Ongoing: Once again curated by Aaron Alexander, the New York Klezmer Series resumes on Tuesday nights at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue (30 W. 68th St.) on Oct. 7 with the Tarras Band, a true klezmer super group of Pete Sokolow, Michael Winograd, Ben Holmes, Jim Guttman and David Licht. Other groups already booked include the Sy Kushner Ensemble w/Marty Confurius (Oct. 21) and the Deborah Strauss Fiddle Trio (Oct. 28). Keep checking the calendar at http://aaronalexander.com/wp/concert-schedule.
Sept. 14: Singers Sasha Luria and Ilya Shneyvays from the Riga band Forshpil and guest lecturer Prof. David Fishman present “The Wanderings of Shmerke Katcherginski.” Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center (3301 Bainbridge Ave., Bronx), lecture at 1:30 p.m., followed by music.
Sept. 18-21: Tenor sax player Mark Turner celebrates his first album on ECM with a four nights at the Jazz Standard (116 E. 27th St); what makes this event of particular interest to Jewish Week readers is the presence on the bandstand (and the record) of trumpeter Avishai Cohen.
Sept. 21: Jewish Baroque music with the Concertino New York Chamber Ensemble, a program of instrumental and vocal music by composers of the 17th and 18th centuries, features Handel, Rossi, Saladin and others, compositions that were commissioned by major European synagogues and performed on the different occasions of the Jewish calendar. The Museum at Eldridge Street (12 Eldridge St.), 4 p.m.
Oct. 14: “Azafea: A Spanish Odyssey,” with the Remy Yulzari-Nadav Lev duo and special guest Frank London. A program of Sephardic music that will draw on the duo’s unique mix of jazz, classical and folk influences, with London along to give it a klezmer spin. The Museum at Eldridge Street (12 Eldridge St.), 7 p.m.
Nov. 15: “Gary Lucas’ Fleischerei,” an evening of jazz drawing on the magnificent cartoons of Max and Dave Fleischer, particularly the very Yiddish-inflected Betty Boop shorts. (Mae Questel, the voice of the divine Ms. Boop, was an Orthodox Jew whose family didn’t want her to go into theater. Who knew?). Lucas’ guitar chops are rightly legendary and his band will be every bit as good. BAM Café (30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn).
Nov. 18: The Touré-Raichel Collective is a musical meeting of Mali’s Vieux Farka Touré and Israel’s Idan Raichel that resulted in a hit record, “The Tel Aviv Sessions.” The pair is joined by Israeli bassist Yossi Fine and Malian calabash player Souleymane Kane for this concert, which heralds the release of their second album, “The Paris Sessions.” World Music Institute at Symphony Space (95th Street and Broadway), 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 13: John Zorn’s “Game Pieces,” performed by the electric guitar quartet Dither. A wild evening of improvisations and exclamations. The Kitchen (515 W. 19th St.), 8 p.m.
Dec. 21: The 3rd Annual Sholem Aleichem Yiddish Klezmer Festival, an afternoon of raucous and spirited klezmer performances featuring some of the city’s best bands. This event has sold out each of the previous years, so you may want to get your tickets pronto. Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center (3301 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx), 1 p.m.
The New York Jewish Week brings you the stories behind the headlines, keeping you connected to Jewish life in New York. Help sustain the reporting you trust by donating today.
