"Klezmer, which literally means “tool of song” in Yiddish, is the secular folk music of the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. In the first decades of the 1900s, this music flourished not only in the Old World but also in the New, in the immigrant community of New York City. There, the sounds of the European “fiddler on the roof” mixed with the sounds of early jazz and Tin Pan Alley. The result was a quintessentially American music.

PRJC stalwarts Seth Kibel (musically promiscuous woodwind maven) and David Sager (of the Library of Congress and about a gazillion trad bands) will discuss the history of this music, especially as it intersects, intertwines, and overlaps with that of jazz in the early decades of the twentieth century. This presentation will have you wiggling in front of your electronic devices, although the PRJC assumes no liability for any damage incurred when you attempt to dance the hora with your laptop computer.

Our Jazz Talk series is offered for FREE, but we appreciate any donations made to offset the cost of the program. Registration is required before 5:00p.m. the day of the program to receive the Zoom link."