she didn’t show.

Being neither Jewish nor having particularly strong ties to my Eastern European heritage—Polish and H.I.N.O. (Hungarian In Name Only)—I had never even heard of Klezmer before. I do have to say that I was most impressed. Klezmer is difficult music to describe, but some have referred to it as “Yiddish jazz.” I suppose that description fits. All that matters, though, is that it was two hours of lively, jazzy, expertly performed music with a distinctive ethnic flavor. One thing that surprised me was that the band members’ talent was not limited to their instruments; at least four of them had written original compositions.

Aside: the building that hosted the concert also had in intriguing exhibit by a local mixed-media artist. One of the artist’s pieces invited the observer to pull a paper-bag–wrapped “truth” out of a basket. My truth was the following:

 One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one constantly makes exciting discoveries. — A. A. Milne