Just as the Yiddish Book Center has played a key role in revitalizing interest in the study of Yiddish literature and language, the Amherst center also has done its part to keep alive one of the liveliest parts of Yiddish culture: music.
Now in its 11th season, “Yidstock: The Festival of New Yiddish Music” returns to Amherst July 13-16 for four days of song, film, talks and workshops, though the focus in on the the breadth of Yiddish music, from Klezmer to the variations on that traditional sound that have emerged in the last several decades.
Organizers of Yidstock say the festival also offers a great opportunity for the musicians themselves to do some improvising with different ensembles.
As Seth Rogovy, the festival’s artistic director, puts it, “We look forward to the magic and surprises that can only happen at a live event, which often provides a platform for spontaneous cross-pollination and jamming between performers.”
There’s already some cross-pollination afoot in a number of the groups, such as Forshpil, a Latvian quintet that merges electric guitars and other rock dynamics with Klezmer’s traditional Eastern European rhythms; they make their Yidstock debut July 16 at 3 p.m.
According to program notes, “If Pink Floyd and the Doors had ever jammed together at a Jewish wedding, it would have sounded something like this.”
Another ensemble that mixes all manner of eclectic sounds is Mazel Tov Cocktail Party, a six-member group led by clarinetist David Krakauer and keyboard/accordion player Kathleen Tag. Among the other members are Iranian percussionist Martin Shamoonpour and Montreal-based rapper Sarah MK.
Krakauer, who lives in New York, has won acclaim for his work in classical music, jazz, and especially klezmer; NPR calls him a “genre-fluid clarinet genius.”
But during a recent phone interview, he said he and Tag were spurred in the last few years to create a new, multi-ethnic ensemble as a response to the polarization and negativity that seem to dominate so much of modern life.
Mazel Tov Cocktail Party “is not a uniquely Jewish music project,” Krakauer said. “What it does offer is music as a common denominator, something that brings us together. The idea is, let’s have a party, meet your neighbors, just show up and have a good time … it’s one step toward making things better.”
And, Krakauer added with a laugh, “Musically somehow it all makes sense. It’s traditional dance forms that have been completely recast.” (The band includes jazz bassist Jerome Harris and guitarist/oud player Yoshie Fruchter.)
Krakauer has played at some previous Yidstock festivals, though with different ensembles. This will be Mazel Tov Cocktail Party’s first gig in Amherst; the group performs July 15 at 8 p.m.
“Yidstock has always been a lot of fun,” he added.
Some more traditional sounds can be found with the Sam Sadigursky Duo, which features Sadigursky on clarinet and Nathan Koci on accordion and other instruments.
The two specialize in music composed by Sadigursky that recalls the sounds of the “Borscht Belt” of New York’s Catskills region in the mid-20th century, including Klezmer blended with folk, jazz, and chamber music. They play July 14 at 2 p.m. in their Yidstock debut.
Meantime, among the talks and workshop offered over the weekend is a discussion with Sadigursky, who will explain how he was inspired to compose his new music, called “The Solomon Diaries,” after viewing the photographs from Marisa Scheinfeld’s 2015 book “The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America’s Jewish Vacationland.”
On a local note, acclaimed jazz drummer Richie Barshay, who splits his time between Northampton and New York, will be playing with a number of groups at Yidstock, including the Klezmatics, the Grammy Award-winning modern Klezmer band and a Yidstock favorite.
In fact, the Klezmatics are so popular that their July 13 show at 8 p.m. has already sold out, as have a couple other events at the festival.
But all is not lost: You can buy a ticket to view all seven of Yidstock 2023’s concerts online, as they’ll be streamed at the the same time they’re performed. (The concerts will not be recorded and thus will not be available for viewing after the livestream.)
For a full schedule of events, and to purchase tickets (for some events, tickets must be purchased in advance), visit yiddishbookcenter.org/yidstock.
Steve Pfarrer can be reached at spfarrer@gazettenet.com.