Jewish Museum Kicks Off SUMMERNIGHTS on July 1

The Jewish Museum's SummerNights program returns, presenting live world music in a concert setting on three Thursdays in July. Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys kick off SummerNights on July 1 followed by Ansambl Mastika on July 8, and The Sexteto Rodriguez Cuban-Jewish All Stars on July 15. The Jewish Museum is located at Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street, Manhattan. Each concert begins at 7:30 pm.  Tickets for each concert are $15 for the general public; $12 for students and seniors; and $10 for Jewish Museum members. For further information regarding programs at The Jewish Museum, the public may call 212.423.3337 or visit www.thejewishmuseum.org.

SUMMERNIGHTS CONCERT SERIES SCHEDULE

July 1, 7:30 pm
MARGOT LEVERETT AND THE KLEZMER MOUNTAIN BOYS
This ensemble combines Appalachian and southern fiddle tunes with Eastern European klezmer melodies to create a soulful sound and a foot-stomping good time. Virtuoso clarinetist Margot Leverett adds depth and complexity to the raw and spirited energy of The Klezmer Mountain Boys. The Klezmer Mountain Boys - bandleader and clarinetist Margot Leverett, bassist Marty Confurius, guitarist Joe Selly, fiddler Kenny Kosek, and mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff - create a danceable and beautiful blend that draws and delights audiences of all ages. Founded by Margot Leverett (an original member of The Klezmatics) and Barry Mitterhoff (Hot Tuna), the band has been featured at the Chicago World Music Festival and the Louisville Performing Arts Center.

July 8, 7:30 pm
ANSAMBL MASTIKA
With song styles ranging from the clarinet miroloi of northern Greece and the chocheci of the Serbian and Macedonian Roma (gypsies) to Turkish chalgi ensembles and Bulgarian wedding bands, Ansambl Mastika's music draws from the myriad styles of Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East. Ansambl Mastika has enthralled audiences on the dance floor, in the concert hall, and at the festival stage. The band blends spontaneity with a global sensibility, resulting in a joyous Balkan extravaganza.
Ansambl Mastika features bandleader composer and woodwind player Greg Squared, composer and trumpeter Ben Syversen, accordionist Matthew Fass, harmonica player Joey Weisenberg, bassist Reuben Radding, and percussionist Matt Moran.

July 15, 7:30 pm
THE SEXTETO RODRIGUEZ CUBAN-JEWISH ALL STARS
Percussionist and composer Roberto Rodriguez leads talented Cuban-American and Israeli musicians in the creation of an unique sound that echoes Cuban roots dance music and traditional klezmer.

Roberto Rodriguez was born in Cuba, the son of veteran horn player Roberto Luis Rodriguez. The younger Rodriguez studied violin, piano, and trumpet and drums in Havana, and left Cuba for Miami with his family when he was nine. Rodriguez immersed himself in the culture of Miami's large Jewish population, sensing historic similarities between Cuban expatriates and the Jewish diaspora. Moving to New York, he quickly established himself as a drummer of note, working with the likes of T-Bone Burnett, Phoebe Snow, Rubén Blades, Paul Simon and Joe Jackson, and became the drummer for Marc Ribot's Los Cubanos Postizos band. John Zorn approached Rodriguez about recording an album of Jewish music, resulting in El Danzon de Moises in 2002. Later albums of Cuban-Jewish music include Baila! Gitano Baila! (2004), Oy Vey! Ole! (2006), and The First Basket and Timba Talmud (2009).

Widely admired for its exhibitions and educational programs that inspire people of all backgrounds, The Jewish Museum is the preeminent United States institution exploring the intersection of 4,000 years of art and Jewish culture. The Jewish Museum was established in 1904, when Judge Mayer Sulzberger donated 26 ceremonial art objects to The Jewish Theological Seminary of America as the core of a museum collection. Today, the Museum maintains an important collection of 26,000 objects-paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, archaeological artifacts, ceremonial objects, and broadcast media.  For general information on The Jewish Museum, the public may visit the Museum's Web site at http://www.thejewishmuseum.org or call 212.423.3200. The Jewish Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street, Manhattan.

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